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arXiv · 1301.1696

Three-wave mixing with three incoming waves: Signal-Idler Coherent Cancellation and Gain Enhancement in a Parametric Amplifier

Flavius Schackert·Ananda Roy·Michael Hatridge·A. Douglas Stone·Michel H. Devoret
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Abstract

Coherent, purely-dispersive three-wave mixing systems in optics and superconducting microwave circuits can be operated as parametric amplifiers, generating from a pump wave at one frequency amplified signal and idler waves at lower frequencies. Here we demonstrate the reciprocal process using a Josephson amplifier in which coherently imposed signal and idler beams up-convert to the pump frequency. For signal and idler beams strong enough to significantly deplete the pump, we show that this reciprocal process ("coherent cancellation") leads to large, phase-sensitive modulation and even enhancement of the amplifier gain, in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

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Flavius Schackert, Ananda Roy, Michael Hatridge, A. Douglas Stone, Michel H. Devoret. 2013-01-08. Three-wave mixing with three incoming waves: Signal-Idler Coherent Cancellation and Gain Enhancement in a Parametric Amplifier. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.111.073903

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