Noise limits for dc SQUID readout of high-<i>Q</i> resonators below 300 MHz

V V. Ankel (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) C C. Bartram (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory 1 , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025,) J J. Begin (Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,) C C. Bell (Department of Physics, Arizona State University 3 , Tempe, Arizona 85287,) L L. Brouwer (Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 5 , Berkeley, CA 94720,) S S. Chaudhuri (Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,) J John Clarke (Department of Physics, University of California 6 , Berkeley, CA 94720,) H H.-M. Cho (Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University 2 , Stanford, CA 94305,) J J. Corbin (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) W W. Craddock (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center 3 , Menlo Park, CA 94025,) S S. Cuadra (Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,) A A. Droster (Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California 8 , Berkeley, CA 94720,) M M. Durkin (National Institute of Standards and Technology 9 , Boulder, CO 80305,) J J. Echevers (Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California 8 , Berkeley, CA 94720,) J J. T. Fry (Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,) G G. Hilton (National Institute of Standards and Technology 9 , Boulder, CO 80305,) K K. D. Irwin (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) A A. Keller R R. Kolevatov (Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,) A A. Kunder (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) D D. Li N N. Otto (Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,) K K. M. W. Pappas (Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,) N N. M. Rapidis (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) C C. P. Salemi (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) D D. Schmidt (National Institute of Standards and Technology 9 , Boulder, CO 80305,) M M. Simanovskaia (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) J J. Singh P P. Stark (Department of Physics, Stanford University 3 , 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305,) C C. D. Tesche (Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico 11 , Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161,) J J. Ullom (Quantum Sensors Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology 1 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,) L L. Vale (Quantum Sensors Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology 1 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,) E E. C. van Assendelft (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) K K. van Bibber (Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California 8 , Berkeley, CA 94720,) M M. Vissers (National Institute of Standards and Technology 2 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,) K K. Wells (Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,) J J. Wiedemann (Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,) L L. Winslow (Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,) D D. Wright A A. K. Yi (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory 1 , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025,) B B. A. Young (Department of Physics, Santa Clara University 14 , Santa Clara, CA 95053,)

Abstract

We present the limits on noise for the readout of cryogenic high-Q resonators using dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) below 300 MHz. This analysis uses realized first-stage SQUIDs (previously published), whose performance is well described by Tesche–Clarke (TC) theory, coupled directly to the resonators. We also present data from a prototype second-stage dc SQUID array designed to couple to this first-stage SQUID as a follow-on amplifier with high system bandwidth. This analysis is the first full consideration of dc SQUID noise performance referred to a high-Q resonator over this frequency range and is presented relative to the standard quantum limit. We include imprecision, backaction, and backaction–imprecision noise correlations from TC theory, the noise contributed by the second-stage SQUIDs, wiring, and preamplifiers, and optimizations for both on-resonance measurements and off-resonance scan sensitivity. This architecture has modern relevance due to the increased interest in axion searches and the requirements of the DMRadio-m3 axion search, which uses dc SQUIDs in this frequency range.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 138, Issue 9
Published September 07, 2025
ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Journal of Applied Physics

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0021-8979 Physical Sciences

Authors (41)

V

V. Ankel

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

C

C. Bartram

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory 1 , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025,

J

J. Begin

Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,

C

C. Bell

Department of Physics, Arizona State University 3 , Tempe, Arizona 85287,

L

L. Brouwer

Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 5 , Berkeley, CA 94720,

S

S. Chaudhuri

Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,

J

John Clarke

Department of Physics, University of California 6 , Berkeley, CA 94720,

H

H.-M. Cho

Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University 2 , Stanford, CA 94305,

J

J. Corbin

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

W

W. Craddock

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center 3 , Menlo Park, CA 94025,

S

S. Cuadra

Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,

A

A. Droster

Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California 8 , Berkeley, CA 94720,

M

M. Durkin

National Institute of Standards and Technology 9 , Boulder, CO 80305,

J

J. Echevers

Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California 8 , Berkeley, CA 94720,

J

J. T. Fry

Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,

G

G. Hilton

National Institute of Standards and Technology 9 , Boulder, CO 80305,

K

K. D. Irwin

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

A

A. Keller

R

R. Kolevatov

Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,

A

A. Kunder

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

D

D. Li

N

N. Otto

Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,

K

K. M. W. Pappas

Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,

N

N. M. Rapidis

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

C

C. P. Salemi

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

D

D. Schmidt

National Institute of Standards and Technology 9 , Boulder, CO 80305,

M

M. Simanovskaia

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

J

J. Singh

P

P. Stark

Department of Physics, Stanford University 3 , 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305,

C

C. D. Tesche

Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico 11 , Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161,

J

J. Ullom

Quantum Sensors Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology 1 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,

L

L. Vale

Quantum Sensors Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology 1 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,

E

E. C. van Assendelft

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

K

K. van Bibber

Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California 8 , Berkeley, CA 94720,

M

M. Vissers

National Institute of Standards and Technology 2 , Boulder, Colorado 80305,

K

K. Wells

Department of Physics, Stanford University 1 , Stanford, CA 94305,

J

J. Wiedemann

Department of Physics, Princeton University 4 , Princeton, NJ 08544,

L

L. Winslow

Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7 , Cambridge, MA 02139,

D

D. Wright

A

A. K. Yi

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory 1 , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025,

B

B. A. Young

Department of Physics, Santa Clara University 14 , Santa Clara, CA 95053,