Method of manufacturing Josephson junction integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jillie, D.W. Jr.; Smith, L.N.

1985-01-01

Josephson junction integrated circuits of the current injection type and magnetically controlled type utilize a superconductive layer that forms both Josephson junction electrode for the Josephson junction devices on the integrated circuit as well as a ground plane for the integrated circuit. Large area Josephson junctions are utilized for effecting contact to lower superconductive layers and islands are formed in superconductive layers to provide isolation between the groudplane function and the Josephson junction electrode function as well as to effect crossovers. A superconductor-barrier-superconductor trilayer patterned by local anodization is also utilized with additional layers formed thereover. Methods of manufacturing the embodiments of the invention are disclosed

Josephson junctions of multiple superconducting wires

Science.gov (United States)

Deb, Oindrila; Sengupta, K.; Sen, Diptiman

2018-05-01

We study the spectrum of Andreev bound states and Josephson currents across a junction of N superconducting wires which may have s - or p -wave pairing symmetries and develop a scattering matrix based formalism which allows us to address transport across such junctions. For N ≥3 , it is well known that Berry curvature terms contribute to the Josephson currents; we chart out situations where such terms can have relatively large effects. For a system of three s -wave or three p -wave superconductors, we provide analytic expressions for the Andreev bound-state energies and study the Josephson currents in response to a constant voltage applied across one of the wires; we find that the integrated transconductance at zero temperature is quantized to integer multiples of 4 e2/h , where e is the electron charge and h =2 π ℏ is Planck's constant. For a sinusoidal current with frequency ω applied across one of the wires in the junction, we find that Shapiro plateaus appear in the time-averaged voltage across that wire for any rational fractional multiple (in contrast to only integer multiples in junctions of two wires) of 2 e /(ℏ ω ) . We also use our formalism to study junctions of two p -wave and one s -wave wires. We find that the corresponding Andreev bound-state energies depend on the spin of the Bogoliubov quasiparticles; this produces a net magnetic moment in such junctions. The time variation of these magnetic moments may be controlled by an external voltage applied across the junction. We discuss experiments which may test our theory.

Terahertz Responses of Intrinsic Josephson Junctions in High TC Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H. B.; Wu, P. H.; Yamashita, T.

2001-01-01

High frequency responses of intrinsic Josephson junctions up to 2.5THz, including the observation of Shapiro steps under various conditions, are reported and discussed in this Letter. The sample was an array of intrinsic Josephson junctions singled out from inside a high T C superconducting Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x single crystal, with a bow-tie antenna integrated to it. The number of junctions in the array was controllable, the junctions were homogeneous, the distribution of applied irradiation among the junctions was even, and the junctions could synchronously respond to high frequency irradiation

dc properties of series-parallel arrays of Josephson junctions in an external magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewandowski, S.J.

1991-01-01

A detailed dc theory of superconducting multijunction interferometers has previously been developed by several authors for the case of parallel junction arrays. The theory is now extended to cover the case of a loop containing several junctions connected in series. The problem is closely associated with high-T c superconductors and their clusters of intrinsic Josephson junctions. These materials exhibit spontaneous interferometric effects, and there is no reason to assume that the intrinsic junctions form only parallel arrays. A simple formalism of phase states is developed in order to express the superconducting phase differences across the junctions forming a series array as functions of the phase difference across the weakest junction of the system, and to relate the differences in critical currents of the junctions to gaps in the allowed ranges of their phase functions. This formalism is used to investigate the energy states of the array, which in the case of different junctions are split and separated by energy barriers of height depending on the phase gaps. Modifications of the washboard model of a single junction are shown. Next a superconducting inductive loop containing a series array of two junctions is considered, and this model is used to demonstrate the transitions between phase states and the associated instabilities. Finally, the critical current of a parallel connection of two series arrays is analyzed and shown to be a multivalued function of the externally applied magnetic flux. The instabilities caused by the presence of intrinsic serial junctions in granular high-T c materials are pointed out as a potential source of additional noise

Modern aspects of Josephson dynamics and superconductivity electronics

CERN Document Server

Askerzade, Iman; Cantürk, Mehmet

2017-01-01

In this book new experimental investigations of properties of Josephson junctions and systems are explored with the help of recent developments in superconductivity. The theory of the Josephson effect is presented taking into account the influence of multiband and anisotropy effects in new superconducting compounds. Anharmonicity effects in current-phase relation on Josephson junctions dynamics are discussed. Recent studies in analogue and digital superconductivity electronics are presented. Topics of special interest include resistive single flux quantum logic in digital electronics. Application of Josephson junctions in quantum computing as superconducting quantum bits are analyzed. Particular attention is given to understanding chaotic behaviour of Josephson junctions and systems. The book is written for graduate students and researchers in the field of applied superconductivity.

Magnetic properties of strip-like Josephson-junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, D.-X; Moreno, J.J.; Hernando, A.; Sanchez, A.

2000-01-01

Zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) magnetic properties of strip-like Josephson-junction (JJ) arrays with very strong demagnetizing effects are calculated from basic laws. Similar to slab-like JJ arrays without considering demagnetizing effects, a vortex state evolves to a critical state (CS) with increasing maximum JJ currents in the ZFC case, and a vortex state always remains with a negative low-field susceptibility in the FC case. However, the strong demagnetizing effects cause qualitative changes in the CS, where the overall feature of the field and current profiles turns out to be similar to that in type-II superconducting strips, but not like the ordinary Bean CS in slab-like JJ arrays, the CS current profile is never flat and the critical current is no longer a step function of the maximum JJ current as in slab-like JJ arrays. The calculated results of different types of JJ arrays indicate that although the intergranular CS in granular superconductors may have a common origin, the discovered paramagnetic Meissner effect in them is still difficult to explain. (author)

Chiral classical states in a rhombus and a rhombi chain of Josephson junctions with two-band superconducting elements

CERN Document Server

Dias, R G; Coutinho, B C; Martins, L P

2014-01-01

We present a study of Josephson junctions arrays with two-band superconducting elements in the highcapacitance limit. We consider two particular geometries for these arrays: a single rhombus and a rhombi chain with two-band superconducting elements at the spinal positions. We show that the rhombus shaped JJ circuit and the rhombi chain can be mapped onto a triangular JJ circuit and a JJ two-leg ladder, respectively, with zero effective magnetic flux, but with Josephson couplings that are magnetic flux dependent. If the two-band superconductors are in a sign-reversed pairing state, one observes transitions to or from chiral phase configurations in the mapped superconducting arrays when magnetic flux or temperature are varied. The phase diagram for these chiral configurations is discussed. When half-flux quantum threads each rhombus plaquette, new phase configurations of the rhombi chain appear that are characterized by the doubling of the periodicity of the energy density along the chain, with every other two-...

Josephson junctions array resonators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gargiulo, Oscar; Muppalla, Phani; Mirzaei, Iman; Kirchmair, Gerhard [Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Innsbruck (Austria)

2016-07-01

We present an experimental analysis of the self- and cross-Kerr effect of extended plasma resonances in Josephson junction chains. The chain consists of 1600 individual junctions and we can measure quality factors in excess of 10000. The Kerr effect manifests itself as a frequency shift that depends linearly on the number of photons in a resonant mode. By changing the input power we are able to measure this frequency shift on a single mode (self-kerr). By changing the input power on another mode while measuring the same one, we are able to evaluate the cross-kerr effect. We can measure the cross-Kerr effect by probing the resonance frequency of one mode while exciting another mode of the array with a microwave drive.

Shot noise in YBCO bicrystal Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Constantinian, K.Y.; Ovsyannikov, G.A.; Borisenko, I.V.

2003-01-01

We measured spectral noise density in YBCO symmetric bicrystal Josephson junctions on sapphire substrates at bias voltages up to 100 mV and T 4.2 K. Normal state resistance of the Josephson junctions, R-N = 20-90 Omega and ICRN up to 2.2 mV have been observed in the experimental samples. Noise...... may explain the experimentally measured linewidth broadening of Josephson oscillations at mm and submm wave frequencies in high-Tc superconducting junctions. Experimental results are discussed in terms of bound states existing at surfaces of d-wave superconducting electrodes....

Resonance modes in one-dimensional parallel arrays of Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Zant, H.S.J.; Delin, K.A.; Bock, R.D.; Berman, D.; Phillips, J.R.; Orlando, T.P.

1994-01-01

We investigate both experimentally and numerically the dynamics of discrete one-dimensional parallel arrays of underdamped Josephson junctions. In a magnetic field, measurements show steps in the current-voltage characteristics which are the discrete analogs of Fiske steps in a long Josephson junction. From the position of the steps, one can construct a plot of the dispersion relation ω(k). We observe a sine--dependence in the dispersion relation due to the discrete nature of our arrays. We also observe an additional, smaller gap at a k-value determined by the periodicity of the vortex lattice. Our measurements are supported by numerical simulations of the full dynamics. The Fiske steps provide an experimental method to measure the self-inductance of 1D parallel arrays. (orig.)

Millimetre and sub-mm wavelength radiation sources based on discrete Josephson junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darula, M.; Beuven, S.; Doderer, T.

1999-01-01

This paper reviews the present status and future perspectives of discrete Josephson junction arrays for applications as sub-mm wavelength radiation sources. It is intended to cover the whole field, i.e. theory, fabrication and experimental results. The theoretical part reviews the fundamental aspects of Josephson junctions for oscillator applications and introduces the different possible array types. The recent results of analytical as well as numerical investigations are discussed. After the description of the fabrication of both low-T c as well as high-T c superconductor Josephson junctions and arrays, methods to investigate the array dynamics experimentally are mentioned. Finally, the recent experimental results are reviewed. This topic is divided into two parts, the first dealing with low-T c arrays, the second with high-T c arrays. The different possibilities to design arrays and to include them in practical applications are discussed and compared, with special emphasis on those experiments where radiation was generated successfully. The article is completed with a discussion of the most important experimental results. (author)

Superconductor-Insulator transition in a single Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonin, E.B.; PenttilA, J.S.; Parts, O.; Hakonen, P.J.; Paalanen, M.A.

1999-01-01

For ultra small Josephson junctions, when quantum effects become important, dissipative phase transition (DPT) has been predicted. The physical origin of this transition is the suppression of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the phase by tile interaction with dissipative quantum-mechanical environment. Macroscopic quantum tunneling destroys superconductivity of a junction, whereas suppression of tunneling restores superconductivity. Hence, this transition is often called a superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). SIT was predicted for various systems, but its detection in a single Josephson junction is of principal importance since it is the simplest system where this transition is expected, without any risk of being masked by other physical processes, as is possible in more complicated systems like regular or' random Josephson junction arrays. In this Letter we present results of our measurements on R = dV/dI vs. I curves, for a variety of single small isolated Josephson junctions, shunted and un shunted, with different values of capacitance C and normal state tunneling resistance RT. We have detected a crossover. between two types of RI-curves with an essentially different behavior at small currents. On the basis of this crossover, we are able to map out the whole phase diagram for a Josephson junction. The position of the observed phase boundary did not agree with that expected from the original theory. However, the theory revised to take into account a finite accuracy of our voltage measurements (viz., the minimum voltage which we are able to detect), explains well the observed phase diagram. Our important conclusion is that the concept of dissipative phase transition (DPT) and superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) are not completely identical as assumed before. Both are accompanied by the sign change of the thermo resistance, which is traditionally considered as a signature of SIT. Thus any DPT is SIT, but not vice versa. We argue that the real signature

Topology-induced critical current enhancement in Josephson networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvestrini, P.; Russo, R.; Corato, V.; Ruggiero, B.; Granata, C.; Rombetto, S.; Russo, M.; Cirillo, M.; Trombettoni, A.; Sodano, P.

2007-01-01

We investigate the properties of Josephson junction networks with inhomogeneous architecture. The networks are shaped as 'square comb' planar lattices on which Josephson junctions link superconducting islands arranged in the plane to generate the pertinent topology. Compared to the behavior of reference linear arrays, the temperature dependencies of the Josephson currents of the branches of the network exhibit relevant differences. The observed phenomena evidence new and surprising behavior of superconducting Josephson arrays

Topology-induced critical current enhancement in Josephson networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvestrini, P. [Dipartimento d' Ingegneria dell' Informazione, Seconda Universita di Napoli, Aversa (Italy); Istituto di Cibernetica ' E. Caianiello' del CNR, Pozzuoli (Italy)], E-mail: p.silvestrini@cib.na.cnr.it; Russo, R. [Istituto di Cibernetica ' E. Caianiello' del CNR, Pozzuoli (Italy); Corato, V. [Dipartimento d' Ingegneria dell' Informazione, Seconda Universita di Napoli, Aversa (Italy); Ruggiero, B.; Granata, C.; Rombetto, S.; Russo, M. [Istituto di Cibernetica ' E. Caianiello' del CNR, Pozzuoli (Italy); Cirillo, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica and INFM, Universita di Roma ' Tor Vergata' , 00173 Roma (Italy); Trombettoni, A. [International School for Advanced Studies and Sezione INFN, Via Beirut 2/4, 34104 Trieste (Italy); Sodano, P. [International School for Advanced Studies and Sezione INFN, Via Beirut 2/4, 34104 Trieste (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, and Sezione INFN, Perugia (Italy); Progetto Lagrange, Fondazione C.R.T. e Fondazione I.S.I., Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10124 Torino (Italy)

2007-10-29

We investigate the properties of Josephson junction networks with inhomogeneous architecture. The networks are shaped as 'square comb' planar lattices on which Josephson junctions link superconducting islands arranged in the plane to generate the pertinent topology. Compared to the behavior of reference linear arrays, the temperature dependencies of the Josephson currents of the branches of the network exhibit relevant differences. The observed phenomena evidence new and surprising behavior of superconducting Josephson arrays.

Symmetry of trapped-field profiles in square columnar Josephson-junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, J.J.; Chen, D.; Hernando, A.

1995-01-01

The remanence of NxN square-columnar Josephson-junction arrays with normalized maximum junction current i max is calculated from the dc and ac Josephson equations, the Ampere theorem, and the gauge invariance. A transition line on the i max- N plane is obtained, on the high-i max side of which the remanence is nonzero. It is found that in the nonzero remanence state the symmetry degree of field profile can be lower than expected by intuition. The meaning and importance of this finding are discussed

Nonlinear viscous vortex motion in two-dimensional Josephson-junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagenaars, T.J.; Tiesinga, P.H.E.; van Himbergen, J.E.; Jose, J.V.

1994-01-01

When a vortex in a two-dimensional Josephson-junction array is driven by a constant external current it may move as a particle in a viscous medium. Here we study the nature of this viscous motion. We model the junctions in a square array as resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions and carry out numerical calculations of the current-voltage characteristics. We find that the current-voltage characteristics in the damped regime are well described by a model with a nonlinear viscous force of the form F D =η(y)y=[A/(1+By]y, where y is the vortex velocity, η(y) is the velocity-dependent viscosity, and A and B are constants for a fixed value of the Stewart-McCumber parameter. This result is found to apply also for triangular lattices in the overdamped regime. Further qualitative understanding of the nature of the nonlinear friction on the vortex motion is obtained from a graphic analysis of the microscopic vortex dynamics in the array. The consequences of having this type of nonlinear friction law are discussed and compared to previous theoretical and experimental studies

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic alloy interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Himmel, Nico

2015-07-23

Josephson junctions are used as active devices in superconducting electronics and quantum information technology. Outstanding properties are their distinct non-linear electrical characteristics and a usually sinusoidal relation between the current and the superconducting phase difference across the junction. In general the insertion of ferromagnetic material in the barrier of a Josephson junction is associated with a suppression of superconducting correlations. But also new phenomena can arise which may allow new circuit layouts and enhance the performance of applications. This thesis presents a systematic investigation for two concepts to fabricate Josephson junctions with a rather uncommon negative critical current. Such devices exhibit an intrinsic phase slip of π between the electrodes, so they are also known as π junctions. Both studies go well beyond existing experiments and in one system a π junction is shown for the first time. All the thin film junctions are based on superconducting Nb electrodes. In a first approach, barriers made from Si and Fe were investigated with respect to the realisation of π junctions by spin-flip processes. The distribution of Fe in the Si matrix was varied from pure layers to disperse compounds. The systematic fabrication of alloy barriers was facilitated by the development of a novel timing-based combinatorial sputtering technique for planetary deposition systems. An orthogonal gradient approach allowed to create binary layer libraries with independent variations of thickness and composition. Second, Nb vertical stroke AlO{sub x} vertical stroke Nb vertical stroke Ni{sub 60}Cu{sub 40} vertical stroke Nb (SIsFS) double barrier junctions were experimentally studied for the occurrence of proximity effect induced order parameter oscillations. Detailed dependencies of the critical current density on the thickness of s-layer and F-layer were acquired and show a remarkable agreement to existing theoretical predictions. Especially

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic alloy interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Himmel, Nico

2015-01-01

Josephson junctions are used as active devices in superconducting electronics and quantum information technology. Outstanding properties are their distinct non-linear electrical characteristics and a usually sinusoidal relation between the current and the superconducting phase difference across the junction. In general the insertion of ferromagnetic material in the barrier of a Josephson junction is associated with a suppression of superconducting correlations. But also new phenomena can arise which may allow new circuit layouts and enhance the performance of applications. This thesis presents a systematic investigation for two concepts to fabricate Josephson junctions with a rather uncommon negative critical current. Such devices exhibit an intrinsic phase slip of π between the electrodes, so they are also known as π junctions. Both studies go well beyond existing experiments and in one system a π junction is shown for the first time. All the thin film junctions are based on superconducting Nb electrodes. In a first approach, barriers made from Si and Fe were investigated with respect to the realisation of π junctions by spin-flip processes. The distribution of Fe in the Si matrix was varied from pure layers to disperse compounds. The systematic fabrication of alloy barriers was facilitated by the development of a novel timing-based combinatorial sputtering technique for planetary deposition systems. An orthogonal gradient approach allowed to create binary layer libraries with independent variations of thickness and composition. Second, Nb vertical stroke AlO x vertical stroke Nb vertical stroke Ni 60 Cu 40 vertical stroke Nb (SIsFS) double barrier junctions were experimentally studied for the occurrence of proximity effect induced order parameter oscillations. Detailed dependencies of the critical current density on the thickness of s-layer and F-layer were acquired and show a remarkable agreement to existing theoretical predictions. Especially a variation of

Models of classical one- and two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays and high-T sub c superconductors

CERN Document Server

Filatrella, G

2002-01-01

The technology to build reproducible and accurately defined structures consisting of many lumped junctions has become available only recently, therefore extended investigations are relatively new. However, beside the interest of such discrete structures per se, it has been suggested soon after the discovery of high-T sub c superconductivity that granular superconductors might be modelled as superconducting islands surrounded by non-superconducting material and weakly coupled to each other. This program has been vigorously carried on, and models of planar Josephson junction arrays (JJAs) have been successfully used to mimic the magnetic behaviour of granular superconductors. The JJA model has been compared to continuous models of non-granular superconductors. We will show how to derive the height of pinning barriers in the JJA model and compare the results with the continuous model. In particular, the existence of current dependent activation energy has been proved to be a key characteristic to understand flux...

Gravitation at the Josephson Junction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Atanasov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A geometric potential from the kinetic term of a constrained to a curved hyperplane of space-time quantum superconducting condensate is derived. An energy conservation relation involving the geometric field at every material point in the superconductor is demonstrated. At a Josephson junction the energy conservation relation implies the possibility of transforming electric energy into geometric field energy, that is, curvature of space-time. Experimental procedures to verify that the Josephson junction can act as a voltage-to-curvature converter are discussed.

Turbulence, chaos and thermal noise in globally coupled Josephson junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.

1995-03-01

We discuss the effects of thermal noise in underdamped Josephson junction series arrays that are globally coupled through a resistive load and driven by an rf current. We study the breakdown of the law of large numbers in the turbulent phase of the Josephson arrays. This corresponds to a saturation of the broad band noise S 0 for a large number N of junctions. We find that this phenomenon is stable against thermal fluctuations below a critical temperature T cl . The behaviour of S 0 vs. T, for large N, shows three different regimes. For 0 cl , S 0 decreases when increasing T, and there is turbulence and the breakdown of the law of large numbers. For T cl c2 , S 0 is constant and the dynamics is dominated by the chaos of the individual junctions. Finally for T > T c2 , S 0 in mainly due to thermal fluctuations, since it increases linearly with T. (author). 23 refs, 6 figs

Ginzburg–Landau theory of mesoscopic multi-band Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romeo, F.; De Luca, R., E-mail: rdeluca@unisa.it

2017-05-15

Highlights: • We generalize, in the realm of the Ginzburg–Landau theory, the de Gennes matching-matrix method for the interface order parameters to describe the superconducting properties of multi-band mesoscopic Josephson junctions. • The results are in agreement with a microscopic treatment of nanobridge junctions. • Thermal stability of the nanobridge junction is discussed in connection with recent experiments on iron-based grain-boundary junctions. - Abstract: A Ginzburg–Landau theory for multi-band mesoscopic Josephson junctions has been developed. The theory, obtained by generalizing the de Gennes matching-matrix method for the interface order parameters, allows the study of the phase dynamics of various types of mesoscopic Josephson junctions. As a relevant application, we studied mesoscopic double-band junctions also in the presence of a superconducting nanobridge interstitial layer. The results are in agreement with a microscopic treatment of the same system. Furthermore, thermal stability of the nanobridge junction is discussed in connection with recent experiments on iron-based grain-boundary junctions.

Synchronization of a Josephson junction array in terms of global variables

Science.gov (United States)

Vlasov, Vladimir; Pikovsky, Arkady

2013-08-01

We consider an array of Josephson junctions with a common LCR load. Application of the Watanabe-Strogatz approach [Physica DPDNPDT0167-278910.1016/0167-2789(94)90196-1 74, 197 (1994)] allows us to formulate the dynamics of the array via the global variables only. For identical junctions this is a finite set of equations, analysis of which reveals the regions of bistability of the synchronous and asynchronous states. For disordered arrays with distributed parameters of the junctions, the problem is formulated as an integro-differential equation for the global variables; here stability of the asynchronous states and the properties of the transition synchrony-asynchrony are established numerically.

Towards local oscillators based on arrays of niobium Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galin, M A; Klushin, A M; Kurin, V V; Seliverstov, S V; Finkel, M I; Goltsman, G N; Müller, F; Scheller, T; Semenov, A D

2015-01-01

Various applications in the field of terahertz technology are in urgent need of compact, wide-tunable solid-state continuous wave radiation sources with a moderate power. However, satisfactory solutions for the THz frequency range are scarce yet. Here we report on coherent radiation from a large planar array of Josephson junctions (JJs) in the frequency range between 0.1 and 0.3 THz. The external resonator providing the synchronization of JJ array is identified as a straight fragment of a single-strip-line containing the junctions themselves. We demonstrate a prototype of the quasioptical heterodyne receiver with the JJ array as a local oscillator and a hot-electron bolometer mixer. (paper)

Transport in arrays of submicron Josephson junctions over a ground plane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ho, Teressa Rae [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1997-12-01

One-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) arrays of Al islands linked by submicron Al/Al_xO_y/Al tunnel junctions were fabricated on an insulating layer grown on a ground plane. The arrays were cooled to temperatures as low as 20 mK where the Josephson coupling energy E_J of each junction and the charging energy E_C of each island were much greater than the thermal energy k_BT. The capacitance C_g between each island and the ground plane was much greater than the junction capacitance C. Two classes of arrays were studied. In the first class, the normal state tunneling resistance of the junctions was much larger than the resistance quantum for single electrons, R_N>> R_Qe≡ h/e² ~ 25.8 kΩ, and the islands were driven normal by an applied magnetic field such that E_J = 0 and the array was in the Coulomb blockade regime. The arrays were made on degenerately-doped Si, thermally oxidized to a thickness of approximately 100 nm. The current-voltage (I - V) characteristics of a 1D and a 2D array were measured and found to display a threshold voltage V_T below which little current flows. In the second class of arrays, the normal state tunneling resistance of the junctions was close to the resistance quantum for Cooper pairs, R_N≈R_Q≡h/4e²≈6.45kΩ, such that E_J/E_C≈1. The arrays were made on GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As heterostructures with a two-dimensional electron gas approximately 100 nm below the surface. One array displayed superconducting behavior at low temperature. Two arrays displayed insulating behavior at low temperature, and the size of the Coulomb gap increased with increasing R_g.

Invariant submanifold for series arrays of Josephson junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Marvel, Seth A; Strogatz, Steven H

2009-03-01

We study the nonlinear dynamics of series arrays of Josephson junctions in the large-N limit, where N is the number of junctions in the array. The junctions are assumed to be identical, overdamped, driven by a constant bias current, and globally coupled through a common load. Previous simulations of such arrays revealed that their dynamics are remarkably simple, hinting at the presence of some hidden symmetry or other structure. These observations were later explained by the discovery of N-3 constants of motion, the choice of which confines the resulting flow in phase space to a low-dimensional invariant manifold. Here we show that the dimensionality can be reduced further by restricting attention to a special family of states recently identified by Ott and Antonsen. In geometric terms, the Ott-Antonsen ansatz corresponds to an invariant submanifold of dimension one less than that found earlier. We derive and analyze the flow on this submanifold for two special cases: an array with purely resistive loading and another with resistive-inductive-capacitive loading. Our results recover (and in some instances improve) earlier findings based on linearization arguments.

Memory states in small arrays of Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braiman, Yehuda [ORNLOak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Computing and Computational Science Directorate; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering; Neschke, Brendan [ORNLOak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Computing and Computational Science Directorate; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering; Nair, Niketh S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Computing and Computational Science Directorate; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering; Imam, Neena [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computing and Computational Science Directorat; Glowinski, R. [Univ. of Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Mathematics

2017-11-30

Here, we study memory states of a circuit consisting of a small inductively coupled Josephson junction array and introduce basic (write, read, and reset) memory operations logics of the circuit. The presented memory operation paradigm is fundamentally different from conventional single quantum flux operation logics. We calculate stability diagrams of the zero-voltage states and outline memory states of the circuit. We also calculate access times and access energies for basic memory operations.

Phase-dependent noise in Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Sheldon, Forrest; Peotta, Sebastiano; Di Ventra, Massimiliano

2018-03-01

In addition to the usual superconducting current, Josephson junctions (JJs) support a phase-dependent conductance related to the retardation effect of tunneling quasi-particles. This introduces a dissipative current with a memory-resistive (memristive) character that should also affect the current noise. By means of the microscopic theory of tunnel junctions we compute the complete current autocorrelation function of a Josephson tunnel junction and show that this memristive component gives rise to both a previously noted phase-dependent thermal noise, and an undescribed non-stationary, phase-dependent dynamic noise. As experiments are approaching ranges in which these effects may be observed, we examine the form and magnitude of these processes. Their phase dependence can be realized experimentally as a hysteresis effect and may be used to probe defects present in JJ based qubits and in other superconducting electronics applications.

Vortex dynamics in two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays with asymmetrically bimodulated potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie, Qing-Miao; Zhang, Sha-Sha; Chen, Qing-Hu; Zhou, Wei

2012-01-01

On the basis of resistively-shunted junction dynamics, we study vortex dynamics in two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays with asymmetrically single and bimodulated periodic pinning potential for the full range of vortex density f. The ratchet effect occurring at a certain range of temperature, current, and f, is observed in our simulation. We explain the microscopic behavior behind this effect by analyzing the vortex distribution and interaction. The reversal of the ratchet effect can be observed at several f values for a small driven current. This effect is stronger when the asymmetric potential is simultaneously introduced in two directions. -- Highlights: ► The ratchet effect in Josephson junction arrays strongly depends on vortex density. ► The reversed ratchet effect can be observed at several f for a small current. ► The interaction between vortices can explain the reversed ratchet effect. ► The ratchet effect is enhanced by injecting the bimodulated asymmetric potential.

Squeezed States in Josephson Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, X.; Nori, F.

1996-03-01

We have studied quantum fluctuation properties of Josephson junctions in the limit of large Josephson coupling energy and small charging energy, when the eigenstates of the system can be treated as being nearly localized. We have considered(X. Hu and F. Nori, preprints.) a Josephson junction in a variety of situations, e.g., coupled to one or several of the following elements: a capacitor, an inductor (in a superconducting ring), and an applied current source. By solving an effective Shrödinger equation, we have obtained squeezed vacuum (coherent) states as the ground states of a ``free-oscillating'' (linearly-driven) Josephson junction, and calculated the uncertainties of its canonical momentum, charge, and coordinate, phase. We have also shown that the excited states of the various systems we consider are similar to the number states of a simple harmonic oscillator but with different fluctuation properties. Furthermore, we have obtained the time-evolution operators for these systems. These operators can make it easier to calculate the time-dependence of the expectation values and fluctuations of various quantities starting from an arbitrary initial state.

Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jung-Jung; Hsu, Ya-Fen

The Josephson effect is especially appealing because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. Here we study this effect in an excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. Such a junction is proposed to take place in the quantum Hall bilayer (QHB) that makes it subtler than in superconductor because of the counterflow of excitonic supercurrent and the interlayer tunneling in QHB. We treat the system theoretically by first mapping it into a pseudospin ferromagnet then describing it by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, the excitonic Josephson junction can possess a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons that resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Interestingly, each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q which is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The resultant current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q =ϕ0 / 2 π are the lowest energy states for small ϕ0. When ϕ0 > π , solitons with Q =ϕ0 / 2 π - 1 take place - the polarity of CPR is then switched.

Critical current fluctuation in a microwave-driven Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Ning; Sun Guozhu; Wang Yiwen; Cao Junyu; Yu Yang; Chen Jian; Kang Lin; Xu Weiwei; Han Siyuan; Wu Peiheng

2007-01-01

Josephson junction devices are good candidates for quantum computation. A large energy splitting was observed in the spectroscopy of a superconducting Josephson junction. The presence of the critical current fluctuation near the energy splitting indicated coupling between the junction and a two-level system. Furthermore, we find that this fluctuation is microwave dependent. It only appears at certain microwave frequency. This relation suggested that the decoherence of qubits is influenced by the necessary computing operations

Observation of supercurrent in graphene-based Josephson junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Libin; Li, Sen; Kang, Ning [Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices and Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Xu, Chuan; Ren, Wencai [Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China)

2015-07-01

Josephson junctions with a normal metal region sandwiched between two superconductors (S) are known as superconductor- normal-superconductor (SNS) structures. It has attracted significant attention especially when changing the normal metal with graphene, which allow for high tunability with the gate voltage and to study the proximity effect of the massless Dirac fermions. Here we report our work on graphene-based Josephson junction with a new two dimensional superconductor crystal, which grown directly on graphene, as superconducting electrodes. At low temperature, we observer proximity effect induced supercurrent flowing through the junction. The temperature and the magnetic field dependences of the critical current characteristics of the junction are also studied. The critical current exhibits a Fraunhofer-type diffraction pattern against magnetic field. Our experiments provided a new route of fabrication of graphene-based Josephson junction.

Thermally activated phase slippage in high-Tc grain-boundary Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, R.; Chaudhari, P.; Dimos, D.; Gupta, A.; Koren, G.

