On-Chip Frequency Multiplication Using Kinetic Inductance Within a Coplanar Waveguide

This article presents a method of frequency multiplication which exploits the kinetic inductance of a superconducting coplanar waveguide (CPW). Both frequency doubling and tripling are examined, with attention paid to conversion efficiency. This approach allows up-conversion to be implemented in a miniaturized packaged and cryogenic environment, which can simplify the design of cryogenic systems. We achieved a conversion efficiency of 12.7% and an output power of −5.0 dBm when up-converting a 10-GHz fundamental tone to the 20-GHz second harmonic, which is an improvement compared to higher power room-temperature commercial offerings. To better understand device behavior, we also develop a measurement-based model using a harmonic balance simulation, and achieved good agreement between measurements and simulations.