Microwave Quantum Radar using a Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifier and a Phase-Conjugate Receiver for a long-distance detection

Abstract

A Microwave Quantum Radar (MQR) based on the Quantum Illumination (QI) protocol and using a Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA) and a Phase-Coniugate Receiver is introduced for the first time. A JTWPA, operating as a two-mode squeezed vacuum state quantum source, emitting a microwave signal-idler entangled state is developed and experimentally characterised. A phase-conjugate receiver is used as a joint detecting unit for the entangled signal-idler pairs, and its corresponding receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are reported and compared to the optimal classic scheme. The proposed MQR scheme paves the way to a long-distance target detection.