1990-01-01

The effect of thermally activated phase slippage (TAPS) in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 grain-boundary Josephson junctions has been studied. TAPS has been found to be responsible for the dc noise voltage superimposed on the dc Josephson current near the transition temperature. Because of the reduced Josephson coupling energy of the grain-boundary junctions, which is caused by a reduced superconducting order parameter at the grain-boundary interface, TAPS is present over a considerable temperature range. The implications of TAPS on the applicability of high-T c Josephson junctions are outlined

Effect of cross-type bias in a two-dimensional array of short Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filatrella, G.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Wiesenfeld, K.

1998-01-01

We investigate numerically the effect of cross-type bias on two-dimensional arrays of short Josephson junctions. We have demonstrated that, for the simplest circuit, this type of bias is able to phase lock the junctions yielding a substantial improvement over ordinary biasing schemes. (C) 1998...

Numerical study of self-field effects on dynamics of Josephson-junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, J.R.; Van der Zant, H.S.J.; White, J.; Orlando, T.P.

1994-01-01

We consider the influence of self-induced magnetic fields on dynamic properties of arrays of resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions. Self-field effects are modeled by including mutual inductance interactions between every cell in the array. We find that it is important to include all mutual inductance interactions in order to understand the dynamic properties of the array, in particular subharmonic structure arising under AC current bias. (orig.)

0-π phase-controllable thermal Josephson junction

Science.gov (United States)

Fornieri, Antonio; Timossi, Giuliano; Virtanen, Pauli; Solinas, Paolo; Giazotto, Francesco

2017-05-01

Two superconductors coupled by a weak link support an equilibrium Josephson electrical current that depends on the phase difference ϕ between the superconducting condensates. Yet, when a temperature gradient is imposed across the junction, the Josephson effect manifests itself through a coherent component of the heat current that flows opposite to the thermal gradient for |ϕ| heat currents can be inverted by adding a π shift to ϕ. In the static electrical case, this effect has been obtained in a few systems, for example via a ferromagnetic coupling or a non-equilibrium distribution in the weak link. These structures opened new possibilities for superconducting quantum logic and ultralow-power superconducting computers. Here, we report the first experimental realization of a thermal Josephson junction whose phase bias can be controlled from 0 to π. This is obtained thanks to a superconducting quantum interferometer that allows full control of the direction of the coherent energy transfer through the junction. This possibility, in conjunction with the completely superconducting nature of our system, provides temperature modulations with an unprecedented amplitude of ∼100 mK and transfer coefficients exceeding 1 K per flux quantum at 25 mK. Then, this quantum structure represents a fundamental step towards the realization of caloritronic logic components such as thermal transistors, switches and memory devices. These elements, combined with heat interferometers and diodes, would complete the thermal conversion of the most important phase-coherent electronic devices and benefit cryogenic microcircuits requiring energy management, such as quantum computing architectures and radiation sensors.

Zurek–Kibble Symmetry Breaking Process in Superconducting Rings; Spontaneous Fluxon Formation in Annular Josephson Tunnel Junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarøe, Morten; Monaco, Roberto; Dmitriev, P

2007-01-01

We report on new investigations of spontaneous symmetry breaking in non-adiabatic phase transitions. This Zurek-Kibble (ZK) process is mimicked in solid state systems by trapping of magnetic flux quanta, fluxons, in a long annular Josephson tunnel junction quenched through the normal-superconducting...

Dynamics of pi-junction interferometer circuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kornkev, V.K.; Mozhaev, P.B.; Borisenko, I.V.

2002-01-01

The pi-junction superconducting circuit dynamics was studied by means of numerical simulation technique. Parallel arrays consisting of Josephson junctions of both 0- and pi-type were studied as a model of high-T-c grain-boundary Josephson junction. The array dynamics and the critical current depe...

Parametric frequency conversion in long Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irie, F.; Ashihara, S.; Yoshida, K.

1976-01-01

Current steps at voltages corresponding to the parametric coupling between an applied r.f. field and junction resonant modes have been observed in long Josephson tunnel junctions in the flux-flow state. The observed periodic variations of the step height due to the applied magnetic field are explained quantitatively by a perturbational analysis using Josephson phase equations. The present study demonstrates that the moving vortex array can serve as a coherent pump wave for signal waves propagating in the barrier region, which indicates, as a result, the possibility of traveling-wave parametric devices with long Josephson tunnel junctions. (author)

Imaging of the dynamic magnetic structure in a parallel array of shunted Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doderer, T.; Kaplunenko, V. K.; Mygind, Jesper

1994-01-01

A one-dimensional (1D) parallel array of shunted Josephson junctions is one of the basic elements in the family of rapid single-flux quantum logic circuits. It was found recently that current steps always show up in the current-voltage curve of the generator junction when an additional bias current...

Josephson junctions in high-T/sub c/ superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Falco, C.M.; Lee, T.W.

1981-01-14

The invention includes a high T/sub c/ Josephson sperconducting junction as well as the method and apparatus which provides the junction by application of a closely controlled and monitored electrical discharge to a microbridge region connecting two portions of a superconducting film.

Four-junction superconducting circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Yueyin; Xiong, Wei; He, Xiao-Ling; Li, Tie-Fu; You, J. Q.

2016-01-01

We develop a theory for the quantum circuit consisting of a superconducting loop interrupted by four Josephson junctions and pierced by a magnetic flux (either static or time-dependent). In addition to the similarity with the typical three-junction flux qubit in the double-well regime, we demonstrate the difference of the four-junction circuit from its three-junction analogue, including its advantages over the latter. Moreover, the four-junction circuit in the single-well regime is also investigated. Our theory provides a tool to explore the physical properties of this four-junction superconducting circuit. PMID:27356619

Order and turbulence in rf-driven Josephson junction series arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.; Cerdeira, H.A.

1994-01-01

We study underdamped Josephson junction series arrays that are globally coupled through a resistive shunting load and driven by an rf bias current. We find coherent, ordered, partially ordered and turbulent regimes in the IV characteristics. The ordered regime corresponds to giant Shapiro steps. In the turbulent regime there is a saturation of the broad band noise for a large number of junctions. This corresponds to a breaking of the law of large numbers already seen in globally coupled maps. Coexisting with this, we find an emergence of novel pseudo-steps in the IV characteristics. (author). 18 refs, 3 figs

Ultimately short ballistic vertical graphene Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gil-Ho; Kim, Sol; Jhi, Seung-Hoon; Lee, Hu-Jong

2015-01-01

Much efforts have been made for the realization of hybrid Josephson junctions incorporating various materials for the fundamental studies of exotic physical phenomena as well as the applications to superconducting quantum devices. Nonetheless, the efforts have been hindered by the diffusive nature of the conducting channels and interfaces. To overcome the obstacles, we vertically sandwiched a cleaved graphene monoatomic layer as the normal-conducting spacer between superconducting electrodes. The atomically thin single-crystalline graphene layer serves as an ultimately short conducting channel, with highly transparent interfaces with superconductors. In particular, we show the strong Josephson coupling reaching the theoretical limit, the convex-shaped temperature dependence of the Josephson critical current and the exceptionally skewed phase dependence of the Josephson current; all demonstrate the bona fide short and ballistic Josephson nature. This vertical stacking scheme for extremely thin transparent spacers would open a new pathway for exploring the exotic coherence phenomena occurring on an atomic scale. PMID:25635386

The two Josephson junction flux qubit with large tunneling amplitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shnurkov, V.I.; Soroka, A.A.; Mel'nik, S.I.

2008-01-01

In this paper we discuss solid-state nanoelectronic realizations of Josephson flux qubits with large tunneling amplitude between the two macroscopic states. The latter can be controlled via the height and form of the potential barrier, which is determined by quantum-state engineering of the flux qubit circuit. The simplest circuit of the flux qubit is a superconducting loop interrupted by a Josephson nanoscale tunnel junction. The tunneling amplitude between two macroscopically different states can be increased substantially by engineering of the qubit circuit if the tunnel junction is replaced by a ScS contact. However, only Josephson tunnel junctions are particularly suitable for large-scale integration circuits and quantum detectors with present-day technology. To overcome this difficulty we consider here a flux qubit with high energy-level separation between the 'ground' and 'excited' states, consisting of a superconducting loop with two low-capacitance Josephson tunnel junctions in series. We demonstrate that for real parameters of resonant superposition between the two macroscopic states the tunneling amplitude can reach values greater than 1 K. Analytical results for the tunneling amplitude obtained within the semiclassical approximation by the instanton technique show good correlation with a numerical solution

delta-biased Josephson tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, R.; Mygind, Jesper; Koshelet, V.

2010-01-01

Abstract: The behavior of a long Josephson tunnel junction drastically depends on the distribution of the dc bias current. We investigate the case in which the bias current is fed in the central point of a one-dimensional junction. Such junction configuration has been recently used to detect...... the persistent currents circulating in a superconducting loop. Analytical and numerical results indicate that the presence of fractional vortices leads to remarkable differences from the conventional case of uniformly distributed dc bias current. The theoretical findings are supported by detailed measurements...

Quantum synchronization effects in intrinsic Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machida, M.; Kano, T.; Yamada, S.; Okumura, M.; Imamura, T.; Koyama, T.

2008-01-01

We investigate quantum dynamics of the superconducting phase in intrinsic Josephson junctions of layered high-T c superconductors motivated by a recent experimental observation for the switching rate enhancement in the low temperature quantum regime. We pay attention to only the capacitive coupling between neighboring junctions and perform large-scale simulations for the Schroedinger equation derived from the Hamiltonian considering the capacitive coupling alone. The simulation focuses on an issue whether the switching of a junction induces those of the other junctions or not. The results reveal that the superconducting phase dynamics show synchronous behavior with increasing the quantum character, e.g., decreasing the junction plane area and effectively the temperature. This is qualitatively consistent with the experimental result

Phase Locking and Chaos in a Josephson Junction Array Shunted by a Common Resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tie-Ge, Zhou; Jing, Mao; Ting-Shu, Liu; Yue, Lai; Shao-Lin, Yan

2009-01-01

The dynamics of a Josephson junction array shunted by a common resistance are investigated by using numerical methods. Coexistence of phase locking and chaos is observed in the system when the resistively and capacitively shunted junction model is adopted. The corresponding parameter ranges for phase locking and chaos are presented. When there are three resistively shunted junctions in the array, chaos is found for the first time and the parameter range for chaos is also presented. According to the theory of Chernikov and Schmidt, when there are four or more junctions in the array, the system exhibits chaotic behavior. Our results indicate that the theory of Chernikov and Schmidt is not exactly appropriate. (condensed matter: electronicstructure, electrical, magnetic, and opticalproperties)

Phase Sensitive Measurements of Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Niedzielski, Bethany Maria

A Josephson junction is made up of two superconducting layers separated by a barrier. The original Josephson junctions, studied in the early 1960's, contained an insulating barrier. Soon thereafter, junctions with normal-metal barriers were also studied. Ferromagnetic materials were not even theoretically considered as a barrier layer until around 1980, due to the competing order between ferromagnetic and superconducting systems. However, many exciting physical phenomena arise in hybrid superconductor/ferromagnetic devices, including devices where the ground state phase difference between the two superconductors is shifted by pi. Since their experimental debut in 2001, so-called pi junctions have been demonstrated by many groups, including my own, in systems with a single ferromagnetic layer. In this type of system, the phase of the junction can be set to either 0 or pi depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer. Of interest, however, is the ability to control the phase of a single junction between the 0 and pi states. This was theoretically shown to be possible in a system containing two ferromagnetic layers (spin-valve junctions). If the materials and their thicknesses are properly chosen to manipulate the electron pair correlation function, then the phase state of a spin-valve Josephson junction should be capable of switching between the 0 and ? phase states when the magnetization directions of the two ferromagnetic layers are oriented in the antiparallel and parallel configurations, respectively. Such a phase-controllable junction would have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, which is a necessary component to an ultra-low power superconducting computer. A fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. The goal of this work was to experimentally verify this prediction for a phase-controllable ferromagnetic Josephson junction. To address this

Is there a relationship between curvature and inductance in the Josephson junction?

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrowolski, T.; Jarmoliński, A.

2018-03-01

A Josephson junction is a device made of two superconducting electrodes separated by a very thin layer of isolator or normal metal. This relatively simple device has found a variety of technical applications in the form of Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) and Single Electron Transistors (SETs). One can expect that in the near future the Josephson junction will find applications in digital electronics technology RSFQ (Rapid Single Flux Quantum) and in the more distant future in construction of quantum computers. Here we concentrate on the relation of the curvature of the Josephson junction with its inductance. We apply a simple Capacitively Shunted Junction (CSJ) model in order to find condition which guarantees consistency of this model with prediction based on the Maxwell and London equations with Landau-Ginzburg current of Cooper pairs. This condition can find direct experimental verification.

Supersymmetric phase transition in Josephson-tunnel-junction arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foda, O.

1988-08-31

The fully frustrated XY model in two dimensions exhibits a vortex-unbinding as well as an Ising transition. If the Ising transition overlaps with the critical line that ends on the vortex transition: T/sub I/less than or equal toT/sub V/, then the model is equivalent, at the overlap temperature, to a free massless field theory of 1 boson and 1 Majorana fermion, which is a superconformal field theory, of central charge c=3/2. The model is experimentally realized in terms of an array of Josephson-tunnel junctions in a transverse magnetic field. The experiment reveals a phase transition consistent with T/sub I/=T/sub V/. Thus, at the critical temperature, the array provides a physical realization of a supersymmetric quantum field theory.

Resonator coupled Josephson junctions; parametric excitations and mutual locking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, H. Dalsgaard; Larsen, A.; Mygind, Jesper

1991-01-01

Self-pumped parametric excitations and mutual locking in systems of Josephson tunnel junctions coupled to multimode resonators are reported. For the very large values of the coupling parameter, obtained with small Nb-Al2O3-Nb junctions integrated in superconducting microstrip resonators, the DC I......-V characteristic shows an equidistant series of current steps generated by subharmonic pumping of the fundamental resonator mode. This is confirmed by measurement of frequency and linewidth of the emitted Josephson radiation...

Branching in current-voltage characteristics of intrinsic Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukrinov, Yu M; Mahfouzi, F

2007-01-01

We study branching in the current-voltage characteristics of the intrinsic Josephson junctions of high-temperature superconductors in the framework of the capacitively coupled Josephson junction model with diffusion current. A system of dynamical equations for the gauge-invariant phase differences between superconducting layers for a stack of ten intrinsic junctions has been numerically solved. We have obtained a total branch structure in the current-voltage characteristics. We demonstrate the existence of a 'breakpoint region' on the current-voltage characteristics and explain it as a result of resonance between Josephson and plasma oscillations. The effect of the boundary conditions is investigated. The existence of two outermost branches and correspondingly two breakpoint regions for the periodic boundary conditions is shown. One branch, which is observed only at periodic boundary conditions, corresponds to the propagating of the plasma mode. The second one corresponds to the situation when the charge oscillations on the superconducting layers are absent, excluding the breakpoint. A time dependence of the charge oscillations at breakpoints is presented

Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Gingrich, Eric C.; Khasawneh, Mazin A.; Loloee, Reza; Pratt, William P., Jr.; Birge, Norman O.

2015-03-01

Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic materials are of interest for both scientific and technological purposes. In principle, either the amplitude of the critical current or superconducting phase shift across the junction can be controlled by the relative magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers in the junction. Our approach concentrates on phase control utilizing two junctions in a SQUID geometry. We will report on efforts to control the phase of junctions carrying either spin-singlet or spin-triplet supercurrent for cryogenic memory applications. Supported by Northorp Grumman Corporation and by IARPA under SPAWAR Contract N66001-12-C-2017.

Thermally activated phase slippage in high- T sub c grain-boundary Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, R.; Chaudhari, P.; Dimos, D.; Gupta, A.; Koren, G. (IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (USA))

1990-01-08

The effect of thermally activated phase slippage (TAPS) in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} grain-boundary Josephson junctions has been studied. TAPS has been found to be responsible for the dc noise voltage superimposed on the dc Josephson current near the transition temperature. Because of the reduced Josephson coupling energy of the grain-boundary junctions, which is caused by a reduced superconducting order parameter at the grain-boundary interface, TAPS is present over a considerable temperature range. The implications of TAPS on the applicability of high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} Josephson junctions are outlined.

A supersymmetric phase transition in Josephson-tunnel-junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foda, O.

1988-01-01

The fully frustrated XY model in two dimensions exhibits a vortex-unbinding as well as an Ising transition. If the Ising transition overlaps with the critical line that ends on the vortex transition: T I ≤T V , then the model is equivalent, at the overlap temperature, to a free massless field theory of 1 boson and 1 Majorana fermion, which is a superconformal field theory, of central charge c=3/2. The model is experimentally realized in terms of an array of Josephson-tunnel junctions in a transverse magnetic field. The experiment reveals a phase transition consistent with T I =T V . Thus, at the critical temperature, the array provides a physical realization of a supersymmetric quantum field theory. (orig.)

Vortex dynamics in Josephson ladders with II-junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kornev, Victor K.; Klenov, N. V.; Oboznov, V.A.

2004-01-01

Both experimental and numerical studies of a self-frustrated triangular array of pi-junctions are reported. The array of SFS Josephson junctions shows a transition to the pi-state and self-frustration with a decrease in temperature. This manifests itself in a half-period shift of the bias critica...

Spatio-temporal chaos and thermal noise in Josephson junction series arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.; Cerdeira, H.A.

1995-01-01

We study underdamped Josephson junction series arrays that are globally coupled through a resistive shunting load and driven by an rf bias current. We find that they can be an experimental realization of many phenomena currently studied in globally coupled logistic map. Depending on the bias current the array can show Shapiro steps but also spatio-temporal chaos or ''turbulence'' in the IV characteristics. In the turbulent phase there is a saturation of the broad band noise for a large number of junctions. This corresponds to a break down of the law of large numbers as seen in globally coupled maps. We study this phenomenon as a function of thermal noise. We find that when increasing the temperature the broad band noise decreases. (author). 8 refs, 1 fig

Long Josephson tunnel junctions with doubly connected electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, R.; Mygind, J.; Koshelets, V. P.

2012-01-01

of such experiments, the number of magnetic flux quanta spontaneously trapped in a superconducting loop was measured by means of a long Josephson tunnel junction built on top of the loop itself. We have analyzed this system and found a number of interesting features not occurring in the conventional case with simply...... connected electrodes. In particular, the fluxoid quantization results in a frustration of the Josephson phase, which, in turn, reduces the junction critical current. Further, the possible stable states of the system are obtained by a self-consistent application of the principle of minimum energy...

Single-electron tunnel junction array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Likharev, K.K.; Bakhvalov, N.S.; Kazacha, G.S.; Serdyukova, S.I.

1989-01-01

The authors have carried out an analysis of statics and dynamics of uniform one-dimensional arrays of ultrasmall tunnel junctions. The correlated single-electron tunneling in the junctions of the array results in its behavior qualitatively similar to that of the Josephson transmission line. In particular, external electric fields applied to the array edges can inject single-electron-charged solitons into the array interior. Shape of such soliton and character of its interactions with other solitons and the array edges are very similar to those of the Josephson vortices (sine-Gordon solitons) in the Josephson transmission line. Under certain conditions, a coherent motion of the soliton train along the array is possible, resulting in generation of narrowband SET oscillations with frequency f/sub s/ = /e where is the dc current flowing along the array

Dynamics of a nanoscale Josephson junction probed by scanning tunneling microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ast, Christian R.; Jaeck, Berthold; Eltschka, Matthias; Etzkorn, Markus [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Kern, Klaus [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Institut de Physique de la Matiere Condensee, EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland)

2015-07-01

The Josephson effect is an intriguing phenomenon as it presents an interplay of different energy scales, such as the Josephson energy ε{sub J} (critical current), charging energy ε{sub C}, and temperature T. Using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operating at a base temperature of 15 mK, we create a nanoscale superconductor-vacuum-superconductor tunnel junction in an extremely underdamped regime (Q>>10). We observe extremely small retrapping currents also owing to strongly reduced ohmic losses in the well-developed superconducting gaps. While formally operating in the zero temperature limit, i.e. the temperature T is smaller than the Josephson plasma frequency ω{sub J} (k{sub B}T<<ℎω{sub J}=√(8ε{sub J}ε{sub C})), experimentally other phenomena, such as stray photons, may perturb the Josephson junction, leading to an effectively higher temperature. The dynamics of the Josephson junction can be addressed experimentally by looking at characteristic parameters, such as the switching current and the retrapping current. We discuss the dynamics of the Josephson junction in the context of reaching the zero temperature limit.

Steady-state properties of Josephson junctions with direct conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubkov, A.A.; Kupriyanov, M.Y.; Semenov, V.K.

1981-01-01

A new criterion for determining the kinetic inductance of Josephson junctions is introduced. The effects of temperature T, the critical temperatures of the superconducting electrodes T/sub c/1 and T/sub c/2, and the weak-link length on the kinetic inductance of ''dirty'' junctions with direct conductivity are analyzed within the framework of the Usadel equations. Numerical calculations show that both a large characteristic voltage and a nearly harmonic dependence of the current on the phase difference of the superconducting-electrode wave functions cannot be obtained by varying the junction parameters

Proposed differential-frequency-readout system by hysteretic Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, L.Z.; Duncan, R.V.

1992-01-01

The Josephson relation V=nhν/2e has been verified experimentally to 3 parts in 10 19 [A. K. Jain, J. E. Lukens, and J.-S. Tsai, Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1165 (1987)]. Motivated by this result, we propose a differential-frequency-readout system by two sets of hysteretic Josephson junctions rf biased at millimeter wavelengths. Because of the Josephson relation, the proposed differential-frequency-readout system is not limited by photon fluctuation, which limits most photon-detection schemes. In the context of the Stewart-McCumber model [W. C. Stewart, Appl. Phys. Lett. 12, 277 (1968); D. E. McCumber, J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3113 (1968)] of Josephson junctions, we show theoretically that the differential frequency of the two milliwave biases can be read out by the proposed system to unprecedented accuracy. The stability of the readout scheme is also discussed. The measurement uncertainty of the readout system resulting from the intrinsic thermal noise in the hysteretic junctions is shown to be insignificant. The study of two single junctions can be extended to two sets of Josephson junctions connected in series (series array) in this measurement scheme provided that junctions are separated by at least 10 μm [D. W. Jillie, J. E. Lukens, and Y. H. Kao, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 915 (1977)]. The sensitivity for the differential frequency detection may be increased by biasing both series arrays to a higher constant-voltage step

Two-dimensional macroscopic quantum tunneling in multi-gap superconductor Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asai, Hidehiro; Kawabata, Shiro; Ota, Yukihiro; Machida, Masahiko

2014-01-01

Low-temperature characters of superconducting devices yield definite probes for different superconducting phenomena. We study the macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) in a Josephson junction, composed of a single-gap superconductor and a two-gap superconductor. Since this junction has two kinds to the superconducting phase differences, calculating the MQT escape rate requires the analysis of quantum tunneling in a multi-dimensional configuration space. Our approach is the semi-classical approximation along a 1D curve in a 2D potential- energy landscape, connecting two adjacent potential (local) minimums through a saddle point. We find that this system has two plausible tunneling paths; an in-phase path and an out-of-phase path. The former is characterized by the Josephson-plasma frequency, whereas the latter is by the frequency of the characteristic collective mode in a two-band superconductor, Josephson- Leggett mode. Depending on external bias current and inter-band Josephson-coupling energy, one of them mainly contributes to the MQT. Our numerical calculations show that the difference between the in-phase path and the out-of-phase path is manifest, with respect to the bias- current-dependence of the MQT escape rate. This result suggests that our MQT setting be an indicator of the Josephson-Leggett mode

Direct fabrication of a W-C SNS Josephson junction using focused-ion-beam chemical vapour deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Jun; Kometani, Reo; Ishihara, Sunao; Warisawa, Shin’ichi; Onomitsu, Koji; Krockenberger, Yoshiharu; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

A tungsten-carbide (W-C) superconductor/normal metal/superconductor (SNS) Josephson junction has been fabricated using focused-ion-beam chemical vapour deposition (FIB-CVD). Under certain process conditions, the component ratio has been tuned from W: C: Ga = 26%: 66%: 8% in the superconducting wires to W: C: Ga = 14%: 79%: 7% in the metallic junction. The critical current density at 2.5 K in the SNS Josephson junction is 1/3 of that in W-C superconducting nanowire. Also, a Fraunhofer-like oscillation of critical current in the junction with four periods is observed. FIB-CVD opens avenues for novel functional superconducting nanodevices. (paper)

Scattering theory of superconductive tunneling in quantum junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shumeiko, V.S.; Bratus', E.N.

1997-01-01

A consistent theory of superconductive tunneling in single-mode junctions within a scattering formulation of Bogolyubov-de Gennes quantum mechanics is presented. The dc Josephson effect and dc quasiparticle transport in the voltage-biased junctions are considered. Elastic quasiparticle scattering by the junction determines the equilibrium Josephson current. The origin of Andreev bound states in tunnel junctions and their role in equilibrium Josephson transport are discussed. In contrast, quasiparticle tunneling in voltage-biased junctions is determined by inelastic scattering. A general expression for inelastic scattering amplitudes is derived and the quasiparticle current is calculated at all voltages with emphasis on a discussion of the properties of sub gap tunnel current and the nature of subharmonic gap structure

Phase-flip bifurcation in a coupled Josephson junction neuron system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segall, Kenneth, E-mail: ksegall@colgate.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346 (United States); Guo, Siyang; Crotty, Patrick [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346 (United States); Schult, Dan [Department of Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346 (United States); Miller, Max [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346 (United States)

2014-12-15

Aiming to understand group behaviors and dynamics of neural networks, we have previously proposed the Josephson junction neuron (JJ neuron) as a fast analog model that mimics a biological neuron using superconducting Josephson junctions. In this study, we further analyze the dynamics of the JJ neuron numerically by coupling one JJ neuron to another. In this coupled system we observe a phase-flip bifurcation, where the neurons synchronize out-of-phase at weak coupling and in-phase at strong coupling. We verify this by simulation of the circuit equations and construct a bifurcation diagram for varying coupling strength using the phase response curve and spike phase difference map. The phase-flip bifurcation could be observed experimentally using standard digital superconducting circuitry.

Phase-flip bifurcation in a coupled Josephson junction neuron system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segall, Kenneth; Guo, Siyang; Crotty, Patrick; Schult, Dan; Miller, Max

2014-01-01

Aiming to understand group behaviors and dynamics of neural networks, we have previously proposed the Josephson junction neuron (JJ neuron) as a fast analog model that mimics a biological neuron using superconducting Josephson junctions. In this study, we further analyze the dynamics of the JJ neuron numerically by coupling one JJ neuron to another. In this coupled system we observe a phase-flip bifurcation, where the neurons synchronize out-of-phase at weak coupling and in-phase at strong coupling. We verify this by simulation of the circuit equations and construct a bifurcation diagram for varying coupling strength using the phase response curve and spike phase difference map. The phase-flip bifurcation could be observed experimentally using standard digital superconducting circuitry

International comparison. High-precision comparison of voltages generated by SINIS and SIS Josephson junction arrays at the 10 mV level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karpov, O.V.; Koutovoi, V.D.; Sherstobitov, S.V. [Institute for Physical-Technical and Radiotechnical Measurements, VNIIFTRI, Gostandart of Russia, Mendeleevo, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Niemeyer, J. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB, Braunschweig (Germany)

2001-07-01

A high-precision comparison of dc voltages generated by a 10 GHz SINIS (superconductor/insulator/normal/insulator/superconductor) Josephson non-hysteretic junction array and a 70 GHz SIS (superconductor/insulator/superconductor) Josephson junction array is described. The paper also describes a method of minimizing the Type A measurement uncertainty. The measurements were carried out at the 10 mV level. The agreement between both output voltages was determined to 0.2 nV with a Type A uncertainty of 0.5 nV. (authors)

Characterization and Modeling of Superconducting Josephson Junction Arrays at Low Voltage and Liquid Helium Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

both from SSC Pacific) and Marc Tukeman, Chuck Vinson and Mr. Mark Flemon with the procurement process . We acknowledge Deep Gupta, Saad Sarwana, and...superconductor-ionic quantum memory and computation devices. iv CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...Josephson effect makes these measurements useful for characterization and calibration of superconducting quantum memory and computational devices

Josephson soliton oscillators in a superconducting thin film resonator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, J.; Mygind, Jesper; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

Josephson soliton oscillators integrated in a resonator consisting of two closely spaced coplanar superconducting microstrips have been investigated experimentally. Pairs of long 1-D Josephson junctions with a current density of about 1000 A/cm2 were made using the Nb-AlOx-Nb trilayer technique....... Different modes of half-wave resonances in the thin-film structure impose different magnetic field configurations at the boundaries of the junctions. The DC I-V characteristic shows zero-field steps with a number of resonator-induced steps. These structures are compared to RF-induced steps generated...

Quasioptical Josephson oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wengler, M.J.; Pance, A.; Liu, B.

1991-01-01

This paper discusses the authors' work with large 2-dimensional arrays of Josephson junctions for submillimeter power generation. The basic design of the Quasioptical Josephson Oscillator (QJO) is presented. The reasons for each design decision are discussed. Superconducting devices have not yet been fabricated, but scale models and computer simulations have been done. A method for characterizing array rf coupling structures is described, and initial results with this method are presented. Microwave scale models of the radiation structure are built and a series of measurements are made with a network analyzer

Vortex dynamics in Josephson junctions arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shalom, Diego Edgar

2005-01-01

In this work we study the dynamics of vortices in two-dimensional overdamped Josephson Junctions Arrays (JJA) driven by dc current in a wide range of conditions varying magnetic field and temperature using experiments, numerical simulations and analytic studies.We develop the Fixed Phase method, a variation of numeric relaxation techniques in which we fix and control the phase of some islands, adjacent to the vortex center, while allowing all other phases in the system to relax.In this way we are able to pull and push the vortex uphill, as we are forcing the center of rotation of the vortex currents to be in a defined location, allowing us to calculate the potential energy of a vortex located in any arbitrary position.We use this method to study the potential energy of a vortex in a variety of situations in homogeneous and non-homogeneous JJA, such as arrays with defects, channel arrays and ratchets.We study the finite size effects in JJA by means of analytic and numerical tools.We implement the rings model, in which we replace the two-dimensional square array by a series of square, concentric, uncoupled rings. This is equivalent to disregarding the radial junctions that couple consecutive rings.In spite of its extreme simplicity, this model holds the main ingredients of the magnetic dependence of the energy.We combine this model with other terms that take into account the dependence in the position of the vortex to obtain a general expression for the potential energy of a vortex in a finite JJA with applied magnetic field.We also present an expression for the first critical field, corresponding to the value of the magnetic field in which the entrance of the first vortex becomes energetically favorable.We build and study JJA modulated to form periodic and asymmetrical potentials for the vortices, named ratchet potentials.The experimental results clearly show the existence of a rectification in the motion of vortices in these potentials.Under certain conditions we

Majorana splitting from critical currents in Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Cayao, Jorge; San-Jose, Pablo; Black-Schaffer, Annica M.; Aguado, Ramón; Prada, Elsa

2017-11-01

A semiconducting nanowire with strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling and coupled to a superconductor can be tuned by an external Zeeman field into a topological phase with Majorana zero modes. Here we theoretically investigate how this exotic topological superconductor phase manifests in Josephson junctions based on such proximitized nanowires. In particular, we focus on critical currents in the short junction limit (LN≪ξ , where LN is the junction length and ξ is the superconducting coherence length) and show that they contain important information about nontrivial topology and Majoranas. This includes signatures of the gap inversion at the topological transition and a unique oscillatory pattern that originates from Majorana interference. Interestingly, this pattern can be modified by tuning the transmission across the junction, thus providing complementary evidence of Majoranas and their energy splittings beyond standard tunnel spectroscopy experiments, while offering further tunability by virtue of the Josephson effect.

