Austin Minnich

California Institute of Technology, USA

Low Noise Transistor Microwave Amplifiers for Quantum Computing

Abstract: Microwave amplifiers based on high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are a key component of scientific instrumentation and play a key role in applications ranging from radio observatories to quantum computers. Present devices operate around a factor of 5 above the standard quantum limit of noise, and lower noise amplifiers are an important technological component of future large-scale quantum computers. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts to identify and mitigate noise sources in HEMTs at cryogenic temperatures and thereby realize transistor amplifiers operating near the quantum noise limit.

Bio

Austin Minnich is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He received his Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley in 2006 and his PhD from MIT in 2011, after which he started his position at Caltech. He is the recipient of a 2013 NSF CAREER Award, a 2015 ONR Young Investigator Award, a 2017 Director of Research Award from the Navy, the 2017 Junior Prize from the International Photothermal and Photoacoustics Association, the 2017 Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award, and a 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.