Modeling Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifiers with electromagnetic and circuit co-simulation

Abstract: Optimizing the performance of cryogenic quantum amplifiers is a key step toward achieving high-fidelity and scalable qubit readout. In this work, we present efficient and accurate modeling of a Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA) based on electromagnetic (EM) and circuit co-simulation. In contrast to conventional simulation methods where an equivalent lumped-element circuit model of the JTWPA is required, we directly perform full EM analysis of the device to faithfully determine the linear response. The extracted S-parameters are then fed into a nonlinear harmonic balance simulator with Josephson junctions represented as circuit elements. The simulated linear and gain properties are compared with experimental results and show good agreement.