High-efficiency thermal switch based on topological Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Sothmann, Björn; Giazotto, Francesco; Hankiewicz, Ewelina M.

2017-02-01

We propose theoretically a thermal switch operating by the magnetic-flux controlled diffraction of phase-coherent heat currents in a thermally biased Josephson junction based on a two-dimensional topological insulator. For short junctions, the system shows a sharp switching behavior while for long junctions the switching is smooth. Physically, the switching arises from the Doppler shift of the superconducting condensate due to screening currents induced by a magnetic flux. We suggest a possible experimental realization that exhibits a relative temperature change of 40% between the on and off state for realistic parameters. This is a factor of two larger than in recently realized thermal modulators based on conventional superconducting tunnel junctions.

Langevin dynamics simulations of large frustrated Josephson junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groenbech-Jensen, N.; Bishop, A.R.; Lomdahl, P.S.

1991-01-01

Long-time Langevin dynamics simulations of large (N x N,N = 128) 2-dimensional arrays of Josephson junctions in a uniformly frustrating external magnetic field are reported. The results demonstrate: (1) Relaxation from an initially random flux configuration as a universal fit to a glassy stretched-exponential type of relaxation for the intermediate temperatures T(0.3 T c approx-lt T approx-lt 0.7 T c ), and an activated dynamic behavior for T ∼ T c ; (2) a glassy (multi-time, multi-length scale) voltage response to an applied current. Intrinsic dynamical symmetry breaking induced by boundaries as nucleation sites for flux lattice defects gives rise to transverse and noisy voltage response

Langevin dynamics simulations of large frustrated Josephson junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gronbech-Jensen, N.; Bishop, A.R.; Lomdahl, P.S.

1991-01-01

Long-time Langevin dynamics simulations of large (N x N, N = 128) 2-dimensional arrays of Josephson junctions in a uniformly frustrating external magnetic field are reported. The results demonstrate: Relaxation from an initially random flux configuration as a ''universal'' fit to a ''glassy'' stretched-exponential type of relaxation for the intermediate temperatures T (0.3 T c approx-lt T approx-lt 0.7 T c ), and an ''activated dynamic'' behavior for T ∼ T c A glassy (multi-time, multi-length scale) voltage response to an applied current. Intrinsic dynamical symmetry breaking induced by boundaries as nucleation sites for flux lattice defects gives rise to transverse and noisy voltage response

Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weides, M.P.

2006-01-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are well-known physical properties of solid states that have been widely studied and long thought about as antagonistic phenomena due to difference in spin ordering. It turns out that the combination of both superconductor and ferromagnet leads to a very rich and interesting physics. One particular example, the phase oscillations of the superconducting order parameter inside the ferromagnet, will play a major role for the devices discussed in this work. In this thesis, I present Josephson junctions with a thin Al 2 O 3 tunnel barrier and a ferromagnetic interlayer, i.e. superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) stacks. The fabrication of junctions was optimized regarding the insulation of electrodes and the homogeneity of the current transport. The junctions were either in the 0 or π coupled ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and on temperature. The influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness on the transport properties and the coupling (0, π) of SIFS tunnel junctions was studied. Furthermore, using a stepped ferromagnetic layer with well-chosen thicknesses, I obtained the so-called 0-π Josephson junction. At a certain temperature this 0-π junction can be made perfectly symmetric. In this case the ground state corresponds to a vortex of supercurrent creating a magnetic flux which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum Φ 0 . Such structures allow to study the physics of fractional vortices and to build various electronic circuits based on them. The SIFS junctions presented here have an exponentially vanishing damping at T → 0. The SIFS technology developed within the framework of this work may be used to construct classical and quantum devices such as oscillators, memory cells and qubits. (orig.)

Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weides, M.P.

2006-07-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are well-known physical properties of solid states that have been widely studied and long thought about as antagonistic phenomena due to difference in spin ordering. It turns out that the combination of both superconductor and ferromagnet leads to a very rich and interesting physics. One particular example, the phase oscillations of the superconducting order parameter inside the ferromagnet, will play a major role for the devices discussed in this work. In this thesis, I present Josephson junctions with a thin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tunnel barrier and a ferromagnetic interlayer, i.e. superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) stacks. The fabrication of junctions was optimized regarding the insulation of electrodes and the homogeneity of the current transport. The junctions were either in the 0 or {pi} coupled ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and on temperature. The influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness on the transport properties and the coupling (0, {pi}) of SIFS tunnel junctions was studied. Furthermore, using a stepped ferromagnetic layer with well-chosen thicknesses, I obtained the so-called 0-{pi} Josephson junction. At a certain temperature this 0-{pi} junction can be made perfectly symmetric. In this case the ground state corresponds to a vortex of supercurrent creating a magnetic flux which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum {phi}{sub 0}. Such structures allow to study the physics of fractional vortices and to build various electronic circuits based on them. The SIFS junctions presented here have an exponentially vanishing damping at T {yields} 0. The SIFS technology developed within the framework of this work may be used to construct classical and quantum devices such as oscillators, memory cells and qubits. (orig.)

Breakdown of the law of large numbers in Josephson junction series arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.; Cerdeira, H.A.

1994-01-01

We study underdamped Josephson junction series arrays that are globally coupled through a resistive shunting load and driven by an rf bias current. We find that they can be an experimental realization of many phenomena currently studied in globally coupled logistic maps. We find coherent, ordered, partially ordered and turbulent phases in the IV characteristics of the array. The ordered phase corresponds to giant Shapiro steps. In the turbulent phase there is a saturation of the broad band noise for a large number of junctions. This corresponds to a break down of the law of large numbers as seen in the globally coupled maps. Coexisting with this, we find an emergence of novel pseudo-steps in the IV characteristics. This effect can be experimentally distinguished from the Shapiro steps, which do not have broad band noise emission. (author). 21 refs, 5 figs

Edge currents in frustrated Josephson junction ladders

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, A. M.; Santos, F. D. R.; Dias, R. G.

2016-09-01

We present a numerical study of quasi-1D frustrated Josephson junction ladders with diagonal couplings and open boundary conditions, in the large capacitance limit. We derive a correspondence between the energy of this Josephson junction ladder and the expectation value of the Hamiltonian of an analogous tight-binding model, and show how the overall superconducting state of the chain is equivalent to the minimum energy state of the tight-binding model in the subspace of one-particle states with uniform density. To satisfy the constraint of uniform density, the superconducting state of the ladder is written as a linear combination of the allowed k-states of the tight-binding model with open boundaries. Above a critical value of the parameter t (ratio between the intra-rung and inter-rung Josephson couplings) the ladder spontaneously develops currents at the edges, which spread to the bulk as t is increased until complete coverage is reached. Above a certain value of t, which varies with ladder size (t = 1 for an infinite-sized ladder), the edge currents are destroyed. The value t = 1 corresponds, in the tight-binding model, to the opening of a gap between two bands. We argue that the disappearance of the edge currents with this gap opening is not coincidental, and that this points to a topological origin for these edge current states.

Quantitative analysis of Josephson-quasiparticle current in superconducting single-electron transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Y.; Chen, C.D.; Tsai, J.S.

1996-01-01

We have investigated Josephson-quasiparticle (JQP) current in superconducting single-electron transistors in which charging energy E C was larger than superconducting gap energy Δ and junction resistances were much larger than R Q ≡h/4e 2 . We found that not only the shapes of the JQP peaks but also their absolute height were reproduced quantitatively with a theory by Averin and Aleshkin using a Josephson energy of Ambegaokar-Baratoff close-quote s value. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

A semiconductor nanowire Josephson junction microwave laser

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Maja; Uilhoorn, Willemijn; Kroll, James; de Jong, Damaz; van Woerkom, David; Nygard, Jesper; Krogstrup, Peter; Kouwenhoven, Leo

We present measurements of microwave lasing from a single Al/InAs/Al nanowire Josephson junction strongly coupled to a high quality factor superconducting cavity. Application of a DC bias voltage to the Josephson junction results in photon emission into the cavity when the bias voltage is equal to a multiple of the cavity frequency. At large voltage biases, the strong non-linearity of the circuit allows for efficient down conversion of high frequency microwave photons down to multiple photons at the fundamental frequency of the cavity. In this regime, the emission linewidth narrows significantly below the bare cavity linewidth to 50%. The junction-cavity coupling and laser emission can be tuned rapidly via an external gate, making it suitable to be integrated into a scalable qubit architecture as a versatile source of coherent microwave radiation. This work has been supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO/OCW), Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), European Research Council (ERC), and Microsoft Corporation Station Q.

Non-equilibrium coherent vortex states and subharmonic giant Shapiro steps in Josephson junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.; Jose, J.V.; Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA

1994-01-01

This is a review of recent work on the dynamic response of Josephson junction arrays driven by dc and ac currents. The arrays are modeled by the resistively shunted Josephson junction model, appropriate for proximity effect junctions, including self-induced magnetic fields as well as disorder. The relevance of the self-induced fields is measured as a function of a parameter κ = λ L /a, with λ L the London penetration depth of the arrays, and a the lattice spacing. The transition from Type II (κ > 1) to Type I (κ < 1) behavior is studied in detail. The authors compare the results for models with self, self + nearest-neighbor, and full inductance matrices. In the κ = ∞ limit, they find that when the initial state has at least one vortex-antivortex pair, after a characteristic transient time these vortices unbind and radiate other vortices. These radiated vortices settle into a parity-broken, time-periodic, axisymmetric coherent vortex state (ACVS), characterized by alternate rows of positive and negative vortices lying along a tilted axis. The ACVS produces subharmonic steps in the current voltage (IV) characteristics, typical of giant Shapiro steps. For finite κ they find that the IV's show subharmonic giant Shapiro steps, even at zero external magnetic field. They find that these subharmonic steps are produced by a whole family of coherent vortex oscillating patterns, with their structure changing as a function of κ. In general, they find that these patterns are due to a breakdown of translational invariance produced, for example, by disorder of antisymmetric edge-fields. The zero field case results are in good qualitative agreement with experiments in Nb-Au-Nb arrays

Equivalent Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyadzhiev, T.L.; ); Semerdzhieva, E.G.; Shukrinov, Yu.M.; Fiziko-Tekhnicheskij Inst., Dushanbe

2008-01-01

The magnetic field dependences of critical current are numerically constructed for a long Josephson junction with a shunt- or resistor-type microscopic inhomogeneities and compared to the critical curve of a junction with exponentially varying width. The numerical results show that it is possible to replace the distributed inhomogeneity of a long Josephson junction by an inhomogeneity localized at one of its ends, which has certain technological advantages. It is also shown that the critical curves of junctions with exponentially varying width and inhomogeneities localized at the ends are unaffected by the mixed fluxon-antifluxon distributions of the magnetic flux [ru

Common features of a vortex structure in long exponentially shaped Josephson junctions and Josephson junctions with inhomogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyadjiev, T.L.; Semerdjieva, E.G.; Shukrinov, Yu.M.

2007-01-01

We study the vortex structure in three different models of the long Josephson junction: the exponentially shaped Josephson junction and the Josephson junctions with the resistor and the shunt inhomogeneities in the barrier layer. For these three models the critical curves 'critical current-magnetic field' are numerically constructed. We develop the idea of the equivalence of the exponentially shaped Josephson junction and the rectangular junction with the distributed inhomogeneity and demonstrate that at some parameters of the shunt and the resistor inhomogeneities in the ends of the junction the corresponding critical curves are very close to the exponentially shaped one

Majorana zero modes in Dirac semimetal Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chuan; de Boer, Jorrit; de Ronde, Bob; Huang, Yingkai; Golden, Mark; Brinkman, Alexander

We have realized proximity-induced superconductivity in a Dirac semimetal and revealed the topological nature of the superconductivity by the observation of Majorana zero modes. As a Dirac semimetal, Bi0.97Sb0.03 is used, where a three-dimensional Dirac cone exists in the bulk due to an accidental touching between conduction and valence bands. Electronic transport measurements on Hall-bars fabricated out of Bi0.97Sb0.03 flakes consistently show negative magnetoresistance for magnetic fields parallel to the current, which is associated with the chiral anomaly. In perpendicular magnetic fields, we see Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations that indicate very low carrier densities. The low Fermi energy and protection against backscattering in our Dirac semimetal Josephson junctions provide favorable conditions for a large contribution of Majorana zero modes to the supercurrent. In radiofrequency irradiation experiments, we indeed observe these Majorana zero modes in Nb-Bi0.97Sb0.03-Nb Josephson junctions as a 4 π periodic contribution to the current-phase relation.

Superconducting flux qubits with π-junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shcherbakova, Anastasia

2014-01-01

In this thesis, we present a fabrication technology of Al/AlO x /Al Josephson junctions on Nb pads. The described technology gives the possibility of combining a variety of Nb-based superconducting circuits, like pi-junction phase-shifters with sub-micron Al/AlO x /Al junctions. Using this approach, we fabricated hybrid Nb/Al flux qubits with and without the SFS-junctions and studied dispersive magnetic field response of these qubits as well as their spectroscopy characteristics.

Linear and nonlinear excitations in two stacks of parallel arrays of long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carapella, G.; Constabile, Giovanni; Latempa, R.

2000-01-01

We investigate a structure consisting of two parallel arrays of long Josephson junctions sharing a common electrode that allows inductive coupling between the arrays. A model for this structure is derived starting from the description of its continuous limit. The excitation of linear cavity modes...... known from continuous and discrete systems as well as the excitation of a new state exhibiting synchronization in two dimensions are inferred from the mathematical model of the system. The stable nonlinear solution of the coupled sine-Gordon equations describing the system is found to consist...

Break down of the law of large numbers in Josephson junction series arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.; Cerdeira, H.A.

1995-01-01

We study underdamped Josephson junction series arrays that are globally coupled through a resistive shunting load and driven by an rf bias current. We find that they can be an experimental realization of many phenomena currently studied in globally coupled logistic maps. We find coherent, ordered, partially ordered and turbulent phases in the IV characteristics of the array. The ordered phase corresponds to giant Shapiro steps. In the turbulent phase there is a saturation of the broad band noise for a large number of junctions. This corresponds to a break down of the law of large numbers as seen in globally coupled maps. Coexisting with this, we find an emergence of novel pseudo-steps in the IV characteristics. This effect can be experimentally distinguished from the true Shapiro steps, which do not have broad band noise emission. (author). 21 refs, 5 figs

High temperature superconducting Josephson transmission lines for pulse and step sharpening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martens, J.S.; Wendt, J.R.; Hietala, V.M.; Ginley, D.S.; Ashby, C.I.H.; Plut, T.A.; Vawter, G.A.; Tigges, C.P.; Siegal, M.P.; Hou, S.Y.; Phillips, J.M.; Hohenwarter, G.K.G.

1992-01-01

An increasing number of high speed digital and other circuit applications require very narrow impulses or rapid pulse edge transitions. Shock wave transmission lines using series or shunt Josephson junctions are one way to generate these signals. Using two different high temperature superconducting Josephson junction processes (step-edge and electron beam defined nanobridges), such transmission lines have been constructed and tested at 77 K. Shock wave lines with approximately 60 YBaCuO nanobridges, have generated steps with fall times of about 10 ps. With step-edge junctions (with higher figures of merit but lower uniformity), step transition times have been reduced to an estimated 1 ps

An ion-beam-assisted process for high-Tc Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, M.Q.; Chen, L.; Zhao, Z.X.; Yang, T.; Nie, J.C.; Wu, P.J.; Xiong, X.M.

1997-01-01

We have developed a non-ion-etching ion-beam-assisted-deposition (IBAD) process for fabricating high critical-temperature (T c ) grain boundary Josephson junctions through a photoresist liftoff mask. The YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) junctions fabricated through this process exhibited the resistively-shunted-junction (RSJ)-like I - V characteristics. The well-defined Shapiro steps have been seen on the I - V curves under microwave radiation. The magnetic modulation of critical current of a 4 μm width YBCO junction tallied with the prior simulated Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of a Josephson junction with a spatially homogeneous critical current density. The maximum peak-to-peak modulation voltage across the dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) fabricated by using these junctions reached up to 32 μV at 77 K. The magnetic modulation of the SQUID exhibited periodic behavior with the observed modulation period of 5.0x10 -4 G. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Quantum dynamics of small Josephson junctions: an application to superconductivity in granular films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, M.P.A.

1986-01-01

This thesis is devoted to a study of the quantum dynamics of small Josephson junctions. Of interest are those features of the junction's behavior which depend explicitly on the quantum mechanical nature of the phase difference phi between the superconductors. In Chapters I and II several calculations are described which focus on the junction's DC resistance. A fully quantum mechanical Hamiltonian is employed that incorporates the dissipative effects due to the unpaired electrons by coupling to a bath of harmonic oscillators. It is shown that the model exhibits a novel zero temperature phase transition as a function of the strength of the dissipation. In the low dissipation regime the phase is free to tunnel quantum mechanically and the junction's resistance is finite; in response to an external current, tunnelling induces successive 2π phase slips leading to a finite voltage state. In contrast, in the high dissipation regime, tunnelling is suppressed and the junction behaves as a superconductor carrying current with no resistive losses. In Chapters III and IV, these results are applied in an attempt to explain the recent observation that in ultra thin Sn films there is apparently a universal normal state sheet resistance above which superconductivity cannot be established

Superconducting Tunnel Junction Arrays for UV Photon Detection, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — An innovative method is described for the fabrication of superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detector arrays offering true "three dimensional" imaging throughout...

Josephson tunnel junction microwave attenuator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koshelets, V. P.; Shitov, S. V.; Shchukin, A. V.

1993-01-01

A new element for superconducting electronic circuitry-a variable attenuator-has been proposed, designed, and successfully tested. The principle of operation is based on the change in the microwave impedance of a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) Josephson tunnel junction when dc biased...... at different points in the current-voltage characteristic. Both numerical calculations based on the Tien-Gordon theory and 70-GHz microwave experiments have confirmed the wide dynamic range (more than 15-dB attenuation for one stage) and the low insertion loss in the ''open'' state. The performance of a fully...

Phase-locking in quantum and classical oscillators: polariton condensates, lasers, and arrays of Josephson junctions

OpenAIRE

EASTHAM, PAUL

2003-01-01

PUBLISHED We connect three phenomena in which a coherent electromagnetic field could be generated: polariton condensation, phase-locking in arrays of underdamped Josephson junctions, and lasing. All these phenomena have been described using Dicke-type models of spins coupled to a single photon mode. These descriptions may be distinguished by whether the spins are quantum or classical, and whether they are strongly or weakly damped.

Reconstructing 3D profiles of flux distribution in array of unshunted Josephson junctions from 2D scanning SQUID microscope images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, F.M.; Sergeenkov, S.; Araujo-Moreira, F.M.

2012-01-01

By using a specially designed algorithm (based on utilizing the so-called Hierarchical Data Format), we report on successful reconstruction of 3D profiles of local flux distribution within artificially prepared arrays of unshunted Nb-AlO x -Nb Josephson junctions from 2D surface images obtained via the scanning SQUID microscope. The analysis of the obtained results suggest that for large sweep areas, the local flux distribution significantly deviates from the conventional picture and exhibits a more complicated avalanche-type behavior with a prominent dendritic structure. -- Highlights: ► The penetration of external magnetic field into an array of Nb-AlO x -Nb Josephson junctions is studied. ► Using Scanning SQUID Microscope, 2D images of local flux distribution within array are obtained. ► Using specially designed pattern recognition algorithm, 3D flux profiles are reconstructed from 2D images.

Realization of φ Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sickinger, Hanna Sabine

2014-01-01

In this thesis, φ Josephson junctions based on 0-π junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer are studied. Josephson junctions (JJs) with a ferromagnetic interlayer can have a phase drop of 0 or π in the ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnet (0 JJs or π JJs). Also, 0-π JJs can be realized, where one segment of the junction (if taken separately) is in the 0 state, while the other segment is in the π state. One can use these π Josephson junctions as a device in superconducting circuits, where it provides a constant phase shift, i.e., it acts as a π phase battery. A generalization of a π JJ is a φ JJ, which has the phase ±φ in the ground state. The value of φ can be chosen by design and tuned in the interval 0<φ<π. The φ JJs used in this experiment were fabricated as 0-π JJs with asymmetric current densities in the 0 and π facets. This system can be described by an effective current-phase relation which is tunable by an externally applied magnetic field. The first experimental evidence of such a φ JJ is presented in this thesis. In particular it is demonstrated that (a) a φ JJ has two ground states +φ and -φ, (b) the unknown state can be detected (read out) by measuring the critical current I c (I c+ or I c- ), and (c) a particular state can be prepared by applying a magnetic field or a special bias sweep sequence. These properties of a φ JJ can be utilized, for example, as a memory cell (classical bit). Furthermore, a φ Josephson junction can be used as a deterministic ratchet. This is due to the tunable asymmetry of the potential that can be changed by the external magnetic field. Rectification curves are observed for the overdamped and the underdamped case. Moreover, experimental data of the retrapping process of the phase of a φ Josephson junction depending on the temperature is presented.

Inter-band phase fluctuations in macroscopic quantum tunneling of multi-gap superconducting Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asai, Hidehiro, E-mail: hd-asai@aist.go.jp [Electronics and Photonics Research Institute (ESPRIT), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Ota, Yukihiro [CCSE, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8587 (Japan); Kawabata, Shiro [Electronics and Photonics Research Institute (ESPRIT), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Nori, Franco [CEMS, RIKEN, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Physics Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040 (United States)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • We study MQT in Josephson junctions composed of multi-gap superconductors. • We derive a formula of the MQT escape rate for multiple phase differences. • We investigate the effect of inter-band phase fluctuation on MQT. • The MQT escape rate is significantly enhanced by the inter-band phase fluctuation. - Abstract: We theoretically investigate macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) in a hetero Josephson junction formed by a conventional single-gap superconductor and a multi-gap superconductor. In such Josephson junctions, phase differences for each tunneling channel are defined, and the fluctuation of the relative phase differences appear which is referred to as Josephson–Leggett’s mode. We take into account the effect of the fluctuation in the tunneling process and calculate the MQT escape rate for various junction parameters. We show that the fluctuation of relative phase differences drastically enhances the escape rate.

Inter-band phase fluctuations in macroscopic quantum tunneling of multi-gap superconducting Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asai, Hidehiro; Ota, Yukihiro; Kawabata, Shiro; Nori, Franco

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We study MQT in Josephson junctions composed of multi-gap superconductors. • We derive a formula of the MQT escape rate for multiple phase differences. • We investigate the effect of inter-band phase fluctuation on MQT. • The MQT escape rate is significantly enhanced by the inter-band phase fluctuation. - Abstract: We theoretically investigate macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) in a hetero Josephson junction formed by a conventional single-gap superconductor and a multi-gap superconductor. In such Josephson junctions, phase differences for each tunneling channel are defined, and the fluctuation of the relative phase differences appear which is referred to as Josephson–Leggett’s mode. We take into account the effect of the fluctuation in the tunneling process and calculate the MQT escape rate for various junction parameters. We show that the fluctuation of relative phase differences drastically enhances the escape rate

Fabrication of a Tantalum-Based Josephson Junction for an X-Ray Detector

Science.gov (United States)

Morohashi, Shin'ichi; Gotoh, Kohtaroh; Yokoyama, Naoki

2000-06-01

We have fabricated a tantalum-based Josephson junction for an X-ray detector. The tantalum layer was selected for the junction electrode because of its long quasiparticle lifetime, large X-ray absorption efficiency and stability against thermal cycling. We have developed a buffer layer to fabricate the tantalum layer with a body-centered cubic structure. Based on careful consideration of their superconductivity, we have selected a niobium thin layer as the buffer layer for fabricating the tantalum base electrode, and a tungsten thin layer for the tantalum counter electrode. Fabricated Nb/AlOx-Al/Ta/Nb and Nb/Ta/W/AlOx-Al/Ta/Nb Josephson junctions exhibited current-voltage characteristics with a low subgap leakage current.

Two Superconducting Charge Qubits Coupled by a Josephson Inductance

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Michio; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Pashkin, Yuri A.; Astafiev, Oleg; Nakamura, Yasunobu; Tsai, Jaw-Shen

2007-03-01

When the quantum oscillations [Pashkin et al., Nature 421, 823 (2003)] and the conditional gate operation [Yamamoto et al., Nature 425, 941 (2003)] were demonstrated using superconducting charge qubits, the charge qubits were coupled capacitively, where the coupling was always on and the coupling strength was not tunable. This fixed coupling, however, is not ideal because for example, it makes unconditional gate operations difficult. In this work, we aimed to tunably couple two charge qubits. We fabricated circuits based on the theoretical proposal by You, Tsai, and Nori [PRB 68, 024510 (2003)], where the inductance of a Josephson junction, which has a much larger junction area than the qubit junctions, couples the qubits and the coupling strength is controlled by the external magnetic flux. We confirmed by spectroscopy that the large Josephson junction was indeed coupled to the qubits and that the coupling was turned on and off by the external magnetic flux. In the talk, we will also discuss the quantum oscillations in the circuits.

Modulated microwave absorption spectra from Josephson junctions on a scratched niobium wire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubins, R.S.; Hutton, S.L.; Ravindran, K.; Subbaraman, K.; Drumheller, J.E.

1997-01-01

Modulated microwave absorption (MMA) spectra from Josephson junction formations on a scratched Nb wire have been studied at 9.3 GHz and 4 K. The peak-to-peak separation, δH of the Josephson lines was found to vary linearly with P 1/2 , where P is the applied microwave power, in contrast to a recent interpretation of junction formation in pressed lead pieces by Rubins, Drumheller, and Trybula. The interpretation of the MMA data on Nb are given in terms of the theory of Vichery, Beuneu, and Lejay for superconducting loops containing weak links. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Voltage splay modes and enhanced phase locking in a modified linear Josephson array

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, E. B.; Garland, J. C.

1997-02-01

We analyze a modified linear Josephson-junction array in which additional unbiased junctions are used to greatly enhance phase locking. This geometry exhibits strong correlated behavior, with an external magnetic field tuning the voltage splay angle between adjacent Josephson oscillators. The array displays a coherent in-phase mode for f=, where f is the magnetic frustration, while for 0tolerant of critical current disorder approaching 100%. The stability of the array has also been studied by computing Floquet exponents. These exponents are found to be negative for all array lengths, with a 1/N2 dependence, N being the number of series-connected junctions.

Detailed investigation of the bifurcation diagram of capacitively coupled Josephson junctions in high-Tc superconductors and its self similarity

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdipour, Mohammad

2018-04-01

We study an array of coupled Josephson junction of superconductor/insulator/superconductor type (SIS junction) as a model for high temperature superconductors with layered structure. In the current-voltage characteristics of this system there is a breakpoint region in which a net electric charge appear on superconducting layers, S-layers, of junctions which motivate us to study the charge dynamics in this region. In this paper first of all we show a current voltage characteristics (CVC) of Intrinsic Josephson Junctions (IJJs) with N=3 Junctions, then we show the breakpoint region in that CVC, then we try to investigate the chaos in this region. We will see that at the end of the breakpoint region, behavior of the system is chaotic and Lyapunov exponent become positive. We also study the route by which the system become chaotic and will see this route is bifurcation. Next goal of this paper is to show the self similarity in the bifurcation diagram of the system and detailed analysis of bifurcation diagram.

Parameter optimization for transitions between memory states in small arrays of Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rezac, Jacob D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computer Science and Mathematics Division; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate; Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States). Dept. of Mathematical Sciences; Imam, Neena [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate; Braiman, Yehuda [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computer Science and Mathematics Division; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate; ; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering

2017-01-11

Coupled arrays of Josephson junctions possess multiple stable zero voltage states. Such states can store information and consequently can be utilized for cryogenic memory applications. Basic memory operations can be implemented by sending a pulse to one of the junctions and studying transitions between the states. In order to be suitable for memory operations, such transitions between the states have to be fast and energy efficient. Here in this article we employed simulated annealing, a stochastic optimization algorithm, to study parameter optimization of array parameters which minimizes times and energies of transitions between specifically chosen states that can be utilized for memory operations (Read, Write, and Reset). Simulation results show that such transitions occur with access times on the order of 10–100 ps and access energies on the order of 10^-19–5×10^-18 J. Numerical simulations are validated with approximate analytical results.

Microwave spectroscopy and electronic transport properties of ferromagnetic Josephson junctions and superconducting spin-valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thalmann, Marcel; Rudolf, Marcel; Pietsch, Torsten [Zukunftskolleg and Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz (Germany)

2016-07-01

Hybrid superconducting nanostructures recently attracted tremendous interest, due to their great potential in dissipation-less spin-electronics with unprecedented switching rates. The practical realisation of such devices, however, requires a complete understanding of the transfer and dynamics of spin- and charge currents between superconducting (S) and ferromagnetic (F) circuit elements, as well as the coupling between spin- and charge degrees of freedom in these systems. We investigate novel transport phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrid nanostructures under non-equilibrium conditions. Microwave spectroscopy is used to elucidate fundamental questions related to the complex interplay of competing order parameters and the question of relaxation mechanisms of non-equilibrium distributions with respect to spin, charge and energy. Recent experiments on two complimentary device structures are discussed: (I) in diffusive S/F/S Josephson junctions with non-sinusoidal current-phase relationship and (II) local and non-local transport measurements and microwave spectroscopy in F/S/F lateral spin-valves.

Thin film hybrid Josephson junctions with Co doped Ba-122

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, Stefan; Doering, Sebastian; Schmidl, Frank; Tympel, Volker; Grosse, Veit; Seidel, Paul [Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Helmholtzweg 5, 07743 Jena (Germany); Haindl, Silvia; Iida, Kazumasa; Kurth, Fritz; Holzapfel, Bernhard [IFW Dresden, Institut fuer Metallische Werkstoffe, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Moench, Ingolf [IFW Dresden, Institut fuer Integrative Nanowissenschaften, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069 Dresden (Germany)

2011-07-01

Josephson junctions are a strong tool to investigate fundamental superconducting properties, such as gap behaviour, dependencies from external fields and the order parameter symmetry. Finding secure values enables the possibility of theoretical descriptions to understand the physical processes within the new iron-based superconductors. Based on Co-doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} (Ba-122) layers produced via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on (La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O{sub 3} substrates, we manufactured superconductor-normal conductor-superconductor (S-N-S) junctions structures by using photolithography, ion beam etching as well as insulating SiO{sub 2} layers. We present working Ba-122/Au/PbIn thin film Josephson junctions with different contact areas and barrier thicknesses, their temperature dependence and response to microwave irradiation. The calculated I{sub c}R{sub N} product is in the range of a couple of microvolts.

