Ardent’s 16 channel Ganged Coaxial Attenuator is 94% more compact than 16 traditional SMA-style attenuators and fits in a 290mm² area compared to nearly 5000mm² for legacy attenuators with torque wrench provisions at the same channel count.
Amphenol Ardent Concepts, a leading supplier of ganged coaxial connectors for use in cryogenic environments, has released high-density Ganged Coaxial Attenuators for use in-line with the TR Multicoax™ series to support the many unique challenges of scaling up quantum computing applications for practical use. Density, substantial environmental changes, and an increasing need for more high-speed lanes are causing quantum computer designers to rethink traditional routing methods. By utilizing industry leading materials like Oxygen-free high thermal conductivity (OFHC) copper and NiCr on thermally conductive crystalline quartz dielectric, engineers will be able to drastically decrease real estate required by individual attenuators with minimal change in attenuation with temperature delta down to 3 milliKelvin. Attenuation is offered in 0, 10, and 20 dB configurations and supports bandwidth up to 12 GHz. All configurations offer well controlled insertion loss at 5 GHz of ±1 dB. The initial 16 channel form factor is 94% more compact than 16 traditional SMA-style attenuators and fits in a 290mm² area compared to nearly 5000mm² for legacy attenuators with torque wrench provisions at the same channel count. Ardent plans to introduce additional form factors as needed. The tandem of TR Multicoax connectors and Ganged Coaxial Attenuators provides system developers a total solution from room temperature to Quantum IC.
Traditionally, the control and read out lines (IOs) in cryogenic dilution refrigerators are deployed in a massively parallel configuration using traditional coaxial cables as the transmission line media. As quantum computing begins to solidify its technical advantage over classical computing, it does so with the need for higher and higher numbers of qubits. The increase in qubits requires the coaxial cabling solutions to become denser as the hardware designers battle mechanical space requirements and balance the delicate cooling constraints of the cryogenic dilution refrigerators. This presents routing challenges due to the extremely high channel counts and concerns over connector transition failures and many cutting-edge quantum computing developers have turned to Ardent’s TR Multicoax product family to help.
“We saw this as an opportunity to help customers working on quantum computing and other cryogenic applications address the inherent challenges of routing signals in such a confined space and at extreme temperature changes. The robustness of our Ganged Coaxial Attenuator combined with its high-density, high-bandwidth, solderless design, made it an ideal solution,” said Stephen Cristaldi, Ardent Product Manager of High-Speed Cable Products. “Pair this Ganged Coaxial Attenuator with TR Multicoax connectors, and system designers can connect hundreds of lines in a matter of minutes with confidence that all lanes will be functional down to milliKelvin temps.”
TR Multicoax series connectors, used in quantum computing systems globally, are offered in a variety of channel counts, form factors, and non-magnetic configurations supporting quantum computing and cryogenic applications. “We recognize that practical quantum computing requires hundreds, if not thousands, of qubits. Our TR Multicoax brings that requirement into reality,” said Cristaldi.
About Amphenol Ardent Concepts
Amphenol Ardent Concepts, Inc. is a division of Amphenol Corporation, one of the world’s largest electrical and optical interconnect suppliers. Amphenol Ardent Concepts is a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance multicoax and twinax assemblies, probes, compliant interfaces, and sockets used in the development of next generation semiconductors and electronics systems. Our core technology is the smallest, fastest, most electrically efficient compression mount all metal connector technology worldwide. It is used to connect integrated circuits and printed circuit boards to instrumentation and to each other offering superior signal integrity in harsh environments. Markets for our products include: Quantum Computing, Semiconductor, Test & Measurement, Military/Aerospace, Communications and Medical.
About Amphenol
Amphenol Corporation is one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors and interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. Amphenol designs, manufactures and assembles its products at facilities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa and sells its products through its own global sales force, independent representatives and a global network of electronics distributors. Amphenol has a diversified presence as a leader in high-growth areas of the interconnect market including: Automotive, Broadband Communications, Commercial Aerospace, Industrial, Information Technology and Data Communications, Military, Mobile Devices and Mobile Networks.
