Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer

Abstract Bolometers are radiation sensors that are central to wide areas such as dark matter search, radio astronomy, material science, and qubit readouts, among others. There have been different kinds of bolometer realizations in the recent past. The challenge is to have a single device that combin...

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Main Authors: Joydip Sarkar, Krishnendu Maji, Abhishek Sunamudi, Heena Agarwal, Priyanka Samanta, Anirban Bhattacharjee, Rishiraj Rajkhowa, Meghan P. Patankar, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Mandar M. Deshmukh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62480-9
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author Joydip Sarkar
Krishnendu Maji
Abhishek Sunamudi
Heena Agarwal
Priyanka Samanta
Anirban Bhattacharjee
Rishiraj Rajkhowa
Meghan P. Patankar
Kenji Watanabe
Takashi Taniguchi
Mandar M. Deshmukh
author_facet Joydip Sarkar
Krishnendu Maji
Abhishek Sunamudi
Heena Agarwal
Priyanka Samanta
Anirban Bhattacharjee
Rishiraj Rajkhowa
Meghan P. Patankar
Kenji Watanabe
Takashi Taniguchi
Mandar M. Deshmukh
author_sort Joydip Sarkar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Bolometers are radiation sensors that are central to wide areas such as dark matter search, radio astronomy, material science, and qubit readouts, among others. There have been different kinds of bolometer realizations in the recent past. The challenge is to have a single device that combines high sensitivity, broad bandwidth, and a fast readout scheme. Here we demonstrate the usage of Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPA) as highly sensitive bolometers. Our key finding is that the Kerr non-linearity of the JPA boosts the device’s sensitivity. When the bolometer is biased in the non-linear regime, it enhances the up-converted signals (~100 times), resulting in an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to the linear regime. In the non-linear biasing, we achieve a NEP ~ 500 aW/ $$\sqrt{{{{\rm{Hz}}}}}$$ Hz . Our device offers a fast detection scheme with a thermal time constant of 4.26 μs and an intrinsic JPA time constant of 70 ns. Our work integrates a JPA into a bolometer, enabling a fast and sensitive operation compared to previously studied graphene-based bolometers. Our study demonstrates a way forward to improve the quantum sensors based on 2D materials by leveraging the inherent non-linear response.
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spelling doaj-art-2bc968f78b54493482dccb7d6fcc45312025-08-20T03:46:15ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611810.1038/s41467-025-62480-9Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometerJoydip Sarkar0Krishnendu Maji1Abhishek Sunamudi2Heena Agarwal3Priyanka Samanta4Anirban Bhattacharjee5Rishiraj Rajkhowa6Meghan P. Patankar7Kenji Watanabe8Takashi Taniguchi9Mandar M. Deshmukh10Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchResearch Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials ScienceInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials ScienceDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchAbstract Bolometers are radiation sensors that are central to wide areas such as dark matter search, radio astronomy, material science, and qubit readouts, among others. There have been different kinds of bolometer realizations in the recent past. The challenge is to have a single device that combines high sensitivity, broad bandwidth, and a fast readout scheme. Here we demonstrate the usage of Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPA) as highly sensitive bolometers. Our key finding is that the Kerr non-linearity of the JPA boosts the device’s sensitivity. When the bolometer is biased in the non-linear regime, it enhances the up-converted signals (~100 times), resulting in an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared to the linear regime. In the non-linear biasing, we achieve a NEP ~ 500 aW/ $$\sqrt{{{{\rm{Hz}}}}}$$ Hz . Our device offers a fast detection scheme with a thermal time constant of 4.26 μs and an intrinsic JPA time constant of 70 ns. Our work integrates a JPA into a bolometer, enabling a fast and sensitive operation compared to previously studied graphene-based bolometers. Our study demonstrates a way forward to improve the quantum sensors based on 2D materials by leveraging the inherent non-linear response.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62480-9
spellingShingle Joydip Sarkar
Krishnendu Maji
Abhishek Sunamudi
Heena Agarwal
Priyanka Samanta
Anirban Bhattacharjee
Rishiraj Rajkhowa
Meghan P. Patankar
Kenji Watanabe
Takashi Taniguchi
Mandar M. Deshmukh
Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer
Nature Communications
title Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer
title_full Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer
title_fullStr Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer
title_full_unstemmed Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer
title_short Kerr non-linearity enhances the response of a graphene Josephson bolometer
title_sort kerr non linearity enhances the response of a graphene josephson bolometer
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62480-9
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