Experimental study of macroscopic quantum tunnelling in Bi2212 intrinsic Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Tetsuro; Kashiwaya, Hiromi; Shibata, Hajime; Kashiwaya, Satoshi; Kawabata, Shiro; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Yukio

2007-01-01

The quantum dynamics of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) is studied based on escape rate measurements. The saturations observed in the escape temperature and in the width of the switching current below 0.5 K (= T * ) indicate the transition of the switching mechanism from thermal activation to macroscopic quantum tunnelling. It is shown that the switching properties are consistently explained in terms of the underdamped Josephson junction with a quality factor of 70 ± 20 in spite of possible damping due to the nodal quasiparticles of d-wave superconductivity. The present result gives the upper limit of the damping of IJJs

Charge solitons and their dynamical mass in one-dimensional arrays of Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homfeld, Jens; Protopopov, Ivan; Rachel, Stephan; Shnirman, Alexander

2011-01-01

We investigate charge transport in one-dimensional arrays of Josephson junctions. In the interesting regime of ''small charge solitons'' (polarons), ΛE J >E C >E J , where Λ is the (electrostatic) screening length, the charge dynamics are strongly influenced by the polaronic effects (i.e., by dressing of a Cooper pair by charge dipoles). In particular, the soliton's mass in this regime scales approximately as E J -2 . We employ two theoretical techniques: the many-body tight-binding approach and the mean-field approach, and the results of the two approaches agree in the regime of ''small charge solitons.'' Renormalization of the soliton's mass could be observed; for example, as enhancement of the persistent current in a ring-shaped array.

SQIF Arrays as RF Sensors (Briefing Charts)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Yukon, Stanford P

2007-01-01

... (Superconducting Quantum Interference Filter) arrays may be employed as sensitive RF sensors. RF SQIF arrays fabricated with high Tc Josephson junctions can be cooled with small Sterling microcoolers...

Josephson technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drangeid, K.E.

1983-01-01

The author presents an introduction to Josephson junctions. After an introduction to the physical principles of superconductivity and the Josephson effect some applications are described with special regards to the implementation in digital circuits. (HSI)

Tunneling conductance in superconductor-hybrid double quantum dots Josephson junction

Science.gov (United States)

Chamoli, Tanuj; Ajay

2018-05-01

The present work deals with the theoretical model study to analyse the tunneling conductance across a superconductor hybrid double quantum dots tunnel junction (S-DQD-S). Recently, there are many experimental works where the Josephson current across such nanoscopic junction is found to be dependent on nature of the superconducting electrodes, coupling of the hybrid double quantum dot's electronic states with the electronic states of the superconductors and nature of electronic structure of the coupled dots. For this, we have attempted a theoretical model containing contributions of BCS superconducting leads, magnetic coupled quantum dot states and coupling of superconducting leads with QDs. In order to include magnetic coupled QDs the contributions of competitive Kondo and Ruderman-Kittel- Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction terms are also introduced through many body effects in the model Hamiltonian at low temperatures (where Kondo temperature TK tunnel junctions. Tunneling conductance is proportional to DOS, hence we can analyse it's behaviour with the help of DOS.

Critical Josephson current in a model Pb/YBa2Cu3O7-δ junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, W.A.; Carbotte, J.P.

1995-01-01

We consider a simple model for a c-axis Pb/YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ Josephson junction. The observation of a nonzero current in such a junction by Sun et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2267 (1994)] has been taken as evidence against d-wave superconductivity in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ . We suggest, however, that the pairing interaction in the CuO 2 planes may well be d wave but that the CuO chains destroy the tetragonal symmetry of the system. We examine two ways in which this happens. In a simple model of an incoherent junction, the chains distort the superconducting condensate away from d x 2 -y 2 symmetry. In a specular junction the chains destroy the tetragonal symmetry of the tunneling matrix element. In either case, the loss of tetragonal symmetry results in a finite Josephson current. Our calculated values of the critical current for specular junctions are in good agreement with the results of Sun and co-workers

Curved Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobrowolski, Tomasz

2012-01-01

The constant curvature one and quasi-one dimensional Josephson junction is considered. On the base of Maxwell equations, the sine–Gordon equation that describes an influence of curvature on the kink motion was obtained. It is showed that the method of geometrical reduction of the sine–Gordon model from three to lower dimensional manifold leads to an identical form of the sine–Gordon equation. - Highlights: ► The research on dynamics of the phase in a curved Josephson junction is performed. ► The geometrical reduction is applied to the sine–Gordon model. ► The results of geometrical reduction and the fundamental research are compared.

Manipulating Josephson junctions in thin-films by nearby vortices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kogan, V.G.; Mints, R.G.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Vortex located in a bank of a planar Josephson junction changes its character. • Vortex located at some discreet positions in thin strip bank suppresses to zero the zero-field current. • The number of these positions is equal to the number of vortices trapped. • Critical current-field patterns are strongly affected by the vortex position. - Abstract: It is shown that a vortex trapped in one of the banks of a planar edge-type Josephson junction in a narrow thin-film superconducting strip can change drastically the dependence of the junction critical current on the applied field, I c (H). When the vortex is placed at certain discrete positions in the strip middle, the pattern I c (H) has zero at H=0 instead of the traditional maximum of ‘0-type’ junctions. The number of these positions is equal to the number of vortices trapped at the same location. When the junction–vortex separation exceeds ∼W, the strip width, I c (H) is no longer sensitive to the vortex presence. The same is true for any separation if the vortex approaches the strip edges

Coincidence of features of emitted THz electromagnetic wave power form a single Josephson junction and different current components

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdipour, Mohammad

2017-12-01

By applying a voltage to a Josephson junction, the charge in superconducting layers (S-layers) will oscillate. Wavelength of the charge oscillations in S-layers is related to external current in junction, by increasing the external current, the wavelength will decrease which cause in some currents the wavelength be incommensurate with width of junction, so the CVC shows Fiske like steps. External current throwing along junction has some components, resistive, capacitive and superconducting current, beside these currents there is a current in lateral direction of junction, (x direction). On the other hand, the emitted electromagnetic wave power in THz region is related to AC component of electric field in junction, which itself is related to charge density in S-layers, which is related to currents in the system. So we expect that features of variation of current components reflect the features of emitted THz power form junction. Here we study in detail the superconductive current in a long Josephson junction (JJ), the current voltage characteristics (CVC) of junction and emitted THz power from the system. Then we compare the results. Comparing the results we see that there is a good qualitative coincidence in features of emitted THz power and supercurrent in junction.

Charge-transport in Josephson-junctions with ferromagnetic Ni3Al-interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Born, F.

2006-01-01

The present dissertation reports on experimental studies about superconducting coupling through a thin Ni 76 Al 24 film. A new patterning process has been developed, which allows in combination with the wedge shaped deposition technique the in situ deposition of 20 single Nb/Al/Al 2 O 3 /Ni 3 Al/Nb multilayers, each with its own well defined Ni 3 Al thickness. Every single multilayer consists of 10 different sized Josephson junctions, showing a high reproducibility and scaling with its junction area. Up to six damped oscillations of the critical current density against F-layer thickness were observed, revealing three single 0-π-transitions in the ground state of Josephson junctions. Contrary to former experimental studies, the exponential decay length is one magnitude larger than the oscillation period defining decay length. The theoretical predictions based on linearised Eilenberger equations results in excellent agreement of theory and experimental results. (orig.)

Voltage splay modes and enhanced phase locking in a modified linear Josephson array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, E.B.; Garland, J.C.

1997-01-01

We analyze a modified linear Josephson-junction array in which additional unbiased junctions are used to greatly enhance phase locking. This geometry exhibits strong correlated behavior, with an external magnetic field tuning the voltage splay angle between adjacent Josephson oscillators. The array displays a coherent in-phase mode for f=(1)/(2), where f is the magnetic frustration, while for 0 p (f)=2aV dc /Φ 0 (1-2f). The locked splay modes are found to be tolerant of critical current disorder approaching 100%. The stability of the array has also been studied by computing Floquet exponents. These exponents are found to be negative for all array lengths, with a 1/N 2 dependence, N being the number of series-connected junctions. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Ballistic Josephson junctions based on CVD graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tianyi; Gallop, John; Hao, Ling; Romans, Edward

2018-04-01

Josephson junctions with graphene as the weak link between superconductors have been intensely studied in recent years, with respect to both fundamental physics and potential applications. However, most of the previous work was based on mechanically exfoliated graphene, which is not compatible with wafer-scale production. To overcome this limitation, we have used graphene grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) as the weak link of Josephson junctions. We demonstrate that very short, wide CVD-graphene-based Josephson junctions with Nb electrodes can work without any undesirable hysteresis in their electrical characteristics from 1.5 K down to a base temperature of 320 mK, and their gate-tuneable critical current shows an ideal Fraunhofer-like interference pattern in a perpendicular magnetic field. Furthermore, for our shortest junctions (50 nm in length), we find that the normal state resistance oscillates with the gate voltage, consistent with the junctions being in the ballistic regime, a feature not previously observed in CVD-graphene-based Josephson junctions.

Spatiotemporal chaos in rf-driven Josephson junction series arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, D.; Cerdeira, H.A.

1995-01-01

We study underdamped Josephson junction series arrays that are globally coupled through a resistive shunting load and driven by an rf bias current. They can be an experimental realization of many phenomena currently studied in globally coupled logistic maps. We study their spatiotemporal dynamics and we find coherent, ordered, partially ordered, turbulent, and quasiperiodic phases. The ordered phase corresponds to giant Shapiro steps in the IV characteristics. In the turbulent phase there is a saturation of the broad-band noise for a large number of junctions. This corresponds to a breakdown of the law of large numbers as seen in globally coupled maps. Coexisting with this phenomenon, we find an emergence of pseudosteps in the IV characteristics. This effect can be experimentally distinguished from the true Shapiro steps, which do not have broad-band noise emission. We study the stability of the breakdown of the law of large numbers against thermal fluctuations. We find that it is stable below a critical temperature T c1 . A measurement of the broad-band noise as a function of temperature T will show three different regimes: below T c1 the broad-band noise decreases when increasing T, and there is turbulence and the breakdown of the law of large numbers. Between T c1 and a second critical temperature T c2 the broad-band noise is constant and the dynamics is dominated by the chaos of the individual junctions. Finally above T c2 all the broad-band noise is due to thermal fluctuations, since it increases linearly with T

Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling in Superconducting Junctions of β-Ag2Se Topological Insulator Nanowire.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jihwan; Kim, Bum-Kyu; Kim, Hong-Seok; Hwang, Ahreum; Kim, Bongsoo; Doh, Yong-Joo

2017-11-08

We report on the fabrication and electrical transport properties of superconducting junctions made of β-Ag 2 Se topological insulator (TI) nanowires in contact with Al superconducting electrodes. The temperature dependence of the critical current indicates that the superconducting junction belongs to a short and diffusive junction regime. As a characteristic feature of the narrow junction, the critical current decreases monotonously with increasing magnetic field. The stochastic distribution of the switching current exhibits the macroscopic quantum tunneling behavior, which is robust up to T = 0.8 K. Our observations indicate that the TI nanowire-based Josephson junctions can be a promising building block for the development of nanohybrid superconducting quantum bits.

Search for a correlation between Josephson junctions and gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, Glen A.

2000-01-01

Woodward's transient mass shift (TMS) formula has commonality with Modanese's anomalous coupling theory (ACT) and Woodward's capacitor experiment has commonality with Podkletnov's layered superconductor disk experiment. The TMS formula derives a mass fluctuation from a time-varying energy density. The ACT suggests that the essential ingredient for the gravity phenomenon is the presence of strong variations or fluctuations of the Cooper pair density (a time-varying energy density). Woodward's experiment used a small array of capacitors whose energy density was varied by an applied 11 kHz signal. Podkletnov's superconductor disk contained many Josephson junctions (small capacitive like interfaces), which were radiated with a 3-4 MHz signal. This paper formulates a TMS for superconductor Josephson junctions. The equation was compared to the 2% mass change claimed by Podkletnov in his gravity shielding experiments. The TMS is calculated to be 2% for a 2-kg superconductor with an induced total power to the multiple Josephson junctions of about 3.3-watts. A percent mass change equation is then formulated based on the Cavendish balance equation where the superconductor TMS is used for the delta change in mass. An experiment using a Cavendish balance is then discussed

Long Josephson tunnel junctions with doubly connected electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Monaco, R.; Mygind, J.; Koshelets, V. P.

2012-03-01

In order to mimic the phase changes in the primordial Big Bang, several cosmological solid-state experiments have been conceived, during the last decade, to investigate the spontaneous symmetry breaking in superconductors and superfluids cooled through their transition temperature. In one of such experiments, the number of magnetic flux quanta spontaneously trapped in a superconducting loop was measured by means of a long Josephson tunnel junction built on top of the loop itself. We have analyzed this system and found a number of interesting features not occurring in the conventional case with simply connected electrodes. In particular, the fluxoid quantization results in a frustration of the Josephson phase, which, in turn, reduces the junction critical current. Further, the possible stable states of the system are obtained by a self-consistent application of the principle of minimum energy. The theoretical findings are supported by measurements on a number of samples having different geometrical configuration. The experiments demonstrate that a very large signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved in the flux quanta detection.

Superconducting Quantum Arrays for Wideband Antennas and Low Noise Amplifiers

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhanov, O.; Prokopemko, G.; Romanofsky, Robert R.

2014-01-01

Superconducting Quantum Iinetference Filters (SQIF) consist of a two-dimensional array of niobium Josephson Junctions formed into N loops of incommensurate area. This structure forms a magnetic field (B) to voltage transducer with an impulse like response at B0. In principle, the signal-to-noise ratio scales as the square root of N and the noise can be made arbitrarily small (i.e. The SQIF chips are expected to exhibit quantum limited noise performance). A gain of about 20 dB was recently demonstrated at 10 GHz.

Loss models for long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, O. H.; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm

1984-01-01

A general model for loss mechanisms in long Josephson junctions is presented. An expression for the zero-field step is found for a junction of overlap type by means of a perturbation method. Comparison between analytic solution and perturbation result shows good agreement.......A general model for loss mechanisms in long Josephson junctions is presented. An expression for the zero-field step is found for a junction of overlap type by means of a perturbation method. Comparison between analytic solution and perturbation result shows good agreement....

Energy scales in YBaCuO grain boundary biepitaxial Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tafuri, F., E-mail: tafuri@na.infn.it [Dip. Ingegneria dell' Informazione, Seconda Universita di Napoli, 81031 Aversa (CE) (Italy); CNR-SPIN, UOS Napoli, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Dip. Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Stornaiuolo, D. [DPMC, University of Geneva, 24 Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4 (Switzerland); CNR-SPIN, UOS Napoli, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Lucignano, P. [CNR-ISC, sede di Tor Vergata, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma (Italy); Dip. Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Galletti, L. [Dip. Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Longobardi, L. [Dip. Ingegneria dell' Informazione, Seconda Universita di Napoli, 81031 Aversa (CE) (Italy); Massarotti, D. [Dip. Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); CNR-SPIN, UOS Napoli, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Montemurro, D. [NEST and Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Papari, G. [INPAC - Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry, Nanoscale Superconductivity and Magnetism Pulsed Fields Group, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Dip. Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Barone, A.; Tagliacozzo, A. [Dip. Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); CNR-SPIN, UOS Napoli, Monte S. Angelo via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy)

2012-09-15

Self-assembled nanoscale channels may naturally arise in the growth process of grain boundaries (GBs) in high critical temperature superconductor (HTS) systems, and deeply influence the transport properties of the GB Josephson junctions (JJs). By isolating nano-channels in YBCO biepitaxial JJs and studying their properties, we sort out specific fingerprints of the mesoscopic nature of the contacts. The size of the channels combined to the characteristic properties of HTS favors a special regime of the proximity effect, where normal state coherence prevails on the superconducting coherence in the barrier region. Resistance oscillations from the current-voltage characteristic encode mesoscopic information on the junction and more specifically on the minigap induced in the barrier. Thouless energy emerges as a characteristic energy of these types of Josephson junctions. Possible implications on the understanding of coherent transport of quasiparticles in HTS and of the dissipation mechanisms are discussed, along with elements to take into account when designing HTS nanostructures.

Some chaotic features of intrinsically coupled Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolahchi, M.R.; Shukrinov, Yu.M.; Hamdipour, M.; Botha, A.E.; Suzuki, M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Intrinsically coupled Josephson junctions model a high-T c superconductor. ► Intrinsically coupled Josephson junctions can act as a chaotic nonlinear system. ► Chaos could be due to resonance overlap. ► Avoiding parameters that lead to chaos is important for the design of resonators. -- Abstract: We look for chaos in an intrinsically coupled system of Josephson junctions. This study has direct applications for the high-T c resonators which require coherence amongst the junctions

Measurement of kinetic inductance of superconducting wires and application for measuring flux state of Josephson-junction loops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimazu, Y.; Yokoyama, T

2004-10-01

In order to realize strong coupling in a system of multiple flux qubits with a DC-SQUID, the use of kinetic inductance is advantageous because it can be much larger than geometrical inductance for narrow superconducting wires. We measured the inductance associated with narrow Al wires, and estimated the contributions of kinetic and geometrical inductances. The London penetration depth which determines the kinetic inductance is evaluated. We fabricated samples of two Josephson-junction loops and a DC-SQUID which are all coupled with kinetic inductances. The observed magnetic flux due to the loops is in good agreement with the result of numerical simulation based on the estimated inductances.

Discreteness-induced resonances and ac voltage amplitudes in long one-dimensional Josephson junction arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duwel, A.E.; Watanabe, S.; Trias, E.; Orlando, T.P.; van der Zant, H.S.; Strogatz, S.H.

1997-01-01

New resonance steps are found in the experimental current-voltage characteristics of long, discrete, one-dimensional Josephson junction arrays with open boundaries and in an external magnetic field. The junctions are underdamped, connected in parallel, and dc biased. Numerical simulations based on the discrete sine-Gordon model are carried out, and show that the solutions on the steps are periodic trains of fluxons, phase locked by a finite amplitude radiation. Power spectra of the voltages consist of a small number of harmonic peaks, which may be exploited for possible oscillator applications. The steps form a family that can be numbered by the harmonic content of the radiation, the first member corresponding to the Eck step. Discreteness of the arrays is shown to be essential for appearance of the higher order steps. We use a multimode extension of the harmonic balance analysis, and estimate the resonance frequencies, the ac voltage amplitudes, and the theoretical limit on the output power on the first two steps. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Non-equilibrium properties of Josephson critical current in Nb-based three terminal superconducting tunnel devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ammendola, G.; Parlato, L.; Peluso, G.; Pepe, G.

1998-01-01

Tunnel quasi-particle injection into a superconducting film provides useful information on the non-equilibrium state inside the perturbed superconductor as well as on the potential application to electronic devices. Three terminal injector-detector superconducting devices have a long history in non-equilibrium superconductivity. In the recent past non-equilibrium phenomena have attracted again considerable attention because of many superconducting based detectors involve processes substantially non-equilibrium in nature. The possibility of using a stacked double tunnel junction to study the influence of non-equilibrium superconductivity on the Josephson critical current is now considered. An experimental study of the effect of quasi-particle injection on the Josephson current both in steady-state and pulsed experiments down to T=1.2 K is presented using 3 terminal Nb-based stacked double tunnel devices. The feasibility of a new class of particle detectors based on the direct measurement of the change in the Josephson current following the absorption of a X-ray quantum is also discussed in terms of non-equilibrium theories. (orig.)

Q factor and resonance amplitude of Josephson tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broom, R.F.; Wolf, P.

1977-01-01

The surface impedance of the superconducting films comprising the electrodes of Josephson tunnel junctions has been derived from the BCS theory in the extreme London limit. Expressions have been obtained for (i) the dependence of the penetration depth lambda on frequency and temperature, and (ii) the quality factor Q of the junction cavity, attributable to surface absorption in the electrodes. The effect of thin electrodes (t 9 or approx. = lambda) is also included in the calculations. Comparison of the calculated frequency dependence of lambda with resonance measurements on Pb-alloy and all-Nb tunnel junctions yields quite good agreement, indicating that the assumptions made in the theory are reasonable. Measurements of the (current) amplitude of the resonance peaks of the junctions have been compared with the values obtained from inclusion of the calculated Q in the theory by Kulik. In common with observations on microwave cavities by other workers, we find that a small residual conductivity must be added to the real part of the BCS value. With its inclusion, good agreement is found between calculation and experiment, within the range determined by the simplifying assumptions of Kulik's theory. From the results, we believe the calculation of Q to be reasonably accurate for the materials investigated. It is shown that the resonance amplitude of Josephson junctions can be calculated directly from the material constants and a knowledge of the residual conductivity

Electromagnetic waves in single- and multi-Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Hideki; Koyama, Tomio; Machida, Masahiko

2008-01-01

The terahertz wave emission from the intrinsic Josephson junctions is one of recent topics in high T c superconductors. We investigate, by numerical simulation, properties of the electromagnetic waves excited by a constant bias current in the single- and multi-Josephson junctions. Nonlinear equations of phase-differences are solved numerically by treating the effects of the outside electromagnetic fields as dynamical boundary conditions. It is shown that the emitted power of the electromagnetic wave can become large near certain retrapping points of the I-V characteristics. An instability of the inside phase oscillation is related to large amplitude of the oscillatory waves. In the single- (or homogeneous mutli-) Josephson junctions, electromagnetic oscillations can occur either in a form of standing waves (shorter junctions) or by formation of vortex-antivortex pairs (longer junctions). How these two effects affects the behavior of electromagnetic waves in the intrinsic Josephson junctions is discussed

Effect of Impurities on the Josephson Current through Helical Metals: Exploiting a Neutrino Paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaemi, Pouyan; Nair, V. P.

2016-01-01

In this Letter we study the effect of time-reversal symmetric impurities on the Josephson supercurrent through two-dimensional helical metals such as on a topological insulator surface state. We show that, contrary to the usual superconducting-normal metal-superconducting junctions, the suppression of the supercurrent in the superconducting-helical metal-superconducting junction is mainly due to fluctuations of impurities in the junctions. Our results, which are a condensed matter realization of a part of the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect for neutrinos, show that the relationship between normal state conductance and the critical current of Josephson junctions is significantly modified for Josephson junctions on the surface of topological insulators. We also study the temperature dependence of the supercurrent and present a two fluid model which can explain some of the recent experimental results in Josephson junctions on the edge of topological insulators.

Part I: nonlinear analysis of three coupled Josephson junctions. Part II. general bond-to-site mapping in aggregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strenski, P.N.

1985-01-01

The first part of this thesis deals with the analysis of a small array of Josephson junctions, superconducting devices of markedly nonlinear behavior. The components of the array are modeled as resistively-shunted junctions and are driven by direct current. A chapter is provided that reviews the validity and features of such a model for the case of a single junction. This chapter also includes background information on the subjects of bifurcation, chaos, and fractals. In the following chapters, the array of three junctions is studied, first with one driving current and later with an additional bias current. The analysis includes both numerical results from computer simulations and analytic computations using a perturbative approach. The two approaches are shown to be in good agreement. The behavior of the array is dominated by hysteresis effects. The second part of the thesis describes an exact bound-to-site transformation for diffusion-limited aggregation. A review is provided that summarizes the field of aggregation and demonstrates the need for such exact results. The equivalence maps a class of partial adhesion problems on arbitrary lattices to absolute adhesion problems on transformed lattices. Examples are given for diffusion in the presence and absence of an external field

Ultralow power artificial synapses using nanotextured magnetic Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Michael L.; Donnelly, Christine A.; Russek, Stephen E.; Baek, Burm; Pufall, Matthew R.; Hopkins, Peter F.; Dresselhaus, Paul D.; Benz, Samuel P.; Rippard, William H.

2018-01-01

Neuromorphic computing promises to markedly improve the efficiency of certain computational tasks, such as perception and decision-making. Although software and specialized hardware implementations of neural networks have made tremendous accomplishments, both implementations are still many orders of magnitude less energy efficient than the human brain. We demonstrate a new form of artificial synapse based on dynamically reconfigurable superconducting Josephson junctions with magnetic nanoclusters in the barrier. The spiking energy per pulse varies with the magnetic configuration, but in our demonstration devices, the spiking energy is always less than 1 aJ. This compares very favorably with the roughly 10 fJ per synaptic event in the human brain. Each artificial synapse is composed of a Si barrier containing Mn nanoclusters with superconducting Nb electrodes. The critical current of each synapse junction, which is analogous to the synaptic weight, can be tuned using input voltage spikes that change the spin alignment of Mn nanoclusters. We demonstrate synaptic weight training with electrical pulses as small as 3 aJ. Further, the Josephson plasma frequencies of the devices, which determine the dynamical time scales, all exceed 100 GHz. These new artificial synapses provide a significant step toward a neuromorphic platform that is faster, more energy-efficient, and thus can attain far greater complexity than has been demonstrated with other technologies. PMID:29387787

Coherent Cooper pair tunneling in systems of Josephson junctions: effects of quasiparticle tunneling and of the electromagnetic environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maassen van den Brink, A.; Odintsov, A.A.; Bobbert, P.A.; Schön, G.

1991-01-01

Small capacitance tunnel junctions show single electron effects and, in the superconducting state, the coherent tunneling of Cooper pairs. We study these effects in a system of two Josephson junctions, driven by a voltage source with a finite impedance. Novel features show up in theI–V

Parity Anomaly and Spin Transmutation in Quantum Spin Hall Josephson Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yang; Vinkler-Aviv, Yuval; Brouwer, Piet W; Glazman, Leonid I; von Oppen, Felix

2016-12-23

We study the Josephson effect in a quantum spin Hall system coupled to a localized magnetic impurity. As a consequence of the fermion parity anomaly, the spin of the combined system of impurity and spin-Hall edge alternates between half-integer and integer values when the superconducting phase difference across the junction advances by 2π. This leads to characteristic differences in the splittings of the spin multiplets by exchange coupling and single-ion anisotropy at phase differences, for which time-reversal symmetry is preserved. We discuss the resulting 8π-periodic (or Z_{4}) fractional Josephson effect in the context of recent experiments.

Topologically protected qubits as minimal Josephson junction arrays with non-trivial boundary conditions: A proposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cristofano, Gerardo; Marotta, Vincenzo [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli ' Federico II' , and INFN, Sezione di Napoli, Via Cintia, Complesso Universitario M. Sant' Angelo, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Naddeo, Adele [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E.R. Caianiello' , Universita degli Studi di Salerno and CNISM, Unita di Ricerca di Salerno, Via Salvador Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Italy)], E-mail: naddeo@sa.infn.it; Niccoli, Giuliano [Theoretical Physics Group, DESY, NotkeStrasse 85, 22603 Hamburg (Germany)

2008-11-17

Recently a one-dimensional closed ladder of Josephson junctions has been studied [G. Cristofano, V. Marotta, A. Naddeo, G. Niccoli, Phys. Lett. A 372 (2008) 2464] within a twisted conformal field theory (CFT) approach [G. Cristofano, G. Maiella, V. Marotta, Mod. Phys. Lett. A 15 (2000) 1679; G. Cristofano, G. Maiella, V. Marotta, G. Niccoli, Nucl. Phys. B 641 (2002) 547] and shown to develop the phenomenon of flux fractionalization [G. Cristofano, V. Marotta, A. Naddeo, G. Niccoli, Eur. Phys. J. B 49 (2006) 83]. That led us to predict the emergence of a topological order in such a system [G. Cristofano, V. Marotta, A. Naddeo, J. Stat. Mech.: Theory Exp. (2005) P03006]. In this Letter we analyze the ground states and the topological properties of fully frustrated Josephson junction arrays (JJA) arranged in a Corbino disk geometry for a variety of boundary conditions. In particular minimal configurations of fully frustrated JJA are considered and shown to exhibit the properties needed in order to build up a solid state qubit, protected from decoherence. The stability and transformation properties of the ground states of the JJA under adiabatic magnetic flux changes are analyzed in detail in order to provide a tool for the manipulation of the proposed qubit.

Self-heating in Josephson junction chains. New insight from old circuits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, Jared [Chemical and Quantum Physics, School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia); Marthaler, Michael [Institute fuer Theoretische Festkoerperphysik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany); Duty, Timothy [Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQuS), School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052 (Australia)

2016-07-01

The conduction properties of arrays of Josephson junctions are been studied for decades, yet the experimental results never really match the predictions of the idealised theoretical models. Many reasons have been given for this, including imperfections in the measurement, in the fabrication process or in the theoretical models used. Recently, using a combination of systematic numerical and experimental studies, the gap between theory and experiment is closing. As an example of this, we discuss the role of self-heating in the transport properties of one-dimensional Josephson junction chains. We show tantalising experimental measurements and how these can be compared to various theoretical models for the self-heating processes within the chains.

The critical current of point symmetric Josephson tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monaco, Roberto

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We disclose some geometrical properties of the critical current field dependence that apply to a large class of Josephson junctions characterized by a point symmetric shape. • The developed theory is valid for any orientation of the applied magnetic field, therefore it allows the determine the consequences of field misalignment in the experimental setups. • We also address that the threshold curves of Josephson tunnel junctions with complex shapes can be expressed as a linear combination of the threshold curves of junctions with simpler point symmetric shapes. - Abstract: The physics of Josephson tunnel junctions drastically depends on their geometrical configurations. The shape of the junction determines the specific form of the magnetic-field dependence of its Josephson current. Here we address the magnetic diffraction patterns of specially shaped planar Josephson tunnel junctions in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field of arbitrary orientations. We focus on a wide ensemble of junctions whose shape is invariant under point reflection. We analyze the implications of this type of isometry and derive the threshold curves of junctions whose shape is the union or the relative complement of two point symmetric plane figures.

Visualizing supercurrents in 0-{pi} ferromagnetic Josephson tunnel junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldobin, Edward; Guerlich, Christian; Gaber, Tobias; Koelle, Dieter; Kleiner, Reinhold [Physikalisches Institut and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena, Universitaet Tuebingen (Germany); Weides, Martin; Kohlstedt, Hermann [Institute of Solid State Physics, Reserch Center Juelich (Germany)

2009-07-01

So-called 0 and {pi} Josephson junctions can be treated as having positive and negative critical currents. This implies that the same phase shift applied to a Josephson junction causes counterflow of supercurrents in 0 and in {pi} junctions connected in parallel provided they are short in comparison with Josephson penetration depth {lambda}{sub J}. We have fabricated several 0, {pi}, 0-{pi}, 0-{pi}-0 and 20 x (0-{pi}-) planar superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor Josephson junctions and studied the spatial supercurrent density distribution j{sub s}(x,y) across the junction area using low temperature scanning electron microscopy. At zero magnetic field we clearly see counterflow of the supercurrents in 0 and {pi} regions. The picture also changes consistently in the applied magnetic field.

Microstructure of Josephson junctions: Effect on supercurrent transport in YBCO grain boundary and barrier layer junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merkle, K.L.; Huang, Y.

