We present the design, measurement, and analysis of a current sensor based on a process of Josephson parametric upconversion in a superconducting microwave cavity. When a coplanar waveguide is terminated with a nanobridge-constriction Josephson junction, we observe modulation sidebands from the cavity that enable highly sensitive frequency-multiplexed output of small currents for applications such as readout of transition-edge sensor arrays. We derive an analytical model to reproduce the measurements over a wide range of bias current, detuning, and input power. When the frequency of the cavity is tuned by more than 100 MHz with a dc current, our device achieves a minimum current sensitivity of 8.9pA/Hz. Extrapolating the results of our analytical model, we predict an improved device based on our platform, capable of achieving a sensitivity down to 50fA/Hz, or even lower if one can take advantage of parametric amplification in the Josephson cavity. Taking advantage of the Josephson architecture, our approach can provide higher sensitivity than kinetic inductance designs, and potentially enables detection of currents ultimately limited by quantum noise.

Detecting weak radio-frequency electromagnetic fields plays a crucial role in a wide range of fields, from radio astronomy to nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. In quantum optics, the ultimate limit of a weak field is a single photon. Detecting and manipulating single photons at megahertz frequencies presents a challenge because, even at cryogenic temperatures, thermal fluctuations are appreciable. Using a gigahertz superconducting qubit, we observed the quantization of a megahertz radio-frequency resonator, cooled it to the ground state, and stabilized Fock states. Releasing the resonator from our control, we observed its rethermalization with nanosecond resolution. Extending circuit quantum electrodynamics to the megahertz regime, we have enabled the exploration of thermodynamics at the quantum scale and allowed interfacing quantum circuits with megahertz systems such as spin systems or macroscopic mechanical oscillators.

We explore the superconducting phase diagram of the two-dimensional electron system at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface by monitoring the frequencies of the cavity modes of a coplanar waveguide resonator fabricated in the interface itself. We determine the phase diagram of the superconducting transition as a function of the temperature and electrostatic gating, finding that both the superfluid density and the transition temperature follow a dome shape but that the two are not monotonically related. The ground state of this two-dimensional electron system is interpreted as a Josephson junction array, where a transition from long- to short-range order occurs as a function of the electronic doping. The synergy between correlated oxides and superconducting circuits is revealed to be a promising route to investigate these exotic compounds, complementary to standard magnetotransport measurements.

Josephson junctions (JJ) are a fundamental component of microwave quantum circuits, such as tunable cavities, qubits, and parametric amplifiers. Recently developed encapsulated graphene JJs, with supercurrents extending over micron distance scales, have exciting potential applications as a new building block for quantum circuits. Despite this, the microwave performance of this technology has not been explored. Here, we demonstrate a microwave circuit based on a ballistic graphene JJ embedded in a superconducting cavity. We directly observe a gate-tunable Josephson inductance through the resonance frequency of the device and, using a detailed RF model, we extract this inductance quantitatively. We also observe the microwave losses of the device, and translate this into sub-gap resistances of the junction at μeV energy scales, not accessible in DC measurements. The microwave performance we observe here suggests that graphene Josephson junctions are a feasible platform for implementing coherent quantum circuits.