Kinetic-inductance Parametric Amplification in Superconducting Hybrid Magnonics

Abstract

Parametric amplification enables sensitive microwave detection and signal processing by amplifying weak signals with minimal added noise. Here, we demonstrate kinetic inductance mediated parametric amplification in a hybrid magnonic system comprising a nonlinear NbN nanowire resonator strongly coupled to a yttrium iron garnet sphere. The resonator exhibits four wave mixing and nonlinear frequency pulling, enabling parametric amplification both away from and within the magnon-photon strong coupling regime. In the magnon detuned regime, we observe 7 dB gain, while coupling to the YIG magnon shifts the parametric amplification response by ~20 MHz and yields 3.4 dB gain in the hybrid mode. Thus, magnon photon coupling provides a route to magnetically tune the spectral position of kinetic inductance parametric amplification. At higher pump powers, the system transitions to a self oscillatory regime featuring comb-like sidebands and probe activated nonlinear mode mixing. These results establish hybrid magnonics as a platform for tunable nonlinear microwave amplification and dynamics.