1998-01-01

The electric transport of high-temperature superconductors, such as YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO), can be strongly restricted by the presence of high-angle grain boundaries (GB). This weak-link behavior is governed by the macroscopic GB geometry and the microscopic grain boundary structure and composition at the atomic level. Whereas grain boundaries present a considerable impediment to high current applications of high T c materials, there is considerable commercial interest in exploiting the weak-link-nature of grain boundaries for the design of microelectronic devices, such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). The Josephson junctions which form the basis of this technology can also be formed by introducing artificial barriers into the superconductor. The authors have examined both types of Josephson junctions by EM techniques in an effort to understand the connection between microstructure/chemistry and electrical transport properties. This knowledge is a valuable resource for the design and production of improved devices

Overlap junctions for high coherence superconducting qubits

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, X.; Long, J. L.; Ku, H. S.; Lake, R. E.; Bal, M.; Pappas, D. P.

2017-07-01

Fabrication of sub-micron Josephson junctions is demonstrated using standard processing techniques for high-coherence, superconducting qubits. These junctions are made in two separate lithography steps with normal-angle evaporation. Most significantly, this work demonstrates that it is possible to achieve high coherence with junctions formed on aluminum surfaces cleaned in situ by Ar plasma before junction oxidation. This method eliminates the angle-dependent shadow masks typically used for small junctions. Therefore, this is conducive to the implementation of typical methods for improving margins and yield using conventional CMOS processing. The current method uses electron-beam lithography and an additive process to define the top and bottom electrodes. Extension of this work to optical lithography and subtractive processes is discussed.

Long Josephson Junction Stack Coupled to a Cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Søren Peder; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Groenbech-Jensen, N.

2007-01-01

A stack of inductively coupled long Josephson junctions are modeled as a system of coupled sine-Gordon equations. One boundary of the stack is coupled electrically to a resonant cavity. With one fluxon in each Josephson junction, the inter-junction fluxon forces are repulsive. We look at a possible...... transition, induced by the cavity, to a bunched state....

Fabrication and voltage divider operation of a T flip-flop using high-Tc interface-engineered Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, JunHo; Kim, Sang Hyeob; Sung, Gun Yong

2002-01-01

We designed and fabricated a rapid-single-flux-quantum T flip-flop (TFF) with high-T c interface-engineered Josephson junctions. Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-d and Sr 2 AlTaO 6 were deposited for the superconducting layer and the insulating layer, respectively. The Josephson junction was formed through an interface treatment process using Ar ion milling and vacuum annealing. We simulated a TFF circuit and designed a physical layout using WRspice and Xic. The fabricated TFF has a minimum junction width of 3 μ m. Through the measurement of the voltage divider operation, the maximum operation frequency was estimated to be 53 GHz at 22 K and 106 GHz at 12 K. (author)

Noise and conversion performance of a high-Tc superconducting Josephson junction mixer at 0.6 THz

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xiang; Du, Jia; Zhang, Ting; Guo, Yingjie Jay

2017-11-01

This letter presents both theoretical and experimental investigations on the noise and conversion performance of a high-Tc superconducting (HTS) step-edge Josephson-junction mixer at the frequency of 0.6 THz and operating temperatures of 20-40 K. Based on the Y-factor and U-factor methods, a double-sideband noise temperature of around 1000 K and a conversion gain of -3.5 dB were experimentally obtained at 20 K. At the temperature of 40 K, the measured mixer noise and conversion efficiency are around 2100 K and -10 dB, respectively. The experimental data are in good agreement with the numerical analysis results using the three-port model. A detailed performance comparison with other reported HTS terahertz mixers has confirmed the superior performance of our presented mixer device.

Modeling Bloch oscillations in ultra-small Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Vora, Heli; Kautz, Richard; Nam, Sae Woo; Aumentado, Jose

In a seminal paper, Likharev et al. developed a theory for ultra-small Josephson junctions with Josephson coupling energy (Ej) less than the charging energy (Ec) and showed that such junctions demonstrate Bloch oscillations which could be used to make a fundamental current standard that is a dual of the Josephson volt standard. Here, based on the model of Geigenmüller and Schön, we numerically calculate the current-voltage relationship of such an ultra-small junction which includes various error processes present in a nanoscale Josephson junction such as random quasiparticle tunneling events and Zener tunneling between bands. This model allows us to explore the parameter space to see the effect of each process on the width and height of the Bloch step and serves as a guide to determine whether it is possible to build a quantum current standard of a metrological precision using Bloch oscillations.

0 - π Quantum transition in a carbon nanotube Josephson junction: Universal phase dependence and orbital degeneracy

Science.gov (United States)

Delagrange, R.; Weil, R.; Kasumov, A.; Ferrier, M.; Bouchiat, H.; Deblock, R.

2018-05-01

In a quantum dot hybrid superconducting junction, the behavior of the supercurrent is dominated by Coulomb blockade physics, which determines the magnetic state of the dot. In particular, in a single level quantum dot singly occupied, the sign of the supercurrent can be reversed, giving rise to a π-junction. This 0 - π transition, corresponding to a singlet-doublet transition, is then driven by the gate voltage or by the superconducting phase in the case of strong competition between the superconducting proximity effect and Kondo correlations. In a two-level quantum dot, such as a clean carbon nanotube, 0- π transitions exist as well but, because more cotunneling processes are allowed, are not necessarily associated to a magnetic state transition of the dot. In this proceeding, after a review of 0- π transitions in Josephson junctions, we present measurements of current-phase relation in a clean carbon nanotube quantum dot, in the single and two-level regimes. In the single level regime, close to orbital degeneracy and in a regime of strong competition between local electronic correlations and superconducting proximity effect, we find that the phase diagram of the phase-dependent transition is a universal characteristic of a discontinuous level-crossing quantum transition at zero temperature. In the case where the two levels are involved, the nanotube Josephson current exhibits a continuous 0 - π transition, independent of the superconducting phase, revealing a different physical mechanism of the transition.

Shapiro and parametric resonances in coupled Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaafar, Ma A; Shukrinov, Yu M; Foda, A

2012-01-01

The effect of microwave irradiation on the phase dynamics of intrinsic Josephson junctions in high temperature superconductors is investigated. We compare the current-voltage characteristics for a stack of coupled Josephson junctions under external irradiation calculated in the framework of CCJJ and CCJJ+DC models.

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, Georg Hermann

2012-01-01

We report on the fabrication of superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (Nb/AlO x /Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 /Nb) Josephson junctions (SIFS JJs) with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, and high quality factors. For these junctions, a transition from 0- to π-coupling is observed for a thickness d F =6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes up to about 400 GHz provides valuable information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, at high frequencies the damping is explained by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. They allow to study the junction dynamics, in particular the switching probability from the zero-voltage into the voltage state with and without microwave irradiation. The experiments with microwave irradiation are well explained within semi-classical models and numerical simulations. In contrast, at mK temperature the switching dynamics without applied microwaves clearly shows secondary quantum effects. Here, we could observe for the first time macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer. This observation excludes fluctuations of the critical current as a consequence of an unstable magnetic domain structure of the ferromagnetic interlayer and affirms the suitability of SIFS Josephson junctions for quantum information processing.

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wild, Georg Hermann

2012-03-04

We report on the fabrication of superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (Nb/AlO{sub x}/Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18}/Nb) Josephson junctions (SIFS JJs) with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, and high quality factors. For these junctions, a transition from 0- to {pi}-coupling is observed for a thickness d{sub F}=6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18} interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18} has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes up to about 400 GHz provides valuable information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, at high frequencies the damping is explained by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. They allow to study the junction dynamics, in particular the switching probability from the zero-voltage into the voltage state with and without microwave irradiation. The experiments with microwave irradiation are well explained within semi-classical models and numerical simulations. In contrast, at mK temperature the switching dynamics without applied microwaves clearly shows secondary quantum effects. Here, we could observe for the first time macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer. This observation excludes fluctuations of the critical current as a consequence of an unstable magnetic domain structure of the ferromagnetic interlayer and affirms the suitability of SIFS Josephson junctions for quantum information processing.

Planar intrinsic Josephson junctions with in-plane aligned YBCO films

CERN Document Server

Zhang, L; Kobayashi, T; Goto, T; Mukaida, M

2002-01-01

Planar type devices were fabricated by patterning in-plane aligned YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 sub - subdelta (YBCO) films. The current-voltage characteristics along the c-axis at various temperatures and oxygen contents were measured. The current voltage curves showing supercurrent and hysteresis were obtained for the samples annealed at an oxygen pressure of 1.3 x 10 sup 4 Pa, while the supercurrent and hysteresis became smaller and even disappeared as the oxygen pressure decreased. The relationships between the critical currents and temperatures are similar to those of d-wave superconducting tunnel junctions. These results indicate the formation of stacks of intrinsic Josephson junctions, which are useful for developing high-frequency electron devices.

Planar intrinsic Josephson junctions with in-plane aligned YBCO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, L; Moriya, M; Kobayashi, T; Goto, T; Mukaida, M

2002-01-01

Planar type devices were fabricated by patterning in-plane aligned YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) films. The current-voltage characteristics along the c-axis at various temperatures and oxygen contents were measured. The current voltage curves showing supercurrent and hysteresis were obtained for the samples annealed at an oxygen pressure of 1.3 x 10 4 Pa, while the supercurrent and hysteresis became smaller and even disappeared as the oxygen pressure decreased. The relationships between the critical currents and temperatures are similar to those of d-wave superconducting tunnel junctions. These results indicate the formation of stacks of intrinsic Josephson junctions, which are useful for developing high-frequency electron devices

Effect of single Abrikosov vortices on the properties of Josephson tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubov, A.A.; Kupriyanov, M.Yu.

1987-01-01

The effect of single Abrikosov vortices, trapped in the electrodes of a Josephson tunnel junction perpendicularly to the junction surface, on the tunnel current through the junction is studied within the framework of the microscopic theory. The current-voltage characteristic and the critical junction current I c are calculated for temperatures 0 c . It is shown that if the vortices at the junction are misaligned, singularities on the current-voltage characteristic appear at eV Δ (T), and in some cases the magnitude of suppression of I c may be of the order of magnitude of I c itself. The temperature dependence of the critical current is calculated for the case of one of the electrodes being a two-dimensional superconducting film in which the creation of opposite sign vortex pairs is significant

Josephson tunnel junctions in niobium films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiik, Tapio.

1976-12-01

A method of fabricating stable Josephson tunnel junctions with reproducible characteristics is described. The junctions have a sandwich structure consisting of a vacuum evaporated niobium film, a niobium oxide layer produced by the glow discharge method and a lead film deposited by vacuum evaporation. Difficulties in producing thin-film Josephson junctions are discussed. Experimental results suggest that the lower critical field of the niobium film is the most essential parameter when evaluating the quality of these junctions. The dependence of the lower critical field on the film thickness and on the Ginzburg-Landau parameter of the film is studied analytically. Comparison with the properties of the evaporated films and with the previous calculations for bulk specimens shows that the presented model is applicable for most of the prepared samples. (author)

Josephson effect in SIFS junctions at arbitrary scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pugach, N. G.; Kupriyanov, M. Yu.; Goldobin, E.; Koelle, D.; Kleiner, R.

2011-01-01

Full text: The interplay between dirty and clean limits in Superconductor-Ferromagnet-Superconductor (SFS) Josephson junctions is a subject of intensive theoretical studies. SIFS junctions, containing an additional insulator (I) barrier are interesting as potential logic elements in superconducting circuits, since their critical current I c can be tuned over a wide range, still keeping a high I c R N product, where R N is the normal resistance of the junction. They are also a convenient model system for a comparative study of the 0-π transitions for arbitrary relations between characteristic lengths of the F-layer: the layer thickness d, the mean free path l, the magnetic length ξ H =v F /2H, and the nonmagnetic coherence length ξ 0 =v F /2πT, where v F is the Fermi velocity, H is the exchange magnetic energy, and T is the temperature. The spatial variations of the order parameter are described by the complex coherent length in the ferromagnet ξ F -1 = ξ 1 -1 + iξ 2 -1 . It is well known, that in the dirty limit (l 1,2 ) described by the Usadel equations both ξ 1 2 = ξ 2 2 = v F l/3H. In this work the spatial distribution of the anomalous Green's functions and the Josephson current in the SIFS junction are calculated. The linearized Eilenberger equations are solved together with the Zaitsev boundary conditions. This allows comparing the dirty and the clean limits, investigating a moderate disorder, and establishing the applicability limits of the Usadel equations for such structures. We demonstrate that for an arbitrary relation between l, ξ H , and d the spatial distribution of the anomalous Green's function can be approximated by a single exponent with reasonable accuracy, and we find its effective decay length and oscillation period for several values of ξ H , l and d. The role of different types of the FS interface is analyzed. The applicability range of the Usadel equation is established. The results of calculations have been applied to the

Coherent current states in mesoscopic four-terminal Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zareyan, M.; Omelyanchouk, A.N.

1999-01-01

A theory is offered for the ballistic 4-terminal Josephson junction. The studied system consist of a mesoscopic two-dimensional normal rectangular layer which is attached on each side to the bulk superconducting banks (terminals). A relation is obtained between the currents through the different terminals, that is valid for arbitrary temperatures and junction sizes. The nonlocal coupling of the supercurrent leads to a new effect, specific for the mesoscopic weak link between two superconducting rings; an applied magnetic flux through one of the rings produces a magnetic flux in the other ring even in the absence of an external flux through the other one. The phase dependent distributions of the local density of Andreev states, of the supercurrents and of the induced order parameter are obtained. The 'interference pattern' for the anomalous average inside the two-dimensional region cam be regulated by the applied magnetic fluxes or the transport currents. For some values of the phase differences between the terminals, the current vortex state and two-dimensional phase slip center appear

Superconductive crossbar system for communication applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murdock, B.; Kwong, Y.K.; Gimlett, J.

1994-01-01

This paper reviews current efforts toward the integration of a high-speed crossbar switch for digital communication applications. This system is an intelligent switching matrix for 128 inputs and 128 outputs, each capable of 2 Gbs (10 9 bits per second). An array of Josephson junction integrated circuits are interconnected with the use of a superconductive multichip module maintained at 4.2 K. This module is connected to room-temperature electronics by means of flexible cables, each containing impedance-matched microstrip transmission lines. Room-temperature interface electronics will permit interconversion between standard level input/output signals and Josephson junction logic levels. (orig.)

Microwave phase locking of Josephson-junction fluxon oscillators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salerno, M.; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm; Filatrella, G.

1990-01-01

Application of the classic McLaughlin-Scott soliton perturbation theory to a Josephson-junction fluxon subjected to a microwave field that interacts with the fluxon only at the junction boundaries reduces the problem of phase locking of the fluxon oscillation to the study of a two-dimensional fun......Application of the classic McLaughlin-Scott soliton perturbation theory to a Josephson-junction fluxon subjected to a microwave field that interacts with the fluxon only at the junction boundaries reduces the problem of phase locking of the fluxon oscillation to the study of a two...

Spectral density of Cooper pairs in two level quantum dot–superconductors Josephson junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhyani, A., E-mail: archana.d2003@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand (India); Rawat, P.S. [Department of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand (India); Tewari, B.S., E-mail: bstewari@ddn.upes.ac.in [Department of Physics, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand (India)

2016-09-15

Highlights: • The present work deals with the study of the electronic spectral density of electron pairs and its effect in charge transport in superconductor-quantum dot-superconductor junctions. • The charge transfer across such junctions can be controlled by changing the positions of the dot level. • The Josephson supercurrent can also be tuned by controlling the position of quantum dot energy levels. - Abstract: In the present paper, we report the role of quantum dot energy levels on the electronic spectral density for a two level quantum dot coupled to s-wave superconducting leads. The theoretical arguments in this work are based on the Anderson model so that it necessarily includes dot energies, single particle tunneling and superconducting order parameter for BCS superconductors. The expression for single particle spectral function is obtained by using the Green's function equation of motion technique. On the basis of numerical computation of spectral function of superconducting leads, it has been found that the charge transfer across such junctions can be controlled by the positions and availability of the dot levels.

Extended Majorana zero modes in a topological superconducting-normal T-junction

Science.gov (United States)

Spånslätt, Christian; Ardonne, Eddy

2017-03-01

We investigate the sub gap properties of a three terminal Josephson T-junction composed of topologically superconducting wires connected by a normal metal region. This system naturally hosts zero energy Andreev bound states which are of self-conjugate Majorana nature and we show that they are, in contrast to ordinary Majorana zero modes, spatially extended in the normal metal region. If the T-junction respects time-reversal symmetry, we show that a zero mode is distributed only in two out of three arms in the junction and tuning the superconducting phases allows for transfer of the mode between the junction arms. We further provide tunneling conductance calculations showing that these features can be detected in experiments. Our findings suggest an experimental platform for studying the nature of spatially extended Majorana zero modes.

Coherent Charge Transport in Ballistic InSb Nanowire Josephson Junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, S.; Kang, N.; Fan, D. X.; Wang, L. B.; Huang, Y. Q.; Caroff, P.; Xu, H. Q.

2016-01-01

Hybrid InSb nanowire-superconductor devices are promising for investigating Majorana modes and topological quantum computation in solid-state devices. An experimental realisation of ballistic, phase-coherent superconductor-nanowire hybrid devices is a necessary step towards engineering topological superconducting electronics. Here, we report on a low-temperature transport study of Josephson junction devices fabricated from InSb nanowires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and provide a clear evidence for phase-coherent, ballistic charge transport through the nanowires in the junctions. We demonstrate that our devices show gate-tunable proximity-induced supercurrent and clear signatures of multiple Andreev reflections in the differential conductance, indicating phase-coherent transport within the junctions. We also observe periodic modulations of the critical current that can be associated with the Fabry-Pérot interference in the nanowires in the ballistic transport regime. Our work shows that the InSb nanowires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy are of excellent material quality and hybrid superconducting devices made from these nanowires are highly desirable for investigation of the novel physics in topological states of matter and for applications in topological quantum electronics. PMID:27102689

High-quality planar high-Tc Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergeal, N.; Grison, X.; Lesueur, J.; Faini, G.; Aprili, M.; Contour, J.P.

2005-01-01

Reproducible high-T c Josephson junctions have been made in a rather simple two-step process using ion irradiation. A microbridge (1 to 5 μm wide) is firstly designed by ion irradiating a c-axis-oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ film through a gold mask such as the nonprotected part becomes insulating. A lower T c part is then defined within the bridge by irradiating with a much lower fluence through a narrow slit (20 nm) opened in a standard electronic photoresist. These planar junctions, whose settings can be finely tuned, exhibit reproducible and nearly ideal Josephson characteristics. This process can be used to produce complex Josephson circuits

Competing boundary interactions in a Josephson junction network with an impurity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giuliano, Domenico; Sodano, Pasquale

2010-01-01

We analyze a perturbation of the boundary Sine-Gordon model where two boundary terms of different periodicities and scaling dimensions are coupled to a Kondo-like spin degree of freedom. We show that, by pertinently engineering the coupling with the spin degree of freedom, a competition between the two boundary interactions may be induced, and that this gives rise to nonperturbative phenomena, such as the emergence of novel quantum phases: indeed, we demonstrate that the strongly coupled fixed point may become unstable as a result of the 'deconfinement' of a new set of phase-slip operators - the short instantons - associated with the less relevant boundary operator. We point out that a Josephson junction network with a pertinent impurity located at its center provides a physical realization of this boundary double Sine-Gordon model. For this Josephson junction network, we prove that the competition between the two boundary interactions stabilizes a robust finite coupling fixed point and, at a pertinent scale, allows for the onset of 4e superconductivity.

Polaron effects on the dc- and ac-tunneling characteristics of molecular Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, B. H.; Cao, J. C.; Timm, C.

2012-07-01

We study the interplay of polaronic effect and superconductivity in transport through molecular Josephson junctions. The tunneling rates of electrons are dominated by vibronic replicas of the superconducting gap, which show up as prominent features in the differential conductance for the dc and ac current. For relatively large molecule-lead coupling, a features that appears when the Josephson frequency matches the vibron frequency can be identified with an over-the-gap structure observed by Marchenkov [Nat. Nanotech. 1748-338710.1038/nnano.2007.2182, 481 (2007)]. However, we are more concerned with the weak-coupling limit, where resonant tunneling through the molecular level dominates. We find that certain features involving both Andreev reflection and vibron emission show an unusual shift of the bias voltage V at their maximum with the gate voltage Vg as V˜(2/3)Vg. Moreover, due to the polaronic effect, the ac Josephson current shows a phase shift of π when the bias eV is increased by one vibronic energy quantum ℏωv. This distinctive even-odd effect is explained in terms of the different sign of the coupling to vibrons of electrons and of Andreev-reflected holes.

Macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson tunnel junctions and Coulomb blockade in single small tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleland, A.N.

1991-01-01

Experiments investigated the process of macroscopic quantum tunneling in a moderately-damped, resistively shunted, Josephson junction are described, followed by a discussion of experiments performed on very-small-capacitance normal-metal tunnel junctions. The experiments on the resistively-shunted Josephson junction were designed to investigate a quantum process, that of the tunneling of the Josephson-phase variable under a potential barrier, in a system in which dissipation plays a major role in the dynamics of motion. All the parameters of the junction were measured using the classical phenomena of thermal activation and resonant activation. Theoretical predictions are compared with the experimental results, showing good agreement with no adjustable parameters. The experiments on small-capacitance tunnel junctions extend the measurements on the large-area Josephson junctions from the region in which the phase variable has a fairly well-defined value, i.e. its wave function has a narrow width, to the region where its value is almost completely unknown. The charge on the junction becomes well-defined and is predicted to quantize the current through the junction, giving rise to the Coulomb blockade at low bias

Versatile multi-layer Josephson junction process for vortex molecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meckbach, Johannes Maximilian; Buehler, Simon; Merker, Michael; Il' in, Konstantin; Siegel, Michael [Institut fuer Mikro- und Nanoelektronische Systeme, KIT (Germany); Buckenmaier, Kai; Gaber, Tobias; Kienzle, Uta; Neumaier, Benjamin; Goldobin, Edward; Kleiner, Reinhold; Koelle, Dieter [Physikalisches Institut - Experimentalphysik II, Universitaet Tuebingen (Germany)

2012-07-01

In long Josephson junctions magnetic flux may penetrate the barrier resulting in a so-called Josephson-Vortex carrying one flux quantum Φ{sub 0}. In recent years a new type of Josephson-Vortex became available, which carries any arbitrary fraction Φ = -Φ{sub 0}κ/2π of magnetic flux. These fractional vortices (p-vortices) spontaneously appear at discontinuities of the Josephson phase along the junction, which in turn are created using a pair of current injectors. We present a new Nb/Al-AlO{sub x}/Nb process for the fabrication of Josephson junctions of very high quality. Placing two injector pairs along the strongly underdamped long junctions allows the investigation of fractional vortex molecules. The topological charge of each vortex and their interaction can be altered even during experiment by changing the individual injector currents. Vortex molecule states have been measured using asymmetric DC-SQUIDs coupled to the vortices by overlying pick-up loops. To uphold the p-vortices we use persistent currents, which can be altered using heat switches. Fractional vortex molecules are promising candidates for a new type of qubits.

Planar Josephson tunnel junctions in a transverse magnetic field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monacoa, R.; Aarøe, Morten; Mygind, Jesper

2007-01-01

demagnetization effects imposed by the tunnel barrier and electrodes geometry are important. Measurements of the junction critical current versus magnetic field in planar Nb-based high-quality junctions with different geometry, size, and critical current density show that it is advantageous to use a transverse......Traditionally, since the discovery of the Josephson effect in 1962, the magnetic diffraction pattern of planar Josephson tunnel junctions has been recorded with the field applied in the plane of the junction. Here we discuss the static junction properties in a transverse magnetic field where...

Niobium nitride Josephson Junction studies and devices. Final report, 1 Jul-31 Dec 90

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinclair, W.R.

1991-02-26

We suggest here a novel class of molecules for use in making monolayer thick insulating barriers for Josephson junctions employing all NbN conductors. For the experiments discussed here the smallest member of that class has been chosen. From sessile drop experiments we determine that this compound indeed reacts with NbN as postulated. Measurements of the electrical properties are less definitive. In no couple is shorting noted but the superconductivity of the bottom layer is eliminated near the junction presumably due to diffusion of the reactant molecule into the film.

Microscopic tunneling theory of long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønbech-Jensen, N.; Hattel, Søren A.; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm

1992-01-01

We present a numerical scheme for solving a nonlinear partial integro-differential equation with nonlocal time dependence. The equation describes the dynamics in a long Josephson junction modeled by use of the microscopic theory for tunneling between superconductors. We demonstrate that the detai......We present a numerical scheme for solving a nonlinear partial integro-differential equation with nonlocal time dependence. The equation describes the dynamics in a long Josephson junction modeled by use of the microscopic theory for tunneling between superconductors. We demonstrate...

Investigation of short and ballistic coupling in vertical NbSe2 - graphene - NbSe2 Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minsoo; Park, Geon-Hyoung; Yi, Jongyoon; Lee, Jae Hyeong; Park, Jinho; Lee, Hu-Jong

2H-NbSe2 is a layered two-dimensional superconducting material, which can be constructed into a van der Waals heterostructure with versatile functionality. Here we fabricated a vertically stacked NbSe2 - graphene - NbSe2 heterostructure by the dry transfer technique, where defect-free contact via van der Waals force provides the high interfacial transparency. Insertion of an atomically thin graphene layer between two NbSe2 flakes ensures the formation of highly coherent proximity Josephson coupling. Observed temperature dependence of the junction critical current (Ic) and large value of IcRn product (as large as 2.3ΔNbSe 2) reveal the short and ballistic Josephson coupling characteristics. Large junction critical current density of 104 A/cm2, multiple Andreev reflection in the subgap structure of the differential conductance, and magnetic field modulation of Ic also suggest the strong Josephson coupling via the graphene layer.

Effect of parallel transport currents on the d-wave Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashedi, Gholamreza

2009-01-01

In this paper, the non-local mixing of coherent current states in d-wave superconducting banks is investigated. The superconducting banks are connected via a ballistic point contact. The banks have mis-orientation and phase difference. Furthermore, they are subjected to a tangential transport current along the ab plane of d-wave crystals and parallel to the interface between the superconductors. The effects of mis-orientation and external transport current on the current-phase relations and current distributions are the subjects of this paper. It is observed that, at values of phase difference close to 0, π and 2π, the current distribution may have a vortex-like form in the vicinity of the point contact. The current distribution of the above-mentioned junction between d-wave superconductors is totally different from the junction between s-wave superconductors. The interesting result which this study shows is that spontaneous and Josephson currents are observed for the case of φ = 0.

Rectification of harmonically oscillating magnetic fields in quarter circular Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaju, P.D.; Kuriakose, V.C.

2003-01-01

A novel method for rectifying harmonically varying magnetic fields is demonstrated using fluxons in quarter circular Josephson junctions (JJs). A JJ with a quarter circular geometry terminated with a load resistor at one end is found to be capable of rectifying alternating fields when biased with a constant dc current. An external magnetic field applied parallel to the dielectric barrier of the junction interacts with the edges of the junction and make asymmetric boundary conditions. These asymmetric boundary conditions facilitate fluxon penetration under a dc bias from one end of the junction in alternate half cycles of the applied field. Thus effective rectification of the field can be achieved using quarter circular JJs. This unique phenomenon is specific to this geometry and can be exploited for making superconducting magnetic field rectifiers. This proposed device is expected to have important applications in millimeter and sub-millimeter radio wave astronomy

Josephson junction analog and quasiparticle-pair current

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Christen Kjeldahl; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1973-01-01

A close analogy exists between a Josephson junction and a phase-locked loop. A new type of electrical analog based on this principle is presented. It is shown that the inclusion in this analog of a low-pass filter gives rise to a current of the same form as the Josephson quasiparticle-pair current....... A simple picture of the quasiparticle-pair current, which gives the right dependences, is obtained by assuming a junction cutoff frequency to be at the energy gap. ©1973 American Institute of Physics...

Magnetic interaction between spatially extended superconducting tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønbech-Jensen, Niels; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm

2002-01-01

A general description of magnetic interactions between superconducting tunnel junctions is given. The description covers a wide range of possible experimental systems, and we explicitly explore two experimentally relevant limits of coupled junctions. One is the limit of junctions with tunneling...... been considered through arrays of superconducting weak links based on semiconductor quantum wells with superconducting electrodes. We use the model to make direct interpretations of the published experiments and thereby propose that long-range magnetic interactions are responsible for the reported...

A passive on-chip, superconducting circulator using rings of tunnel junctions

OpenAIRE

Müller, Clemens; Guan, Shengwei; Vogt, Nicolas; Cole, Jared H.; Stace, Thomas M.

2017-01-01

We present the design of a passive, on-chip microwave circulator based on a ring of superconducting tunnel junctions. We investigate two distinct physical realisations, based on either Josephson junctions (JJ) or quantum phase slip elements (QPS), with microwave ports coupled either capacitively (JJ) or inductively (QPS) to the ring structure. A constant bias applied to the center of the ring provides the symmetry breaking (effective) magnetic field, and no microwave or rf bias is required. W...

Microwave integrated circuit for Josephson voltage standards

Science.gov (United States)

Holdeman, L. B.; Toots, J.; Chang, C. C. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A microwave integrated circuit comprised of one or more Josephson junctions and short sections of microstrip or stripline transmission line is fabricated from thin layers of superconducting metal on a dielectric substrate. The short sections of transmission are combined to form the elements of the circuit and particularly, two microwave resonators. The Josephson junctions are located between the resonators and the impedance of the Josephson junctions forms part of the circuitry that couples the two resonators. The microwave integrated circuit has an application in Josephson voltage standards. In this application, the device is asymmetrically driven at a selected frequency (approximately equal to the resonance frequency of the resonators), and a d.c. bias is applied to the junction. By observing the current voltage characteristic of the junction, a precise voltage, proportional to the frequency of the microwave drive signal, is obtained.

Josephson plasma resonance in superconducting multilayers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Sakai, S

1998-01-01

We derive an analytical solution for the Josephson plasma resonance of superconducting multilayers. This analytical solution is derived mainly for low-T-c systems with magnetic coupling between the superconducting layers. but many features of our results are more general, and thus an application...

