Two stage double frequency up-conversion scheme

Abstract

Superconducting qubits have emerged as one of the front-runners in the development of quantum processors and require amplitude and phase modulated microwave frequency pulses for control and measurement. A common method for generating these pulses is the single side band up-conversion scheme which utilizes an IQ Mixer and two modulating signals from arbitrary waveform generators. In this thesis, we discuss an alternative scheme, referred to as double frequency up-conversion, which aims to reduce the number of required modulating signals to one, eschews periodic calibrations and accommodates a wider range of qubit frequencies. We partially implement this scheme, demonstrate the measurement and analysis of a single qubit, and present evidence that the long-term stability of the alternative scheme is comparable to that of the standard setup.