The road to magnesium diboride thin films, Josephson junctions and SQUIDs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brinkman, Alexander; Mijatovic, Dragana; Hilgenkamp, Hans; Rijnders, Guus; Oomen, Ingrid; Veldhuis, Dick; Roesthuis, Frank; Rogalla, Horst; Blank, Dave H A

2003-01-01

The remarkably high critical temperature at which magnesium diboride (MgB 2 ) undergoes transition to the superconducting state, T c ∼ 40 K, has aroused great interest and has encouraged many groups to explore the properties and application potential of this novel superconductor. For many electronic applications and further basic studies, the availability of superconducting thin films is of great importance. Several groups have succeeded in fabricating superconducting MgB 2 films. An overview of the deposition techniques for MgB 2 thin film growth will be given, with a special focus on the in situ two-step process. Although, meanwhile, many problems to obtain suitable films have been solved, such as oxygen impurities and magnesium volatility, the question of how single-phase epitaxial films can be grown still remains. The possibility of growing single-crystalline epitaxial films will be discussed from the deposition conditions' point of view as well as substrate choice. Necessary conditions are discussed and possible routes are reviewed. The applicability of MgB 2 in superconducting electronic devices depends on the possibility of making well-controlled, i.e., reproducible and stable, Josephson junctions. The first attempts to make MgB 2 -MgO-MgB 2 ramp-type junctions and SQUIDs from MgB 2 nanobridges are discussed

Fluxons in long and annular intrinsic Josephson junction stacks

CERN Document Server

Clauss, T; Moessle, M; Müller, A; Weber, A; Kölle, D; Kleiner, R

2002-01-01

A promising approach towards a THz oscillator based on intrinsic Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconductors is based on the collective motion of Josephson fluxons, which are predicted to form various configurations ranging from a triangular to a quadratic lattice. Not only for this reason, but certainly also for the sake of basic physics, several experimental and theoretical investigations have been done on the subject of collective fluxon dynamics in stacked intrinsic Josephson junctions. In this paper we will present some experimental results on the fluxon dynamics of long intrinsic Josephson junction stacks made of Bi sub 2 Sr sub 2 CaCu sub 2 O sub 8. The stacks were formed either in an open or in an annular geometry, and clear resonant fluxon modes were observed. Experiments discussed include measurements of current-voltage characteristics in external magnetic fields and in external microwave fields.

Tunable Nitride Josephson Junctions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Missert, Nancy A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Henry, Michael David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lewis, Rupert M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Howell, Stephen W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wolfley, Steven L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Brunke, Lyle Brent [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wolak, Matthaeus [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-12-01

We have developed an ambient temperature, SiO₂/Si wafer - scale process for Josephson junctions based on Nb electrodes and Ta x N barriers with tunable electronic properties. The films are fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The electronic properties of the Ta_xN barriers are controlled by adjusting the nitrogen flow during sputtering. This technology offers a scalable alternative to the more traditional junctions based on AlO_x barriers for low - power, high - performance computing.

Superconducting frustration bit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Y.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A frustration bit element is proposed for a conventional superconducting circuit. • It is composed of π-junctions. • It mimics the multiband superconductor. - Abstract: A basic design is proposed for a classical bit element of a superconducting circuit that mimics a frustrated multiband superconductor and is composed of an array of π-Josephson junctions (π-junction). The phase shift of π provides the lowest energy for one π-junction, but neither a π nor a zero phase shift gives the lowest energy for an assembly of π-junctions. There are two chiral states that can be used to store one bit information. The energy scale for reading and writing to memory is of the same order as the junction energy, and is thus in the same order of the driving energy of the circuit. In addition, random access is also possible

Effect of environment fluctuations on a Josephson current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galaktionov, A.V.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Josephson current is influenced differently by environment fluctuations. • Two types of environment are studied: ohmic and resonant-mode one. • A crossover to a Josephson π-junction is possible for both of them. - Abstract: An influence of an electromagnetic environment on a Josephson current through a tunnel junction is studied with the aid of Ambegaokar-Eckern-Schön effective action. Two types of environment are investigated: one, characterized by a resonant mode, and an ohmic one. The crossover to a Josephson π-junction is possible for both of them. In addition the resonant-mode environment results in an increase of a Josephson current when the ratio of the doubled superconducting gap to the frequency of the mode is close to an integer number.

Electrical analog of a Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, A.M.

1979-01-01

It is noted that a mathematical description of the phase-coupling of two oscillators synchronized by a phase-lock-loop under the influence of thermal white noise is analogous to that of the phase coupling of two superconductors in a Josephson junction also under the influence of noise. This analogy may be useful in studying threshold instabilities of the Josephson junction in regimes not restricted to the case of large damping. This is of interest because the behavior of the mean voltage near the threshold current can be characterized by critical exponents which resemble those exhibited by an order parameter of a continuous phase transition. As it is possible to couple a collection of oscillators together in a chain, the oscillator analogy may also be useful in exploring the dynamics and statistical mechanics of coupled junctions

Josephson current and Andreev level dynamics in nanoscale superconducting weak links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunetti, Aldo

2014-11-15

In this thesis we focus on the interplay between proximity induced superconducting correlations and Coulomb interactions in a Josephson junction: i.e., in a system where two superconductors modeled as two s-wave superconductors at a phase difference φ are contacted by means of a weak link, in our case a quantum dot located in the contact. In the first part we study the Josephson current-phase relation for a multi-level quantum dot tunnel-contacted by two conventional s-waves superconductors. We determine in detail the conditions for observing a finite anomalous Josephson current, i.e. a supercurrent flowing at zero phase difference in a two-level dot with spin-orbit interactions, a weak magnetic (Zeeman) field, and in the presence of Coulomb interactions. This leads to an onset behavior I{sub a}∝sgn(B), interpreted as the sign of an incipient spontaneous breakdown of time-reversal symmetry. Moreover, we will provide conditions for realizing spatially separated - but topologically unprotected - Majorana bound states, whose signature in the system will be detectable via the current-phase relation. In the second part of the thesis, we address the Andreev bound state population dynamics in superconducting weak links (a superconducting 'atomic contact'), in which a poisoning mechanism due to the trapping of single quasiparticles can occur. Our motivation is that quantum coherent superconducting circuits are the most promising candidates for future large-scale quantum information processing devices. Moreover, quasiparticle poisoning has recently been observed in devices which contain a short superconducting weak link with few transport channels. We discuss a novel charge imbalance effect in the continuum quasiparticle population, which is due to phase fluctuations of the environment weakly coupled to the superconducting contact. This coupling enters the system as a transition rate connecting continuum quasiparticles and the Andreev bound state system. The

Josephson junction in superconducting oxides thick films. Jonction Josephson en couche epaisse d'oxydes supraconducteurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunther, C; Monfort, Y; Lam Chok Sing, M; Bloyet, D; Brousse, T; Provost, J; Raveau, B [Institut des Sciences de la Matiere du Rayonnement, 14 - Caen (FR)

1992-02-01

Constrictions engraved in YBaCuO thick films fabricated by screen printing on YSZ substrate (J{sub c} > 3 000 A/cm{sup 2} at 77 K) have been studied. Microwave irradiation of the devices at LN{sub 2} showed distinct Shapiro steps demonstrating the presence intrinsic Josephson junctions. The latter have an I{sub c}(T) dependence fitting (1 - T/T{sub c}){sup 2} characteristic of SNS junctions. Furthermore, dc SQUID effects have also been observed with a peak-to-peak response {approx equal} 0.2 {mu}V and with a magnetic field periodicity extending through several hundred of {phi}{sub o}. An energy resolution close to 3 x 10{sup -29} J/Hz is estimated for our constriction operating in the white noise frequency range (f > 50 Hz) at 77 K. This sensitivity is adequate to use this flux sensor in many applications: geomagnetism, magnetocardiology,... 19 refs; 7 figs.

Investigations of two types of superconducting arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu, M.

1993-01-01

This dissertation has two parts. Part one studies the anisotropy effect on homogeneous superconducting wire-networks, by using the Abrikosov approach. The networks assumed to have an infinite square lattice geometry. An anisotropy parameter R is defined to be the cross sectional area ratio of the vertical and horizontal strands. Many limiting behaviors of the order parameter distribution as R → ∞ are obtained. Many anisotropy-induced vortex configurational transitions are found at several Φ/Φ 0 values studied, and are investigated in detail. Part two studies the ground-state vortex configurations of the Josephson-coupled arrays of superconducting islands. The Ginzburg-Landau Josephson array model is used. With arrays of Penrose tiling geometry, the authors have found negative evidences against a proposed mechanism, and positive evidences for a new mechanism for generating commensurate states. But the mechanisms for the majority of the nontrivial commensurate states remain to be investigated. With arrays of infinite square lattice geometry, a temperature-induced vortex configurational transition at Φ/Φ 0 = 1/6 is found. The authors discover that the equilibrium vortex ground state of an infinite square-lattice array can occur in a unit cell of size other than q by q, or 2q by 2q, which has been widely accepted and commonly used so far

NbN-AlN-NbN Josephson junctions on different substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merker, Michael; Bohn, Christian; Voellinger, Marvin; Ilin, Konstantin; Siegel, Michael [KIT, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2016-07-01

Josephson junction technology is important for the realization of high quality cryogenic devices such as SQUIDs, RSFQ or SIS-mixers. The material system based on NbN/AlN/NbN tri-layer has gained a lot of interest, because it offers higher gap voltages and critical current densities compared to the well-established Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb technology. However, the realization of high quality Josephson junctions is more challenging. We developed a technology of Josephson junctions on a variety of substrates such as Silicon, Sapphire and Magnesium oxide and compared the quality parameters of these junctions at 4.2 K. The gap voltages achieved a range from 4 mV (for the junctions on Si) to 5.8 mV (in case of MgO substrates) which is considerably higher than those obtained from Nb based Josephson junctions. Another key parameter is the ratio of the subgap resistance to the normal state resistance. This so-called subgap ratio corresponds to the losses in a Josephson junction which have to be minimized. So far, subgap ratios of 26 have been achieved. Further careful optimization of the deposition conditions is required to maximize this ratio, The details of the optimization of technology and of characterization of NbN/AlN/NbN junctions will be presented and discussed.

Traveling wave parametric amplifier with Josephson junctions using minimal resonator phase matching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, T. C.; Mutus, J. Y.; Hoi, I.-C.; Barends, R.; Campbell, B.; Chen, Yu; Chen, Z.; Chiaro, B.; Dunsworth, A.; Jeffrey, E.; Kelly, J.; Neill, C.; O'Malley, P. J. J.; Roushan, P.; Sank, D.; Vainsencher, A.; Wenner, J.; Martinis, John M.; Megrant, A.; Chaudhuri, S.

2015-01-01

Josephson parametric amplifiers have become a critical tool in superconducting device physics due to their high gain and quantum-limited noise. Traveling wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs) promise similar noise performance, while allowing for significant increases in both bandwidth and dynamic range. We present a TWPA device based on an LC-ladder transmission line of Josephson junctions and parallel plate capacitors using low-loss amorphous silicon dielectric. Crucially, we have inserted λ/4 resonators at regular intervals along the transmission line in order to maintain the phase matching condition between pump, signal, and idler and increase gain. We achieve an average gain of 12 dB across a 4 GHz span, along with an average saturation power of −92 dBm with noise approaching the quantum limit

Field modulation of the critical current in magnetic Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blamire, M G; Smiet, C B; Banerjee, N; Robinson, J W A

2013-01-01

The dependence of the critical current of a simple Josephson junction on the applied magnetic field is well known and, for a rectangular junction, gives rise to the classic ‘Fraunhofer’ modulation with periodic zeros at the fields that introduce a flux quantum into the junction region. Much recent work has been performed on Josephson junctions that contain magnetic layers. The magnetization of such layers introduces additional flux into the junction and, for large junction areas or strong magnetic materials, can significantly distort the modulation of the critical current and strongly suppress the maximum critical current. The growing interest in junctions that induce odd-frequency triplet pairing in a ferromagnet, and the need to make quantitative comparisons with theory, mean that a full understanding of the role of magnetic barriers in controlling the critical current is necessary. This paper analyses the effect of magnetism and various magnetic configurations on Josephson critical currents; the overall treatment applies to junctions of general shape, but the specific cases of square and rectangular junctions are considered. (paper)

Fluctuation Dominated Josephson Tunneling with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naaman, O.; Teizer, W.; Dynes, R. C.

2001-01-01

We demonstrate Josephson tunneling in vacuum tunnel junctions formed between a superconducting scanning tunneling microscope tip and a Pb film, for junction resistances in the range 50--300 k Omega. We show that the superconducting phase dynamics is dominated by thermal fluctuations, and that the Josephson current appears as a peak centered at small finite voltage. In the presence of microwave fields (f=15.0 GHz) the peak decreases in magnitude and shifts to higher voltages with increasing rf power, in agreement with theory

Self-induced steps in a small Josephson junction strongly coupled to a multimode resonator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, A.; Jensen, H. Dalsgaard; Mygind, Jesper

1991-01-01

An equally spaced series of very large and nearly constant-voltage self-induced singularities has been observed in the dc I-V characteristics of a small Josephson tunnel junction strongly coupled to a resonant section of a superconducting transmission line. The system allows extremely high values...... of the coupling parameter. The current steps are due to subharmonic parametric excitation of the fundamental mode of the resonator loaded by the junction admittance. Using an applied magnetic field to vary the coupling parameter, we traced out half-integer steps as well as the mode steps known from more weakly...

Bond and flux-disorder effects on the superconductor-insulator transition of a honeycomb array of Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Granato, Enzo

2018-05-01

We study the effects of disorder on the zero-temperature quantum phase transition of a honeycomb array of Josephson junctions in a magnetic field with an average of fo flux quantum per plaquette. Bond disorder due to spatial variations in the Josephson couplings and magnetic flux disorder due to variations in the plaquette areas are considered. The model can describe the superconductor-insulator transition in ultra-thin films with a triangular pattern of nanoholes. Path integral Monte Carlo simulations of the equivalent (2 + 1)-dimensional classical model are used to study the critical behavior and estimate the universal resistivity at the transition. The results show that bond disorder leads to a rounding of the first-order phase transition for fo = 1 / 3 to a continuous transition. For integer fo, the decrease of the critical coupling parameter with flux disorder is significantly different from that of the same model defined on a square lattice. The results are compared with recent experimental observations on nanohole thin films with geometrical disorder and external magnetic field.

Towards quantum signatures in a swept-bias Josephson junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Losert, Harald; Vogel, Karl; Schleich, Wolfgang P. [Institut fuer Quantenphysik and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), Universitaet Ulm, D-89069 Ulm (Germany)

2016-07-01

Josephson junctions are one of the best examples for the observation of macroscopic quantum tunneling. The phase difference in a current-biased Josephson junction behaves like the position of a particle in a tilted washboard potential. The escape of this phase-particle corresponds to the voltage switching of the associated junction. Quantum mechanically, the escape from the washboard potential can be explained as tunneling from the ground state, or an excited state. However, it has been shown, that in the case of periodic driving the experimental data for quantum mechanical key features, e.g. Rabi oscillations or energy level quantization, can be reproduced by a completely classical description. Motivated by this discussion, we investigate a swept-bias Josephson junction in the case of a large critical current. In particular, we contrast the switching current distributions resulting from a quantum mechanical and classical description of the time evolution.

Critical temperatures Tc estimated by Josephson-junction array model of layered high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabata, C.; Shenoy, S.R.; Bishop, A.R.

1994-11-01

We model high T c superconductors (HTS) by quantum capacitive Josephson junction arrays (JJA), with Angstrom-scale parameters, to obtain an estimate of Tc trends. The basic idea is as follows. Number (or change) and phase are conjugate variables, with the uncertainty products obeying ΔN · Δ Θ > 1. Thus, in HTS, global phase coherence is opposed by charging-energy induced quantum phase fluctuations, especially across Josephson-coupled CuO 2 planes. These have separation d 1 and effective interplanar dielectric constant ε, e.g. from Y atoms in YBaCuO. Decreasing the interplane charging energy E 0 perpendicular to ∼ d 1 /ε, raises Tc. In Section 1, we motivate a modelling of HTS phase excitations by a quantum capacitive 3D JJA model, with XY planar phases. Section 2 gives a physical picture of the HTS transition, relating the complex layered HTS structure to a simpler ''intermediate level'' quantum 3D JJA/XY model. Section 3 sets up a path integral (3+1)D model that reduces to a previously studied anisotropic 3D XY/JJA model, with constants renormalized in some way, by the capacitance. Postponing a detailed analysis to elsewhere, we make a heuristic estimate for the reduction of the previous Tc, by the charging energy. (author). 30 refs, 8 figs

Localizing quantum phase slips in one-dimensional Josephson junction chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ergül, Adem; Azizoğlu, Yağız; Schaeffer, David; Haviland, David B; Lidmar, Jack; Johansson, Jan

2013-01-01

We studied quantum phase-slip (QPS) phenomena in long one-dimensional Josephson junction series arrays with tunable Josephson coupling. These chains were fabricated with as many as 2888 junctions, where one sample had a separately tunable link in the middle of the chain. Measurements were made of the zero-bias resistance, R 0 , as well as current–voltage characteristics (IVC). The finite R 0 is explained by QPS and shows an exponential dependence on √(E J /E C ) with a distinct change in the exponent at R 0 = R Q = h/4e 2 . When R 0 > R Q , the IVC clearly shows a remnant of the Coulomb blockade, which evolves to a zero-current state with a sharp critical voltage as E J is tuned to a smaller value. The zero-current state below the critical voltage is due to coherent QPSs and we show that these are enhanced when the central link is weaker than all other links. Above the critical voltage, a negative, differential resistance is observed, which nearly restores the zero-current state. (paper)

Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions

OpenAIRE

Hsu, Ya-Fen; Su, Jung-Jung

2015-01-01

The Josephson effect is especially appealing to physicists because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. In excitonic bilayers the effect is even subtler due to the counterflow of supercurrent as well as the tunneling between layers (interlayer tunneling). Here we study, in a quantum Hall bilayer, the excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ? 0 applied. The system is mapped into a pseudospin ferromagnet then described numeric...

Logic design of Josephson network. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, K.; Onodera, Y.

1978-01-01

By numerical calculations of the differential-difference sine-Gordon equation, we have discussed the discrete Josephson-junction transmission lines which are constructed of a series of small-area Josephson junctions connected by superconducting strips. It is shown that the discrete Josephson lines containing D lines, N lines, T turning points, and S turning points are elementarily characterized by the discreteness parameter (2πLI/sub c//Phi 0 )/sup 1/2/. On the discrete Josephson logic circuits there exists a region of forbidden propagation in the (2πLI/sub c//Phi 0 )/sup 1/2/-γ (bias-current parameter) plane for single flux quanta. A single flux quantum can be stuffed in a small area of the discrete Josephson logic circuits. The discrete circuits can be conveniently and easily linked to each other, in a practical fabrication of a Josephson network

A model of magnetic impurities within the Josephson junction of a phase qubit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erickson, R P; Pappas, D P [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

2010-02-15

We consider a superconducting phase qubit consisting of a monocrystalline sapphire Josephson junction with its symmetry axis perpendicular to the junction interfaces. Via the London gauge, we present a theoretical model of Fe{sup 3+} magnetic impurities within the junction that describes the effect of a low concentration of such impurities on the operation of the qubit. Specifically, we derive an interaction Hamiltonian expressed in terms of angular momentum states of magnetic impurities and low-lying oscillator states of a current-biased phase qubit. We discuss the coupling between the qubit and impurities within the model near resonance. When the junction is biased at an optimal point for acting as a phase qubit, with a phase difference of {pi}/2 and impurity concentration no greater than 0.05%, we find only a slight decrease in the Q factor of less than 0.01%.

Macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson tunnel junctions and Coulomb blockade in single small tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleland, A.N.

1991-04-01

Experiments investigating the process of macroscopic quantum tunneling in a moderately-damped, resistively shunted, Josephson junction are described, followed by a discussion of experiments performed on very small capacitance normal-metal tunnel junctions. The experiments on the resistively-shunted Josephson junction were designed to investigate a quantum process, that of the tunneling of the Josephson phase variable under a potential barrier, in a system in which dissipation plays a major role in the dynamics of motion. All the parameters of the junction were measured using the classical phenomena of thermal activation and resonant activation. Theoretical predictions are compared with the experimental results, showing good agreement with no adjustable parameters; the tunneling rate in the moderately damped (Q ∼ 1) junction is seen to be reduced by a factor of 300 from that predicted for an undamped junction. The phase is seen to be a good quantum-mechanical variable. The experiments on small capacitance tunnel junctions extend the measurements on the larger-area Josephson junctions from the region in which the phase variable has a fairly well-defined value, i.e. its wavefunction has a narrow width, to the region where its value is almost completely unknown. The charge on the junction becomes well-defined and is predicted to quantize the current through the junction, giving rise to the Coulomb blockade at low bias. I present the first clear observation of the Coulomb blockade in single junctions. The electrical environment of the tunnel junction, however, strongly affects the behavior of the junction: higher resistance leads are observed to greatly sharpen the Coulomb blockade over that seen with lower resistance leads. I present theoretical descriptions of how the environment influences the junctions; comparisons with the experimental results are in reasonable agreement

Repulsive fluxons in a stack of Josephson junctions perturbed by a cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Søren; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Christiansen, Peter Leth

2008-01-01

The BSCCO type intrinsic Josephson junction has been modeled as a stack of inductively coupled long Josephson junctions, which were described by a system of coupled sine-Gordon equations. In a system of 10 long Josephson junctions coupled to a linear cavity, we numerically investigate how...... of the inductive coupling strength, we investigate the cavity current, fluxon phase difference, and current–voltage characteristic. The stack-cavity system with in-phase fluxon motion may be utilized as a THz oscillator....

Superconducting states and depinning transitions of Josephson ladders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barahona, M.; Strogatz, S.H.; Orlando, T.P.

1998-01-01

We present analytical and numerical studies of pinned superconducting states of open-ended Josephson ladder arrays, neglecting inductances but taking edge effects into account. Treating the edge effects perturbatively, we find analytical approximations for three of these superconducting states emdash the no-vortex, fully frustrated, and single-vortex states emdash as functions of the dc bias current I and the frustration f. Bifurcation theory is used to derive formulas for the depinning currents and critical frustrations at which the superconducting states disappear or lose dynamical stability as I and f are varied. These results are combined to yield a zero-temperature stability diagram of the system with respect to I and f. To highlight the effects of the edges, we compare this dynamical stability diagram to the thermodynamic phase diagram for the infinite system where edges have been neglected. We briefly indicate how to extend our methods to include self-inductances. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Spectrum of resonant plasma oscillations in long Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holst, T.

1996-01-01

An analysis is presented for the amplitude of the plasma oscillations in the zero-voltage state of a long and narrow Josephson tunnel junction. The calculation is valid for arbitrary normalized junction length and arbitrary bias current. The spectrum of the plasma resonance is found numerically as solutions to an analytical equation. The low-frequency part of the spectrum contains a single resonance, which is known to exist also in the limit of a short and narrow junction. Above a certain cutoff frequency, a series of high-frequency standing wave plasma resonances is excited, a special feature of long Josephson junctions. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Superconducting InSb nanowire devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szombati, D.B.

2017-01-01

Josephson junctions form a two-level system which is used as a building block for many types of superconducting qubits. Junctions fabricated from semiconducting nanowires are gate-tunable and offer electrostatically adjustable Josephson energy, highly desirable in qubit architecture. Studying

Effect of quasi-particle injection on retrapping current of Josephson junction

OpenAIRE

Utsunomiya, K.; Yagi, Ryuta

2006-01-01

We report that the energy dissipation of Josephson junction can be controlled by quasi-particle injection. We fabricated two Josephson junctions on the narrow aluminum wire and controlled the energy dissipation of one junction by quasi-particle injection from the other. We observed the retrapping current increased as the quasi-particles were injected. We also studied the heating effect of our measurement.

Supercurrent and multiple Andreev reflections in micrometer-long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Mengjian; Ben Shalom, Moshe; Mishchsenko, Artem; Fal'ko, Vladimir; Novoselov, Kostya; Geim, Andre

2018-02-08

Ballistic Josephson junctions are predicted to support a number of exotic physics processess, providing an ideal system to inject the supercurrent in the quantum Hall regime. Herein, we demonstrate electrical transport measurements on ballistic superconductor-graphene-superconductor junctions by contacting graphene to niobium with a junction length up to 1.5 μm. Hexagonal boron nitride encapsulation and one-dimensional edge contacts guarantee high-quality graphene Josephson junctions with a mean free path of several micrometers and record-low contact resistance. Transports in normal states including the observation of Fabry-Pérot oscillations and Sharvin resistance conclusively witness the ballistic propagation in the junctions. The critical current density J C is over one order of magnitude larger than that of the previously reported junctions. Away from the charge neutrality point, the I C R N product (I C is the critical current and R N the normal state resistance of junction) is nearly a constant, independent of carrier density n, which agrees well with the theory for ballistic Josephson junctions. Multiple Andreev reflections up to the third order are observed for the first time by measuring the differential resistance in the micrometer-long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions.

Phase transition in one Josephson junction with a side-coupled magnetic impurity

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi, Li-Ming; Wang, Xiao-Qi; Jiang, Cui; Yi, Guang-Yu; Gong, Wei-Jiang

2018-04-01

This work focuses on one Josephson junction with a side-coupled magnetic impurity. And then, the Josephson phase transition is theoretically investigated, with the help of the exact diagonalization approach. It is found that even in the absence of intradot Coulomb interaction, the magnetic impurity can efficiently induce the phenomenon of Josephson phase transition, which is tightly related to the spin correlation manners (i.e., ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic) between the impurity and the junction. Moreover, the impurity plays different roles when it couples to the dot and superconductor, respectively. This work can be helpful in describing the influence of one magnetic impurity on the supercurrent through the Josephson junction.

High Tc Josephson Junctions, SQUIDs and magnetometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarke, J.

1991-01-01

There has recently been considerable progress in the state-of-the-art of high-T c magnetometers based on dc SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices). This progress is due partly to the development of more manufacturable Josephson junctions, making SQUIDs easier to fabricate, and partly to the development of multiturn flux transformers that convert the high sensitivity of SQUIDs to magnetic flux to a correspondingly high sensitivity to magnetic field. Needless to say, today's high-T c SQUIDs are still considerably less sensitive than their low-T c counterparts, particularly at low frequencies (f) where their level of 1/f noise remains high. Nonetheless, the performance of the high-T c devices has now reached the point where they are adequate for a number of the less demanding applications; furthermore, as we shall see, at least modest improvements in performance are expected in the near future. In this article, the author outlines these various developments. This is far from a comprehensive review of the field, however, and, apart from Sec. 2, he describes largely his own work. He begins in Sec. 2 with an overview of the various types of Josephson junctions that have been investigated, and in Sec. 3, he describes some of the SQUIDs that have been tested, and assess their performance. Section 4 discuss the development of the multilayer structures essential for an interconnect technology, and, in particular, for crossovers and vias. Section 5 shows how this technology enables one to fabricate multiturn flux transformers which, in turn, can be coupled to SQUIDs to make magnetometers. The performance and possible future improvements in these magnetometers are assessed, and some applications mentioned

Quasiparticle Green's function theory of the Josephson effect in chiral p-wave superconductor/diffusive normal metal/chiral p-wave superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sawa, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2007-01-01

We study the Josephson effect in chiral p-wave superconductor/diffusive normal metal (DN)/chiral p-wave superconductor (CP/DN/CP) junctions using quasiclassical Green's function formalism with proper boundary conditions. The px+ipy-wave symmetry of superconducting order parameter is chosen which is

Synchronisation of Josephson vortices in multi-junction systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filatrella, G.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Wiesenfeld, K.

2006-01-01

, is modified by the coupling among the junctions, so the motion of the flux quanta in the various layers is affected by the flux dynamics in all other layers. Two basic states are possible: a synchronous motion, where all junctions are reflected at the edge at the same instant, and an out-of-phase motion......, that is mainly to retrieve the above described synchronous motion. We discuss the physics behind synchronization of nonlinear elements and we review applications to Josephson arrays. We discuss in the framework of a general model for synchronization, the Kuramoto model, a mechanism that can possibly enhance...... synchronization, such as coupling to a resonant cavity. We present a version of the Kuramoto model that might include the effects of the strong interaction between the oscillators and the cavity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

Bifurcation and chaos in a dc-driven long annular Josephson junction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grnbech-Jensen, N.; Lomdahl, Peter S.; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm

1991-01-01

Simulations of long annular Josephson junctions in a static magnetic field show that in large regions of bias current the system can exhibit a period-doubling bifurcation route to chaos. This is in contrast to previously studied Josephson-junction systems where chaotic behavior has primarily been...

Development of a Josephson vortex two-state system based on a confocal annular Josephson junction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, Roberto; Mygind, Jesper; Koshelets, Valery P.

2018-01-01

We report theoretical and experimental work on the development of a Josephson vortex two-state system based on a confocal annular Josephson tunnel junction (CAJTJ). The key ingredient of this geometrical configuration is a periodically variable width that generates a spatial vortex potential...

Josephson plasma resonance in superconducting multilayers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1999-01-01

We derive an analytical solution for the josephson plasma resonance of superconducting multilayers. This analytical solution is derived mainly for low T-c systems with magnetic coupling between the superconducting layers, but many features of our results are more general, and thus an application...... to the recently derived plasma resonance phenomena for high T-c superconductors of the BSCCO type is discussed....

Superconducting digital logic amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Przybysz, J.X.

1989-01-01

This paper describes a superconducting digital logic amplifier for interfacing between a Josephson junction logic circuit having output current and a higher voltage semiconductor circuit input. The amplifier comprising: an input terminal for connection to a; an output terminal for connection to a semiconductor circuit input; an input, lower critical current, Josephson junction having first and second terminals; a first series string of at least three lower critical current Josephson junctions. The first series string being connected to the first terminal of the input Josephson junction such that the first series string is in series with the input Josephson junction to provide a series combination. The input terminal being connected to the first terminal of the input Josephson junction, and with the critical current of the lower critical current Josephson junctions of the input Josephson junction and the first series Josephson junctions being less than the output current of the low voltage Josephson junction circuit; a second series string of at least four higher critical current Josephson junctions. The second string being connected in parallel with the series combination to provide parallel strings having an upper common connection and a lower common connection. The lower common connection being connected to the second terminal of the input Josephson junction and the upper common connection being connected to the output terminal; and a pulsed DC current source connected the parallel strings at the upper common connection. The DC current source having a current at least equal to the critical current of the higher critical current Josephson junctions

Magnetization induced by odd-frequency spin-triplet Cooper pairs in a Josephson junction with metallic trilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Hikino, S.; Yunoki, S.

2015-07-01

We theoretically study the magnetization inside a normal metal induced in an s -wave superconductor/ferromagnetic metal/normal metal/ferromagnetic metal/s -wave superconductor (S /F 1 /N /F 2 /S ) Josephson junction. Using the quasiclassical Green's function method, we show that the magnetization becomes finite inside the N . The origin of this magnetization is due to odd-frequency spin-triplet Cooper pairs formed by electrons of equal and opposite spins, which are induced by the proximity effect in the S /F 1 /N /F 2 /S junction. We find that the magnetization M (d ,θ ) in the N can be decomposed into two parts, M (d ,θ ) =MI(d ) +MII(d ,θ ) , where θ is the superconducting phase difference between the two S s and d is the thickness of N . The θ -independent magnetization MI(d ) exists generally in S /F junctions, while MII(d ,θ ) carries all θ dependence and represents the fingerprint of the phase coherence between the two S s in Josephson junctions. The θ dependence thus allows us to control the magnetization in the N by tuning θ for a fixed d . We show that the θ -independent magnetization MI(d ) weakly decreases with increasing d , while the θ -dependent magnetization MII(d ,θ ) rapidly decays with d . Moreover, we find that the time-averaged magnetization exhibits a discontinuous peak at each resonance dc voltage Vn=n ℏ ωS/2 e (n : integer) when dc voltage V as well as ac voltage vac(t ) with frequency ωS are both applied to the S /F 1 /N /F 2 /S junction. This is because MII(d ,θ ) oscillates generally in time t (ac magnetization) with d θ /d t =2 e [V +vac(t ) ]/ℏ and thus =0 , but can be converted into the time-independent dc magnetization for the dc voltage at Vn. We also discuss that the magnetization induced in the N can be measurably large in realistic systems. Therefore, the measurement of the induced magnetization serves as an alternative way to detect the phase coherence between the two S s in Josephson junctions. Our results

The persistent current and energy spectrum on a driven mesoscopic LC-circuit with Josephson junction

Science.gov (United States)

Pahlavanias, Hassan

2018-03-01

The quantum theory for a mesoscopic electric circuit including a Josephson junction with charge discreteness is studied. By considering coupling energy of the mesoscopic capacitor in Josephson junction device, a Hamiltonian describing the dynamics of a quantum mesoscopic electric LC-circuit with charge discreteness is introduced. We first calculate the persistent current on a quantum driven ring including Josephson junction. Then we obtain the persistent current and energy spectrum of a quantum mesoscopic electrical circuit which includes capacitor, inductor, time-dependent external source and Josephson junction.

Manifestation of π-contacts in magnetic field dependence of I-V characteristics for proximity-type 2D Josephson junction array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivera, V.A.G.; Sergeenkov, S.; Marega, E.; Araujo-Moreira, F.M.

2009-01-01

Results on the temperature and magnetic field dependence of current-voltage characteristics (CVC) are presented for SNS-type 2D ordered array of Nb-Cu 0.95 Al 0.05 -Nb junctions. The critical current I C (T,H) and the power exponent a(T,H)=1+Φ 0 I C (T,H)/2k B T of the nonlinear CVC law V=R[I-I C (T,H)] a(T,H) are found to have a maximum at non-zero value of applied magnetic field H p =225 Oe, which is attributed to manifestation of π-type Josephson contacts in our sample.

Phenomenological approach to bistable behavior of Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishi, K.; Nara, S.; Hamanaka, K.

1985-01-01

The interaction of unbiased Josephson junction with external electromagnetic field in the presence of externally applied uniform magnetic field is theoretically examined by means of phenomenological treatment. It is proposed that an irradiated junction with suitably chosen parameters shows a bistable behavior of voltage across the junction as a function of the radiation intensity

Fractional flux quanta in Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldobin, E.; Buckenmaier, K.; Gaber, T.; Kemmler, M.; Pfeiffer, J.; Koelle, D.; Kleiner, R. [Physikalisches Inst. - Experimentalphysik II, Univ. Tuebingen (Germany); Weides, M.; Kohlstedt, H. [Center of Nanoelectronic Systems for Information Technology (CNI), Research Centre Juelich (Germany); Siegel, M. [Inst. fuer Mikro- und Nanoelektronische Systeme, Univ. Karlsruhe (Germany)

2007-07-01

Fractional Josephson vortices may appear in the so-called 0-{kappa} Josephson junctions ({kappa} is an arbitrary number) and carry magnetic flux {phi}, which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum {phi}{sub 0}{approx}2.07 x 10{sup -15} Wb. Their properties are very different from the usual integer fluxons: they are pinned, and often represent the ground state of the system with spontaneous circulating supercurrent. They behave as well controlled macroscopic spins and can be used to construct bits, qubits, tunable photonic crystals and to study the (quantum) physics of spin systems. In this talk we discuss recent advances in 0-{pi} junction technology and present recent experimental results: evidence of the spontaneous flux in the ground state, spectroscopy of the fractional vortex eigenfrequencies and observation of dynamics effects related to the flipping of the fractional vortices. (orig.)

Visualization of the current density in Josephson junctions with 0- and π-facets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerlich, Christian

2010-01-01

With Low-Temperature-Electron-Microscopy (LTSEM) it is possible to analyse the transport properties of solids at low temperatures. In particular it is possible to image the supercurrent density j s in Josephson junctions. This was demonstrated by comparing TTREM-images with calculated values for j s . In this thesis ramp-type Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4-y /Nb-Josephson-junctions (NCCO/Nb) and Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer Nb/Al-Al 2 O 3 /NiCu/Nb, so-called SIFS (superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor) Josephson junctions were studied.It was demonstrated that LTSEM provides direct imaging of the sign change of the order parameter in superconductors with d x 2 -y 2 -symmetry. This was a controversial issue over the last decade. A step like variation in the thickness of the F-layer allows the fabrication of linear and annular Josephson junctions with different numbers of 0 and π facets. With the LTSEM 0-, π-, 0-π-, 0-π-0-, 0/2-π-0/2-, 20 x (0-π)- as well as square-shaped-, circular- and annular-Josephson-junctions were studied. It was demonstrated, that these junctions are of good quality and have critical current densities up to 42 A/cm 2 at T=4.2 K, which is a record value for SIFS junctions with a NiCu F-layer so far. By comparing the measurements with simulations a first indication of a semifluxon at the 0-π-boundary was found. (orig.)

Transverse phase-locking in fully frustrated Josephson junction arrays: A new type of fractional giant steps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marconi, Veronica I.; Kolton, Alejandro B.; Dominguez, Daniel; Gronbech-Jensen, Niels

2003-05-01

We study, analytically and numerically, phase locking of driven vortex lattices in fully-frustrated Josephson junction arrays at zero temperature. We consider the case when an ac current is applied perpendicular to a dc current. We observe phase locking, steps in the current-voltage characteristics, with a dependence on external ac-drive amplitude and frequency qualitatively different from the Shapiro steps, observed when the ac and dc currents are applied in parallel. Further, the critical current increases with increasing transverse ac-drive amplitude, while it decreases for longitudinal ac-drive. The critical current and the phase-locked current step width, increase quadratically with (small) amplitudes of the ac-drive. For larger amplitudes of the transverse ac-signal, we find windows where the critical current is hysteretic, and windows where phase locking is suppressed due to dynamical instabilities. We characterize the dynamical states around the phase-locking interference condition in the IV curve with voltage noise, Lyapunov exponents and Poincare sections. We find that zero temperature phase-locking behavior in large fully frustrated arrays is well described by an effective four plaquette model. (author)

High-Tc SNS Junctions: A New Generation of Proximity-Coupled Josephson Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinsasser, A. W.

1997-01-01

This paper reviews this evolution of proximity - coupled Josephson jucntion from the early investigations on low temperature superconductor-normal -superconductor junctions through the introduction of hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices and the resulting interest in mesoscopic Josephson junctions, to the recent development of high temperature devices.

Berry's phase, Josephson's equation, and the dynamics of weak link superconductors and their vortices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaitan, F.; Shenoy, S.R.

1995-05-01

We examine the dynamical consequences of Berry's phase for Josephson junctions, junction arrays, and their vortices. Josephson's equation and the related phase slip voltages are shown to be unaffected by Berry's phase. In an annular Josephson junction, Berry's phase is seen to generate a new current drive on a vortex. In the continuum limit, vortex is expected in a 2D array is shown to map onto that of a 2D film. A Hall sing anomaly is expected arrays; and the merits of arrays for studies of disorder on vortex motion is discussed. (author). 12 refs

Quantum dynamics of a strongly driven Josephson Junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gosner, Jennifer; Kubala, Bjoern; Ankerhold, Joachim [Institute for Complex Quantum Systems, University of Ulm (Germany)

2015-07-01

A Josephson Junction embedded in a dissipative circuit can be driven to exhibit non-linear oscillations. Classically the non-linear oscillator shows under sufficient strong driving and weak damping dynamical bifurcations and a bistable region similar to the conventional Duffing-oscillator. These features depend sensitively on initial conditions and parameters. The sensitivity of this circuit, called Josephson Bifurcation Amplifier, can be used to amplify an incoming signal, to form a sensing device or even for measuring a quantum system. The quantum dynamics can be described by a dissipative Lindblad master equation. Signatures of the classical bifurcation phenomena appear in the Wigner representation, used to characterize and visualize the resulting behaviour. In order to compare this quantum dynamics to that of the conventional Duffing-oscillator, the complete cosine-nonlinearity of the Josephson Junction is kept for the quantum description while going into a rotating frame.

Superconducting tunnel junctions on MgB{sub 2} using MgO and CaF{sub 2} as a barrier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakoda, Masahito, E-mail: sakoda@cc.tuat.ac.jp [Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan); Aibara, Masato; Mede, Kazuya; Kikuchi, Motoyuki; Naito, Michio [Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • We have revised the manuscript according to reviewer's comments. The details are in “Response to Reviewers”. • Superconducting junctions with MgO and CaF{sub 2} barrier were fabricated in order to improve the quality of junctions. • In SIN junctions with MgO barrier, clear superconducting gap was observed. (). • In SIS junctions with CaF2 barrier, Josephson current was observed over 30 K. (). • The compatibility of each barrier material at the upper and lower interfaces was clarified. (). - Abstract: We report the fabrication of superconducting tunnel junctions, both of superconductor–insulator-normal metal (SIN) and superconductor–insulator-superconductor (SIS), on MgB{sub 2} using MgO and CaF{sub 2} as a barrier. The SIN junctions fabricated using an MgO barrier showed excellent quasi-particle characteristics, including a large superconducting gap (Δ) of 2.5–3 meV and a low zero-bias conductance. We have also fabricated SIS junctions with an MgO barrier, but the quasi-particle characteristics of the SIS junctions are not as good as those of the SIN junctions, namely a reduced superconducting gap and a high zero-bias conductance. It appears that top MgB{sub 2} electrodes do not grow well on an MgO barrier, which is also suggested from in-situ RHEED observation. The SIN junctions fabricated using a CaF{sub 2} barrier showed less sharp quasi-particle characteristics than using an MgO barrier. However, the SIS junctions using a CaF{sub 2} barrier showed a fairly large I{sub c}R{sub N} value at 4.2 K over 1 mV and also exhibited finite Josephson current up to almost the film's T{sub c} (∼30 K). The RHEED observation revealed that top MgB{sub 2} electrodes grow well on a CaF{sub 2} barrier.

Proximity effects and Josephson currents in ferromagnet. Spin-triplet superconductors junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrade, Damien

2015-01-01

Spin-triplet superconductivity, first attached to the description of 3 He, is now generally considered to also occur in heavy-fermions compounds and in perovskite ruthenium oxide Sr 2 RuO 4 . The latter material is especially interesting since many experiments show strong evidences for a unitary chiral spin-triplet state. Moreover, the recent fabrication of thin heterostructures made of ferromagnetic SrRuO 3 on the top of Sr 2 RuO 4 strongly encourages new theoretical studies on the interplay between spin-triplet superconductor and ferromagnet in similar fashion to spin-singlet superconductors. Using an extended tight-binding Hamiltonian to model the superconductor, we discuss in this thesis the specific proximity effects of such interface by solving self-consistently the Bogoliubov-De Gennes equations on two- and three-dimensional lattices in the ballistic limit. We obtain the spatial profile of the superconducting order parameters at the interface as well as the spin-polarisation and the current across the Josephson junctions. In contrast to heterostructures made of spin-singlet superconductor, we show that the physical properties at the interface are not only controlled by the strength of the magnetization inside the ferromagnet but also by its orientation due to the existence of a finite pair spin projection of the spin-triplet Cooper pairs. We analyse in the first part the spin-polarisation and the Gibbs free energy at the three-dimensional ferromagnet-chiral spin-triplet superconductor interface. Then, the second part of the thesis is dedicated to the study of the Josephson junctions made of a chiral spin-triplet superconductor and a ferromagnetic barrier. More precisely, we analyse the existence of 0-π state transitions in two- and three-dimensional junctions with respect to the strength and the orientation of the magnetization. Finally, we study the proximity effects at the interface of helical spin-triplet superconductors. They differ from the chiral

Josephson junction in the quantum mesoscopic electric circuits with charge discreteness

Science.gov (United States)

Pahlavani, H.

2018-04-01

A quantum mesoscopic electrical LC-circuit with charge discreteness including a Josephson junction is considered and a nonlinear Hamiltonian that describing the dynamic of such circuit is introduced. The quantum dynamical behavior (persistent current probability) is studied in the charge and phase regimes by numerical solution approaches. The time evolution of charge and current, number-difference and the bosonic phase and also the energy spectrum of a quantum mesoscopic electric LC-circuit with charge discreteness that coupled with a Josephson junction device are investigated. We show the role of the coupling energy and the electrostatic Coulomb energy of the Josephson junction in description of the quantum behavior and the spectral properties of a quantum mesoscopic electrical LC-circuits with charge discreteness.

A new singularity in the coherent coupling in Al/GaAs/Al SNS junctions at the bias voltage corresponding to the superconducting energy gap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taboryski, Rafael Jozef; Kutchinsky, Jonatan; Kuhn, Oliver

1998-01-01

Particularly high transmittivity superconductor-semiconductor barriers formed by MBE growth have been used to form short Josephson planar type Superconductor-Normal-metal-Superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions with lengths down to 1 mu m. In these junctions the quasiparticles move diffusively...... across the normal region and carry along the phase information given to them by Andreev reflections at both SN boundaries. In order to probe the importance of the coherent transport of quasiparticles in the normal region, we formed one of the superconducting electrodes of the junction as an open loop i...

Characterization of double-loop four-Josephson-junction flux qubit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimazu, Y.; Saito, Y.; Wada, Z.

2009-01-01

An advantage of a double-loop four-Josephson-junction (4-JJ) flux qubit is the tunability of the energy gap at a symmetry point, i.e., the point at which the double-well potential of the qubit is symmetric. The energy gap is controlled via the magnetic flux in a DC superconducting quantum interference device (DC-SQUID) loop incorporated in a 4-JJ qubit. We investigate the locus of the symmetry point in the plane of two control fluxes of the qubit, taking into account the asymmetry in the DC-SQUID, which is inevitable in practical cases. The observed positions of the qubit steps are in reasonable agreement with the calculated locus of the symmetry point. We estimate the asymmetry parameter of the DC-SQUID from this analysis.

Numerical simulations of flux flow in stacked Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Søren Peder; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

2005-01-01

We numerically investigate Josephson vortex flux flow states in stacked Josephson junctions, motivated by recent experiments trying to observe the vortices in a square vortex lattice when a magnetic field is applied to layered high-Tc superconductors of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox type. By extensive...

Wideband Isolation by Frequency Conversion in a Josephson-Junction Transmission Line

Science.gov (United States)

Ranzani, Leonardo; Kotler, Shlomi; Sirois, Adam J.; DeFeo, Michael P.; Castellanos-Beltran, Manuel; Cicak, Katarina; Vale, Leila R.; Aumentado, José

2017-11-01

Nonreciprocal transmission and isolation at microwave frequencies are important in many practical applications. In particular, compact isolators are useful in protecting sensitive quantum circuits operating at cryogenic temperatures from amplifier backaction and other environmental noise such as black-body radiation from higher temperature stages. However, the size of commercial cryogenic isolators limits the ability to measure multiple quantum circuits because of space constraints in typical dilution refrigerator systems. Furthermore, isolators usually require the use of ferrite components that cannot be integrated at the chip level and, since they also need large biasing magnetic fields, are incompatible with superconducting quantum circuits. In this work we show one way to accomplish isolation in a superconducting chip-scale device, a traveling-wave unidirectional frequency converter based on a parametrically pumped superconducting Josephson-junction transmission line, demonstrating better than 4.8 dB of inferred signal isolation from 6.6 to 11.4 GHz, with a maximum of 12 dB at 9.5 GHz. By using frequency diplexing techniques a conventional isolator could be implemented over this bandwidth.

Dissipative current in SIFS Josephson junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasenko, A.; Kawabata, S.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Kupriyanov, M. Yu; Hekking, F.W.J.

2010-01-01

We investigate superconductor/insulator/ferromagnet/superconductor (SIFS) tunnel Josephson junctions in the dirty limit, using the quasiclassical theory. We consider the case of a strong tunnel barrier such that the left S layer and the right FS bilayer are decoupled. We calculate quantitatively the

Harmonic synchronization in resistively coupled Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackburn, J.A.; Gronbech-Jensen, N.; Smith, H.J.T.

1994-01-01

The oscillations of two resistively coupled Josephson junctions biased only by a single dc current source are shown to lock harmonically in a 1:2 mode over a significant range of bias current, even when the junctions are identical. The dependence of this locking on both junction and coupling parameters is examined, and it is found that, for this particular two-junction configuration, 1:1 locking can never occur, and also that a minimum coupling coefficient is needed to support harmonic locking. Some issues related to subharmonic locking are also discussed

R.f.-induced steps in mutually coupled, two-dimensional distributed Josephson tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, U.; Dammschneider, P.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on the amplitudes of the current steps in the I-V characteristics of mutually coupled two-dimensional distributed Josephson tunnel junctions driven by microwaves. For this purpose we use a numerical computation algorithm based on a planar resonator model for the individual Josephson tunnel junctions to calculate the d.c. current density distribution. In addition to the fundamental microwave frequency, harmonic contents of the tunneling current are also considered. The lateral dimensions of the individual junctions are small compared to the microwave wavelength and the Josephson penetration depth, giving an almost constant current density distribution. Therefore, the coupled junctions can give much greater step amplitudes than a single junction with an equal tunneling area, because of their nonuniform current density distribution

Study and operating conditions of HTS Josephson arrays for metrological application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sosso, A.; Lacquaniti, V.; Andreone, D.; Cerri, R.; Klushin, A.M.

2006-01-01

We report an experimental study of metrological properties of high-temperature superconductor arrays, made of shunted bicrystal YBCO Josephson junctions. The work is mainly based on a direct comparison against a low temperature array. Owing to the high sensitivity of the measurements, we observed at nanovolt level the changes in the HTS array voltage on a step. A precise estimate of the dependence of the HTS array step width on operating conditions was obtained. Differences were observed with respect to the results of low sensitivity techniques, confirming that our method is necessary in the study of HTS arrays for metrology. The high sensitivity analysis was also applied in the derivation of the temperature dependence of the critical current, providing insights on the behavior of the HTS array

Coplanar strips for Josephson voltage standard circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schubert, M.; May, T.; Wende, G.; Fritzsch, L.; Meyer, H.-G.

2001-01-01

We present a microwave circuit for Josephson voltage standards. Here, the Josephson junctions are integrated in a microwave transmission line designed as coplanar strips (CPS). The new layout offers the possibility of achieving a higher scale of integration and to considerably simplify the fabrication technology. The characteristic impedance of the CPS is about 50 Ω, and this should be of interest for programmable Josephson voltage standard circuits with SNS or SINIS junctions. To demonstrate the function of the microwave circuit design, conventional 10 V Josephson voltage standard circuits with 17000 Nb/AlO x /Nb junctions were prepared and tested. Stable Shapiro steps at the 10 V level were generated. Furthermore, arrays of 1400 SINIS junctions in this microwave layout exhibited first-order Shapiro steps. Copyright 2001 American Institute of Physics

Superconductive junctions for x-ray spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grand, J.B. le; Bruijn, M.P.; Frericks, M.; Korte, P.A.J. de; Houwman, E.P.; Flokstra, J.

1992-01-01

Biasing of SIS-junctions for the purpose of high energy resolution x-ray detection is complicated by the presence of a DC Josephson current and AC Josephson current resonances, so that a large magnetic field is normally used for the suppression of these Josephson features. A transimpedance amplifier is proposed for biasing and signal amplification at low magnetic field. X-ray spectroscopy detectors for astronomy require a high detection efficiency in the 0.5-10 keV energy band and a reasonable (∼1 cm 2 ) detector area. Calculations on absorber-junctions combinations which might meet these requirements are presented. (author) 9 refs.; 10 figs

Signatures of topological superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Yang

2017-07-19

The prediction and experimental discovery of topological insulators brought the importance of topology in condensed matter physics into the limelight. Topology hence acts as a new dimension along which more and more new states of matter start to emerge. One of these topological states of matter, namely topological superconductors, comes into the focus because of their gapless excitations. These gapless excitations, especially in one dimensional topological superconductors, are Majorana zero modes localized at the ends of the superconductor and exhibit exotic nonabelian statistics, which can be potentially applied to fault-tolerant quantum computation. Given their highly interesting physical properties and potential applications to quantum computation, both theorists and experimentalists spend great efforts to realize topological supercondoctors and to detect Majoranas. In two projects within this thesis, we investigate the properties of Majorana zero modes in realistic materials which are absent in simple theoretical models. We find that the superconducting proximity effect, an essential ingredient in all existing platforms for topological superconductors, plays a significant role in determining the localization property of the Majoranas. Strong proximity coupling between the normal system and the superconducting substrate can lead to strongly localized Majoranas, which can explain the observation in a recent experiment. Motivated by experiments in Molenkamp's group, we also look at realistic quantum spin Hall Josephson junctions, in which charge puddles acting as magnetic impurities are coupled to the helical edge states. We find that with this setup, the junction generically realizes an exotic 8π periodic Josephson effect, which is absent in a pristine Josephson junction. In another two projects, we propose more pronounced signatures of Majoranas that are accessible with current experimental techniques. The first one is a transport measurement, which uses

Shunted-Josephson-junction model. I. The autonomous case

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belykh, V. N.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Sørensen, O. H.

1977-01-01

The shunted-Josephson-junction model: the parallel combination of a capacitance, a phase-dependent conductance, and an ideal junction element biased by a constant current, is discussed for arbitrary values of the junction parameters. The main objective is to provide a qualitative understanding...... current-voltage curves are presented. The case with a time-dependent monochromatic bias current is treated in a similar fashion in the companion paper....

Weyl nodes in Andreev spectra of multiterminal Josephson junctions: Chern numbers, conductances, and supercurrents

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Hong-Yi; Vavilov, Maxim G.; Levchenko, Alex

2018-02-01

We consider mesoscopic four-terminal Josephson junctions and study emergent topological properties of the Andreev subgap bands. We use symmetry-constrained analysis for Wigner-Dyson classes of scattering matrices to derive band dispersions. When the scattering matrix of the normal region connecting superconducting leads is energy independent, the determinant formula for Andreev spectrum can be reduced to a palindromic equation that admits a complete analytical solution. Band topology manifests with an appearance of the Weyl nodes which serve as monopoles of finite Berry curvature. The corresponding fluxes are quantified by Chern numbers that translate into a quantized nonlocal conductance that we compute explicitly for the time-reversal-symmetric scattering matrix. The topological regime can also be identified by supercurrents as Josephson current-phase relationships exhibit pronounced nonanalytic behavior and discontinuities near Weyl points that can be controllably accessed in experiments.

Theory of coherent quantum phase slips in Josephson junction chains with periodic spatial modulations

Science.gov (United States)

Svetogorov, Aleksandr E.; Taguchi, Masahiko; Tokura, Yasuhiro; Basko, Denis M.; Hekking, Frank W. J.

2018-03-01

We study coherent quantum phase slips which lift the ground state degeneracy in a Josephson junction ring, pierced by a magnetic flux of the magnitude equal to half of a flux quantum. The quantum phase-slip amplitude is sensitive to the normal mode structure of superconducting phase oscillations in the ring (Mooij-Schön modes). These, in turn, are affected by spatial inhomogeneities in the ring. We analyze the case of weak periodic modulations of the system parameters and calculate the corresponding modification of the quantum phase-slip amplitude.

Measure synchronization in a spin-orbit-coupled bosonic Josephson junction

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wen-Yuan; Liu, Jie; Fu, Li-Bin

2015-11-01

We present measure synchronization (MS) in a bosonic Josephson junction with spin-orbit coupling. The two atomic hyperfine states are coupled by a Raman dressing scheme, and they are regarded as two orientations of a pseudo-spin-1 /2 system. A feature specific to a spin-orbit-coupled (SOC) bosonic Josephson junction is that the transition from non-MS to MS dynamics can be modulated by Raman laser intensity, even in the absence of interspin atomic interaction. A phase diagram of non-MS and MS dynamics as functions of Raman laser intensity and Josephson tunneling amplitude is presented. Taking into account interspin atomic interactions, the system exhibits MS breaking dynamics resulting from the competition between intraspin and interspin atomic interactions. When interspin atomic interactions dominate in the competition, the system always exhibits MS dynamics. For interspin interaction weaker than intraspin interaction, a window for non-MS dynamics is present. Since SOC Bose-Einstein condensates provide a powerful platform for studies on physical problems in various fields, the study of MS dynamics is valuable in researching the collective coherent dynamical behavior in a spin-orbit-coupled bosonic Josephson junction.

Fractional Josephson vortices in two-gap superconductor long Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ju

2014-03-01

We investigated the phase dynamics of long Josephson junctions (LJJ) with two-gap superconductors in the broken time reversal symmetry state. In this LJJ, spatial phase textures (i-solitons) can be excited due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Joesphson effect between them. The presence of a spatial phase texture in each superconductor layer leads to a spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. We find that this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in Josephson vortices with fractional flux quanta. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, the fractionalization of a Josephson vortex arises as a response to either periodic or random excitation of i-solitions. This suggests that magnetic flux measurements may be used to probe i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs.

RF assisted switching in magnetic Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Caruso, R.; Massarotti, D.; Bolginov, V. V.; Ben Hamida, A.; Karelina, L. N.; Miano, A.; Vernik, I. V.; Tafuri, F.; Ryazanov, V. V.; Mukhanov, O. A.; Pepe, G. P.

2018-04-01

We test the effect of an external RF field on the switching processes of magnetic Josephson junctions (MJJs) suitable for the realization of fast, scalable cryogenic memories compatible with Single Flux Quantum logic. We show that the combined application of microwaves and magnetic field pulses can improve the performances of the device, increasing the separation between the critical current levels corresponding to logical "0" and "1." The enhancement of the current level separation can be as high as 80% using an optimal set of parameters. We demonstrate that external RF fields can be used as an additional tool to manipulate the memory states, and we expect that this approach may lead to the development of new methods of selecting MJJs and manipulating their states in memory arrays for various applications.

Unconventional transport characteristics of p-wave superconducting junctions in Sr2RuO4-Ru eutectic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kambara, H.; Kashiwaya, S.; Yaguchi, H.; Asano, Y.; Tanaka, Y.; Maeno, Y.

2010-01-01

We report on novel local transport characteristics of naturally formed p-wave superconducting junctions of Sr 2 RuO 4 -Ru eutectic system by using microfabrication technique. We observed quite anomalous voltage-current (differential resistance-current) characteristics for both I//ab and I//c directions, which are not seen in conventional Josephson junctions. The anomalous features suggest the internal degrees of freedom of the superconducting state, possibly due to chiral p-wave domain. The dc current acts as a driving force to move chiral p-wave domain walls and form larger critical current path to cause the anomalous hysteresis.

The Josephson and Quantum Hall effect in metrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lifka, E.

1990-01-01

This first generation of DC voltage standards based upon the Josephson effect made use of one tunnel junction coupled with microwaves via an external resonator. The needed output voltage level of 1 V was derived either by means of room temperature resistive divider or the cryogenic current comparator from the quantized microwave-induced voltage drop on the Josephson tunnel junction. In order to increase the accuracy of th standard, series arrays of Josephson tunnel junctions, in which the quantized voltage drops are added together thus providing reference voltage of several hundreds mV, are commonly used in some national laboratories. As the radiating frequency used is 70 GHz or higher the actual sample containing tunnel junction array takes form of an millimeter wave integrated circuit feeded by the thin film fin-line. This improved DC voltage standard has relative uncertainty lower by an amount which equals to the contribution of the resistive divider and allied measuring circuitry. This paper traces the present and future of studies involving the use of the Josephson and Quantum Hall Effect in meteorology

Influence of the current-phase relation on the critical-current-applied-magnetic-flux dependence in parallel-connected Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, W.; Van Duzer, T.

1976-01-01

The form of the current-phase relations for the Josephson junctions is shown to have a significant influence on the relation I/sub c/(theta/sub a/) between critical current and applied flux for two junctions connected in parallel in a superconducting circuit. The observed one-flux-quantum periodicity and inversion symmetry of the I/sub c/(theta/sub a/) relation are shown to result from the fact that the current-phase, i-phi, relations of the junctions satisfy i (phi+2mπ) =i (phi) and i (-phi) =-i (phi), respectively. It is also shown that if the current-phase relations for the two junctions are different, an asymmetry appears in the I/sub c/(theta/sub a/)

Josephson Metamaterial with a Widely Tunable Positive or Negative Kerr Constant

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenyuan; Huang, W.; Gershenson, M. E.; Bell, M. T.

2017-11-01

We report on the microwave characterization of a novel one-dimensional Josephson metamaterial composed of a chain of asymmetric superconducting quantum interference devices with nearest-neighbor coupling through common Josephson junctions. This metamaterial demonstrates a strong Kerr nonlinearity, with a Kerr constant tunable over a wide range, from positive to negative values, by a magnetic flux threading the superconducting quantum interference devices. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theory of nonlinear effects in Josephson chains. The metamaterial is very promising as an active medium for Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifiers; its use facilitates phase matching in a four-wave-mixing process for efficient parametric gain.

What happens in Josephson junctions at high critical current densities

Science.gov (United States)

Massarotti, D.; Stornaiuolo, D.; Lucignano, P.; Caruso, R.; Galletti, L.; Montemurro, D.; Jouault, B.; Campagnano, G.; Arani, H. F.; Longobardi, L.; Parlato, L.; Pepe, G. P.; Rotoli, G.; Tagliacozzo, A.; Lombardi, F.; Tafuri, F.

2017-07-01

The impressive advances in material science and nanotechnology are more and more promoting the use of exotic barriers and/or superconductors, thus paving the way to new families of Josephson junctions. Semiconducting, ferromagnetic, topological insulator and graphene barriers are leading to unconventional and anomalous aspects of the Josephson coupling, which might be useful to respond to some issues on key problems of solid state physics. However, the complexity of the layout and of the competing physical processes occurring in the junctions is posing novel questions on the interpretation of their phenomenology. We classify some significant behaviors of hybrid and unconventional junctions in terms of their first imprinting, i.e., current-voltage curves, and propose a phenomenological approach to describe some features of junctions characterized by relatively high critical current densities Jc. Accurate arguments on the distribution of switching currents will provide quantitative criteria to understand physical processes occurring in high-Jc junctions. These notions are universal and apply to all kinds of junctions.

Transition by breaking of analyticity in the ground state of Josephson junction arrays as a static signature of the vortex jamming transition

KAUST Repository

Nogawa, Tomoaki

2012-05-22

We investigate the ground state of the irrationally frustrated Josephson junction array with a controlling anisotropy parameter λ that is the ratio of the longitudinal Josephson coupling to the transverse one. We find that the ground state has one-dimensional periodicity whose reciprocal lattice vector depends on λ and is incommensurate with the substrate lattice. Approaching the isotropic point λ=1, the so-called hull function of the ground state exhibits analyticity breaking similar to the Aubry transition in the Frenkel-Kontorova model. We find a scaling law for the harmonic spectrum of the hull functions, which suggests the existence of a characteristic length scale diverging at the isotropic point. This critical behavior is directly connected to the jamming transition previously observed in the current-voltage characteristics by a numerical simulation. On top of the ground state there is a gapless continuous band of metastable states, which exhibit the same critical behavior as the ground state. © 2012 American Physical Society.

Fabrication of Josephson Junction without shadow evaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xian; Ku, Hsiangsheng; Long, Junling; Pappas, David

We developed a new method of fabricating Josephson Junction (Al/AlOX/Al) without shadow evaporation. Statistics from room temperature junction resistance and measurement of qubits are presented. Unlike the traditional ``Dolan Bridge'' technique, this method requires two individual lithographies and straight evaporations of Al. Argon RF plasma is used to remove native AlOX after the first evaporation, followed by oxidation and second Al evaporation. Junction resistance measured at room temperature shows linear dependence on Pox (oxidation pressure), √{tox} (oxidation time), and inverse proportional to junction area. We have seen 100% yield of qubits made with this method. This method is promising because it eliminates angle dependence during Junction fabrication, facilitates large scale qubits fabrication.

Gambling with Superconducting Fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Foltyn, Marek; Zgirski, Maciej

2015-08-01

Josephson junctions and superconducting nanowires, when biased close to superconducting critical current, can switch to a nonzero voltage state by thermal or quantum fluctuations. The process is understood as an escape of a Brownian particle from a metastable state. Since this effect is fully stochastic, we propose to use it for generating random numbers. We present protocol for obtaining random numbers and test the experimentally harvested data for their fidelity. Our work is prerequisite for using the Josephson junction as a tool for stochastic (probabilistic) determination of physical parameters such as magnetic flux, temperature, and current.

Electron-beam damaged high-temperature superconductor Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauza, A.J.; Booij, W.E.; Herrmann, K.; Moore, D.F.; Blamire, M.G.; Rudman, D.A.; Vale, L.R.

1997-01-01

Results are presented on the fabrication and characterization of high critical temperature Josephson junctions in thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ produced by the process of focused electron-beam irradiation using 350 keV electrons. The junctions so produced have uniform spatial current densities, can be described in terms of the resistive shunted junction model, and their current densities can be tailored for a given operating temperature. The physical properties of the damaged barrier can be described as a superconducting material of either reduced or zero critical temperature (T c ), which has a length of ∼15nm. The T c reduction is caused primarily by oxygen Frenkel defects in the Cu - O planes. The large beam currents used in the fabrication of the junctions mean that the extent of the barrier is limited by the incident electron-beam diameter, rather than by scattering within the film. The properties of the barrier can be calculated using a superconductor/normal/superconductor (SNS) junction model with no boundary resistance. From the SNS model, we can predict the scaling of the critical current resistance (I c R n ) product and gain insight into the factors controlling the junction properties, T c , and reproducibility. From the measured I c R n scaling data, we can predict the I c R n product of a junction at a given operating temperature with a given current density. I c R n products of ∼2mV can be achieved at 4.2 K. The reproducibility of several junctions in a number of samples can be characterized by the ratio of the maximum-to-minimum critical currents on the same substrate of less than 1.4. Stability over several months has been demonstrated at room and refrigerator temperatures (297 and 281 K) for junctions that have been initially over damaged and then annealed at temperatures ∼380K. (Abstract Truncated)

Pinning of Josephson vortex chain in periodically heterogeneous junctions: theory and experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malomed, B.A.; Ustinov, A.V.

1989-01-01

Critical values of the density of extrinsic current of rigid Josephson vortex chain depinning in a long Josephson junction are calculated in terms of the perturbation theory. The dynamics of the chain is considered. In particular, a minimum value of the current density is estimated which permits the chain free motion through the transition on dissipation. The dependence of critical current, Jc, on external magnetic field H is measured for long Josephson junctions Nb-NbO x -Pb with artificial spatially periodic heterogeneities of dielectric barrier. For multiple values of H, the curve Jc(H) is found to display some peaks which, by the theory, are responsible for by an increase in the force of Josephson vortex chain and the heterogeneity lattice are commensurate

Neutron induced permanent damage in Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, G.P.; Rosen, M.

1982-01-01

14 MeV neutron induced permanent changes in the critical current density of Josephson junctions due to displacement damage in the junction barrier are estimated using a worst case model and the binary collision simulation code MARLOWE. No likelihood of single event hard upsets is found in this model. It is estimated that a fluence of 10 18 -10 19 neutrons/cm 2 are required to change the critical current density by 5%

Observation of nonresonant vortex motion in a long Josephson tunnel junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajeevakumar, T.V.; Przybysz, J.X.; Chen, J.T.; Langenberg, D.N.

1980-01-01

We have observed resistive branches in the I-V characteristics of long Josephson junctions which can be simply understood in terms of the motion of individual Josephson fluxoids with reflection as antifluxoids at the junction edges. The characteristics of these resistive branches differ qualitatively from those of the current singularities previously reported by Chen et al. and by Fulton and Dynes. Our results indicate that the current singularities are not simply related to the motion of individual fluxoids

Fine structures on zero-field steps in low-loss Josephson tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, Roberto; Barbara, Paola; Mygind, Jesper

1993-01-01

The first zero-field step in the current-voltage characteristic of intermediate-length, high-quality, low-loss Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions has been carefully investigated as a function of temperature. When decreasing the temperature, a number of structures develop in the form...... of regular and slightly hysteretic steps whose voltage position depends on the junction temperature and length. This phenomenon is interesting for the study of nonlinear dynamics and for application of long Josephson tunnel junctions as microwave and millimeter-wavelength oscillators....

Relaxation oscillation logic in Josephson junction circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulton, T.A.

1981-01-01

A dc powered, self-resetting Josephson junction logic circuit relying on relaxation oscillations is described. A pair of Josephson junction gates are connected in series, a first shunt is connected in parallel with one of the gates, and a second shunt is connected in parallel with the series combination of gates. The resistance of the shunts and the dc bias current bias the gates so that they are capable of undergoing relaxation oscillations. The first shunt forms an output line whereas the second shunt forms a control loop. The bias current is applied to the gates so that, in the quiescent state, the gate in parallel with the second shunt is at V O, and the other gate is undergoing relaxation oscillations. By controlling the state of the first gate with the current in the output loop of another identical circuit, the invert function is performed

Negative Differential Resistance due to Nonlinearities in Single and Stacked Josephson Junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filatrella, Giovanni; Pierro, Vincenzo; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

2014-01-01

Josephson junction systems with a negative differential resistance (NDR) play an essential role for applications. As a well-known example, long Josephson junctions of the BSCCO type have been considered as a source of terahertz radiation in recent experiments. Numerical results for the dynamics...... shapes of NDR region are considered, and we found that it is essential to distinguish between current bias and voltage bias....

The 0 and pi contact array model of bicrystal junctions and interferometers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kornev, Victor K.; Soloviev, Igor I.; Klenov, Nikolai V.

2003-01-01

The array model of the faceted bicrystal Josephson junctions has been developed more comprehensively. The facet size and the facet critical current dependence on. magnetic field are taken in to consideration. The model can be successfully used with high-performance software meant for numerical si...

The critical current density of an SNS Josephson-junction in high magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carty, George J; Hampshire, Damian P

2013-01-01

Although the functional form of the critical current density (J c ) of superconducting–normal–superconducting (SNS) Josephson-junctions (J-Js) has long been known in the very low field limit (e.g. the sinc function), includes the local properties of the junction and has been confirmed experimentally in many systems, there have been no such general solutions available for high fields. Here, we derive general analytic equations for J c in zero field and in high fields across SNS J-Js for arbitrary resistivity of the superconductor and the normal layer which are consistent with the literature results available in limiting cases. We confirm the validity of the approach using both computational solutions to time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau (TDGL) theory applied to SNS junctions and experimental J c data for an SNS PbBi–Cd–PbBi junction. We suggest that since SNS junctions can be considered the basic building blocks for the description of the grain boundaries of polycrystalline materials because they both provide flux-flow channels, this work may provide a mathematical framework for high J c technological polycrystalline superconductors in high magnetic fields. (paper)

Phase locked 270-440 GHz local oscillator based on flux flow in long Josephson tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koshelets, V.P.; Shitov, S.V.; Filippenko, L.V.

2000-01-01

The combination of narrow linewidth and wide band tunability makes the Josephson flux flow oscillator (FFO) a perfect on-chip local oscillator for integrated sub-mm wave receivers for, e.g., spectral radio astronomy. The feasibility of phase locking the FFO to an external reference oscillator......-running tunnel junction. The results of residual FFO phase noise measurements are also presented. Finally, we propose a single-chip fully superconductive receiver with two superconductor–insulator–superconductor mixers and an integrated phase-locked loop. ©2000 American Institute of Physics....

Step edge Josephson junctions and high temperature superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) gradiometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millar, Alasdair J.

2002-01-01

This thesis is concerned with the development of Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) gradiometers based on the high temperature superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO). A step-edge Josephson junction fabrication process was developed to produce sufficiently steep (>60 deg) step-edges such that junctions exhibited RSJ-like current-voltage characteristics. The mean I C R N product of a sample of twenty step-edge junctions was 130μV. Step-edge dc SQUIDs with inductances between 67pH and 114pH were fabricated. Generally the SQUIDs had an intrinsic white flux noise in the 10-30μΦ 0 /√Hz range, with the best device, a 70pH SQUID, exhibiting a white flux noise of 5μΦ 0 /√Hz. Different first-order SQUID gradiometer designs were fabricated from single layers of YBCO. Two single-layer gradiometer (SLG) designs were fabricated on 10x10mm 2 substrates. The best balance and lowest gradient sensitivity measured for these devices were 1/300 and 308fT/cm√Hz (at 1 kHz) respectively. The larger baseline and larger flux capture area of the pick-up loops in a large area SLG design, fabricated on 30x10mm 2 substrates, resulted in significant improvements in the balance and gradient field sensitivity with 1/1000 and 50fT/cm√Hz (at 1kHz) measured respectively. To reduce the uniform field effective area of SLOs and therefore reduce the direct pick-up of environmental field noise when operated unshielded, a novel gradiometric SQUID (G-SQUID) device was developed. Fabricated from a single layer of YBCO, the G-SQUIDs with inductances of 67pH, had small uniform field effective areas of approximately 2μm 2 - more than two orders of magnitude smaller than the uniform field effective areas of conventional narrow linewidth SQUIDs of similar inductance. Two designs of G-SQUID were fabricated on 10x10mm 2 substrates. Due to their small effective areas, when cooled unshielded these devices showed no increase in their white flux noise. The best balance achieved for a G

Flux flow in high-Tc Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filatrella, G.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

The possibility of achieving fluxon nucleation in nonhysteretic high-T(c) Josephson junctions due to the presence of inhomogeneities is investigated numerically. For a large range of parameters the I- V characteristics in presence of such discontinuities show a strong similarity with those obtain...

Ballistic Graphene Josephson Junctions from the Short to the Long Junction Regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Borzenets, I V; Amet, F; Ke, C T; Draelos, A W; Wei, M T; Seredinski, A; Watanabe, K; Taniguchi, T; Bomze, Y; Yamamoto, M; Tarucha, S; Finkelstein, G

2016-12-02

We investigate the critical current I_{C} of ballistic Josephson junctions made of encapsulated graphene-boron-nitride heterostructures. We observe a crossover from the short to the long junction regimes as the length of the device increases. In long ballistic junctions, I_{C} is found to scale as ∝exp(-k_{B}T/δE). The extracted energies δE are independent of the carrier density and proportional to the level spacing of the ballistic cavity. As T→0 the critical current of a long (or short) junction saturates at a level determined by the product of δE (or Δ) and the number of the junction's transversal modes.

Dynamics of fractional vortices in long Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaber, Tobias

2007-01-01

In this thesis static and dynamic properties of fractional vortices in long Josephson junctions are investigated. Fractional vortices are circulating supercurrents similar to the well-known Josephson fluxons. Yet, they show the distinguishing property of carrying only a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum. Fractional vortices are interesting non-linear objects. They spontaneously appear and are pinned at the phase discontinuity points of so called 0-κ junctions but can be bend or flipped by external forces like bias currents or magnetic fields. 0-κ junctions and fractional vortices are generalizations of the well-known 0-π junctions and semifluxons, where not only phase jumps of pi but arbitrary values denoted by kappa are considered. By using so-called artificial 0-κ junctions that are based on standard Nb-AlO x -Nb technology the classical dynamics of fractional vortices has been investigated experimentally for the very first time. Here, half-integer zero field steps could be observed. These voltage steps on the junction's current-voltage characteristics correspond to the periodic flipping/hopping of fractional vortices. In addition, the oscillatory eigenmodes of fractional vortices were investigated. In contrast to fluxons fractional vortices have an oscillatory eigenmode with a frequency within the plasma gap. Using resonance spectroscopy the dependence of the eigenmode frequency on the flux carried by the vortex and an applied bias current was determined. (orig.)

The role of magnetic fields for curvature effects in Josephson junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarmoliński, A.; Dobrowolski, T., E-mail: dobrow@up.krakow.pl

2017-06-01

The large area Josephson junction is considered. On the basis of Maxwell equations the influence of the magnetic field on fluxion dynamics is considered. The presented studies show that assumptions presumed in the literature do not restrict experimental settings adopted in the considerations of the fluxion movement in the Josephson junction. It is shown that the particular orientation of the magnetic fields is not needed in order to study physical effects of curvature and therefore they do not restrict the experimental arrangements.

Superconductor-normal metal-superconductor process development for the fabrication of small Josephson junctions in ramp type configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poepel, R.; Hagedorn, D.; Weimann, T.; Buchholz, F.-I.; Niemeyer, J.

2000-01-01

At PTB, a fabrication process has been developed in SNS Nb/PdAu/Nb technology for the verification of small Josephson junctions (JJs) in the deep sub-micron range to enable the implementation of JJs as active elements in highly integrated superconducting circuits. Two steps of this technological development are described with regard to appropriately designed circuit layouts of JJ series arrays (JJAs), the first one in a conventional window type junction (WTJ) configuration and the second one in a ramp type junction (RTJ) configuration. Test circuits of JJAs containing up to 10 000 JJs have been fabricated and experimentally tested. In WTJ configuration, the circuits proved to be sensitive to external perturbing effects affecting the stability of circuit operation. In contrast to that, in RTJ configuration, the circuits realized showed correct function and a high grade of reliability of operation. To produce RTJ circuits, the technology parameters have been set to realize JJs with contact areas of A=0.25μmx1.3μm. At a thickness of the PdAu normal metal layer of d = 40 nm, the values achieved for the critical current density and for the product of critical current and normal state resistance are about j c = 200 k Acm -2 and about I c R N = 21 μV. (author)

Double-well potential in annular Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaju, P.D.; Kuriakose, V.C.

2004-01-01

A double-well potential suitable for quantum-coherent vortex tunnelling can be created in an annular Josephson junction by inserting a microshort in the junction and by applying an in-plane dc magnetic field. Analysis shows that the intensity of the magnetic field determines the depth of the potential well and the strength of the microshort controls the potential barrier height while a dc bias across the junction tilts the potential well. At milli-Kelvin temperatures, the system is expected to behave as a quantum two-level system and may be useful in designing vortex qubits

Fluxon density waves in long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, O. H.; Ustinov, A. V.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

Numerical simulations of the multiple fluxon dynamics stimulated by an external oscillating force applied at a boundary of a long Josephson junction are presented. The calculated IV characteristics agree well with a recent experimental observation of rf-induced satellite flux-flow steps. The volt...... density waves....

Measurements of a vortex transitional ndro Josephson memory cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tahara, S.; Ishida, I.; Hidaka, M.; Nagasawa, S.; Ajisawa, Y.; Wada, Y.

1988-01-01

A novel vortex transitional NDRO Jospehson memory cell has been successfully fabricated and tested. The memory cell consists of two superconducting loops and a two-junction interferometer gate as a sense gate. The superconducting loop contains one Josephson junction and inductances, and stores single flux quantum. The memory cell employs vortex transitions in the superconducting loops for writing and reading data. The memory cell chips have been fabricated using niobium planarization process. The +-21 percent address signal current margin and the +-33 percent sense gate current margin have been obtained experimentally. The memory operation of the cell driven by the two-junction interferometer gates has been accurately demonstrated

Direct detection of the parametrically generated half-harmonic voltage in a Josephson tunnel junction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mygind, Jesper; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Sørensen, O. H.

1976-01-01

The first direct observation of the parametrically generated half-harmonic voltage in a Josephson tunnel junction is reported. A microwave signal at f=17.25 GHz is applied to the junction dc current biased at zero voltage such that the Josephson plasma resonance fp=f/2. Under these conditions...

Modeling Bloch oscillations in nanoscale Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Vora, Heli; Kautz, R. L.; Nam, S. W.; Aumentado, J.

2018-01-01

Bloch oscillations in nanoscale Josephson junctions with a Coulomb charging energy comparable to the Josephson coupling energy are explored within the context of a model previously considered by Geigenmüller and Schön that includes Zener tunneling and treats quasiparticle tunneling as an explicit shot-noise process. The dynamics of the junction quasicharge are investigated numerically using both Monte Carlo and ensemble approaches to calculate voltage-current characteristics in the presence of microwaves. We examine in detail the origin of harmonic and subharmonic Bloch steps at dc biases I = (n/m)2ef induced by microwaves of frequency f and consider the optimum parameters for the observation of harmonic (m = 1) steps. We also demonstrate that the GS model allows a detailed semiquantitative fit to experimental voltage-current characteristics previously obtained at the Chalmers University of Technology, confirming and strengthening the interpretation of the observed microwave-induced steps in terms of Bloch oscillations. PMID:29577106

Multifractal metal in a disordered Josephson junctions array

Science.gov (United States)

Pino, M.; Kravtsov, V. E.; Altshuler, B. L.; Ioffe, L. B.

2017-12-01

We report the results of the numerical study of the nondissipative quantum Josephson junction chain with the focus on the statistics of many-body wave functions and local energy spectra. The disorder in this chain is due to the random offset charges. This chain is one of the simplest physical systems to study many-body localization. We show that the system may exhibit three distinct regimes: insulating, characterized by the full localization of many-body wave functions, a fully delocalized (metallic) one characterized by the wave functions that take all the available phase volume, and the intermediate regime in which the volume taken by the wave function scales as a nontrivial power of the full Hilbert-space volume. In the intermediate nonergodic regime the Thouless conductance (generalized to the many-body problem) does not change as a function of the chain length indicating a failure of the conventional single-parameter scaling theory of localization transition. The local spectra in this regime display the fractal structure in the energy space which is related with the fractal structure of wave functions in the Hilbert space. A simple theory of fractality of local spectra is proposed, and a scaling relationship between fractal dimensions in the Hilbert and energy spaces is suggested and numerically tested.

Splay states in globally coupled Josephson arrays: Analytical prediction of Floquet multipliers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strogatz, S.H.; Mirollo, R.E.

1993-01-01

In recent numerical experiments on series arrays of overdamped Josephson junctions, Nichols and Wiesenfeld [Phys. Rev. A 45, 8430 (1992)] discovered that the periodic states known as splay states are neutrally stable in all but four directions in phase space. We present a theory that accounts for this enormous degree of neutral stability. The theory also predicts the four non-neutral Floquet multipliers to within 0.1% of their numerically computed values. The analytical approach used here may be appli- cable to other globally coupled systems of oscillators, such as multimode lasers, electronic oscillator circuits, and solid-state laser arrays

Diamagnetism in quasicrystalline superconducting networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Niu; Nori, F.

1990-01-01

In this paper, we review recent results on superconducting structures with quasicrystalline geometry. Specifically, we consider the superconducting-normal phase boundaries of a variety of wire networks and Josephson junction arrays. We have computed the mean field phase diagrams for a number of geometries and compared them to the corresponding experimental data. We have introduced an analytical approach to the analysis of the structures present in the phase boundaries. Furthermore, we have shown in great detail how the gross structure is determined by the statistical distributions of the cell areas, and how the fine structures are determined by correlations among neighboring cells in the lattices. (author). 12 refs, 2 figs

Tests of operating conditions for metrological application of HTS Josephson arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sosso, A; Lacquaniti, V; Andreone, D; Cerri, R; Klushin, A M

2006-01-01

We report on an experimental study of metrological properties of High Temperature Superconductor arrays, made of shunted bicrystal YBCO Josephson junctions, to assess their accuracy. A detailed analysis of measurement errors is presented, mainly based on a direct comparison of an HTS array against a low temperature array. Owing to the high sensitivity of the comparison, we were able to measure the changes in the HTS array voltage on a step at nanovolt level. A precise estimate of the dependence of the HTS array step width on operating conditions was obtained. Differences were observed with respect to the results provided by the usual, low sensitivity, techniques, confirming that the method we adopted is necessary in the study of HTS arrays for metrology. The high sensitivity analysis was applied in the derivation of the temperature dependence of the critical current as well, providing some insights on the behaviour of the HTS array

Fiscal 1997 R and D project on industrial science and technology under a consignment from NEDO. R and D of the superconducting material and device (technical development of the Josephson device hybrid system); 1997 nendo sangyo kagaku gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu jigyo Shin energy Sangyo Gijutsu Sogo Kaihatsu Kiko itaku. Chodendo zairyo chodendo soshi no kenkyu kaihatsu (Josephson soshi hybrid system no gijutsu kaihatsu) seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

In order to establish basic technology for hybrid systems of superconducting and semiconducting devices, study was made on ultrahigh speed and low energy consumption properties of Josephson devices. As Josephson IC technology, a logical circuit, ring network, memory circuit, and oxide superconductor logical circuit were studied. As superconducting hybrid system technology, a Josephson device- semiconductor device interface, formation technology of signal transmission lines, and Josephson-MOS IC technology were developed. In fiscal 1997, as Josephson IC technology, switch motion of 4GHz in clock frequency was achieved by new high-density wiring process. Integration of some semiconducting processor elements, junction of surface- stabilized superconducting thin films, and motion of combination structure of some SQUIDs were also confirmed. On the hybrid system, voltage conversion operation of all interfaces was confirmed. Proper logical operation of the Josephson device hybrid circuit was also confirmed. 95 refs., 90 figs., 5 tabs.

AC Josephson effect in YBa2Cu3O7-δ bicrystal grain boundary junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, G.M.; Andreev, A.V.; Divin, Y.Ya.; Freltoft, T.; Mygind, J.; Pedersen, N.F.; Shen Yueqiang; Vase, P.

1994-01-01

The ac Josephson effect in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ bicrystal grain boundary junctions was studied in the temperature range from 4K to 90K. Junctions with widths from 0.2 to 50 μm were made on SrTiO 3 bicrystal substrates by laser ablation and e-beam lithography. The linewidth of the Josephson oscillations is derived from the shape of the dc voltage response to low-intensity, f = 70 GHz radiation at voltages V ≅ (h/2e) f, assuming the RSJ model. The effect of the size on the Josephson behavior of this type of high-T c junctions was studied. Close to T c the linewidth of the Josephson oscillations was shown to be determined by thermal fluctuations. (orig.)

Two-Volt Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer Using Wilkinson Dividers

Science.gov (United States)

Flowers-Jacobs, Nathan E.; Fox, Anna E.; Dresselhaus, Paul D.; Schwall, Robert E.; Benz, Samuel P.

2016-01-01

The root-mean-square (rms) output voltage of the NIST Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer (JAWS) has been doubled from 1 V to a record 2 V by combining two new 1 V chips on a cryocooler. This higher voltage will improve calibrations of ac thermal voltage converters and precision voltage measurements that require state-of-the-art quantum accuracy, stability, and signal-to-noise ratio. We achieved this increase in output voltage by using four on-chip Wilkinson dividers and eight inner-outer dc blocks, which enable biasing of eight Josephson junction (JJ) arrays with high-speed inputs from only four high-speed pulse generator channels. This approach halves the number of pulse generator channels required in future JAWS systems. We also implemented on-chip superconducting interconnects between JJ arrays, which reduces systematic errors and enables a new modular chip package. Finally, we demonstrate a new technique for measuring and visualizing the operating current range that reduces the measurement time by almost two orders of magnitude and reveals the relationship between distortion in the output spectrum and output pulse sequence errors. PMID:27453676

Experimental relationship between damping and stability of sine-Gordon solitons in Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davidson, A.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Dueholm, B.

1985-01-01

We show some experimental results which suggest that total damping, including surface loss, plays a fundamental role in limiting the stability of high-velocity sine-Gordon solitons in real Josephson tunnel junctions.......We show some experimental results which suggest that total damping, including surface loss, plays a fundamental role in limiting the stability of high-velocity sine-Gordon solitons in real Josephson tunnel junctions....

Fluxon dynamics in long annular Josephson tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martucciello, N.; Mygind, Jesper; Koshelets, V.P.

1998-01-01

Single-fluxon dynamics has been experimentally investigated in high-quality Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb annular Josephson tunnel junctions having a radius much larger than the Josephson penetration depth. Strong evidence of self-field effects is observed. An external magnetic field in the barrier plane acts...... on the fluxon as a periodic potential and lowers its average speed. Further, the results of perturbative calculations do not fit the experimental current-voltage profile and, provided the temperature is low enough, this profile systematically shows pronounced deviations from the smooth predicted form...

Effect of surface losses on soliton propagation in Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davidson, A.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Pagano, S.

1986-01-01

We have explored numerically the effects on soliton propagation of a third order damping term in the modified sine-Gordon equation. In Josephson tunnel junctions such a term corresponds physically to quasiparticle losses within the metal electrodes of the junction. We find that this loss term pla...

Internal resonances in periodically modulated long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Britt Hvolbæk; Mygind, Jesper; Ustinov, Alexey V.

1995-01-01

Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of long Josephson junctions with a periodic lattice of localized inhomogeneities are studied. The interaction between the moving fluxons and the inhomogeneities causes resonant steps in the IV-curve. Some of these steps are due to a synchronization to resonant...... Fiske modes in the sub-junctions formed between the inhomogeneities. The voltage positions of the resonant steps oscillate as function of the applied magnetic field with a period corresponding to the inclusion of one magnetic flux quantum, Φ0=h/2e, per sub-junction. A qualitative explanation that takes...

Effect of colored noise on an overdamped Josephson junction

Science.gov (United States)

Genchev, Z. D.

2001-03-01

In this paper my attention is restricted to stochastic differential equation in phase function φ(t), describing an overdamped Josephson junction. I accept the RSJ (resistively shunted junction) modeling, when the contact characterized by resistance R and critical current I c is under the action of a given direct current I and stochastic current source Ĩ(t) (=0) : {ℏ}/{2 eR }{dφ }/{dt }+I csinφ=I+ Ĩ(t). In our case the thermal noise is a Gaussian process and obeys the Johnson-Nyquistr correlation law C(t)== {ℏ}/{2πR}∫ -∞∞dω ω coth{ℏω}/{2k BT }cosωt. The effective Fokker-Planck equation is derived and the current-voltage characteristics (CVCs) of the Josephson junction are calculated for weakly colored noise. In the limit limℏ→0C(t)= {2k BT }/{R}δ(t) the well-known results for white noise are recovered.

Josephson junctions and circle maps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bak, P; Bohr, T; Jensen, M H; Christiansen, P V

1984-01-01

The return map of a differential equation for the current driven Josephson junction, or the damped driven pendulum, is shown numerically to be a circle map. Phase locking, noise and hysteresis, can thus be understood in a simple and coherent way. The transition to chaos is related to the development of a cubic inflection point. Recent theoretical results on universal behavior at the transition to chaos can readily be checked experimentally by studying I-V characteristics. 17 references, 1 figure.

Parametric interactions in high-Tc superconducting step edge junctions at X-band. [Y-Ba-Cu-O

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kain, A.Z. (TRW Space and Tech. Group, Redondo Beach, CA (United States)); Fetterman, H.R. (Electrical Engineering Dept., Univ. of California at Los Angeles (United States))

1993-04-20

We have fabricated and tested both single junctions and series arrays of YBCO step edge junctions for four photon parametric effects at X band as a first step in developing a parametric amplifier at 60 GHz. The series array of 25 junctions at 10.3 Ghz shows a 10 dB increase in reflected signal power as the pump power is increased, while the single junction at 12.2 GHz indicates a 2 dB change. The reflected power at the characteristic idler frequency of 2[omega][sub p]-[omega][sub s] is evidence of true Josephson junction parametric interaction. We are currently investigating the use of thallium based films at 60 GHz which offer a broader range of operating temperatures than does YBCO. Our design for a parametric amplifier at V band is a combination of microstrip based series arrays of junctions and an antipodal finline transition. (orig.)

Josephson tunnel junctions in a magnetic field gradient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, R.; Mygind, Jesper; Koshelets, V.P.

2011-01-01

We measured the magnetic field dependence of the critical current of high-quality Nb-based planar Josephson tunnel junctions in the presence of a controllable nonuniform field distribution. We found skewed and slowly changing magnetic diffraction patterns quite dissimilar from the Fraunhofer...

Terahertz Mixing Characteristics of NbN Superconducting Tunnel Junctions and Related Astronomical Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J.

2010-01-01

High-sensitivity superconducting SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) mixers are playing an increasingly important role in the terahertz (THz) astronomical observation, which is an emerging research frontier in modern astrophysics. Superconducting SIS mixers with niobium (Nb) tunnel junctions have reached a sensitivity close to the quantum limit, but have a frequency limit about 0.7 THz (i.e., gap frequency of Nb tunnel junctions). Beyond this frequency Nb superconducting films will absorb energetic photons (i.e., energy loss) to break Cooper pairs, thereby resulting in significant degradation of the mixer performance. Therefore, it is of particular interest to develop THz superconducting SIS mixers incorporating tunnel junctions with a larger energy gap. Niobium-nitride (NbN) superconducting tunnel junctions have been long known for their large energy gap, almost double that of Nb ones. With the introduction of epitaxially grown NbN films, the fabrication technology of NbN superconducting tunnel junctions has been considerably improved in the recent years. Nevertheless, their performances are still not as good as Nb ones, and furthermore they are not yet demonstrated in real astronomical applications. Given the facts mentioned above, in this paper we systematically study the quantum mixing behaviors of NbN superconducting tunnel junctions in the THz regime and demonstrate an astronomical testing observation with a 0.5 THz superconducting SIS mixer developed with NbN tunnel junctions. The main results of this study include: (1) successful design and fabrication of a 0.4˜0.6 THz waveguide mixing circuit with the high-dielectric-constant MgO substrate; (2) successful fabrication of NbN superconducting tunnel junctions with the gap voltage reaching 5.6 mV and the quality factor as high as 15; (3) demonstration of a 0.5 THz waveguide NbN superconducting SIS mixer with a measured receiver noise temperature (no correction) as low as five times the quantum limit

Josephson plasma resonance in vortex filament state of high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Yuji; Gaifullin, M.B.

1996-01-01

High temperature superconductors have the crystalline structure in which two-dimensional CuO 2 planes are piled in layers, consequently, the anisotropy of electroconductivity arises, and this brings about stable and low energy Josephson plasma in superconducting state. Also as to the vortex filament state of high temperature superconductors, the effect of thermal fluctuation due to low dimensionality, short coherence length and high transition temperature becomes conspicuous. In reality, these plasma and vortex filament state are related closely. Light reflection and plasma edge in superconducting state, Josephson plasma resonance in the vortex filament state of BiO 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ , the plasma vibration in Josephson junction, Josephson plasma in magnetic field, Josephson plasma in the liquid state of vortex filament, Josephson plasma in the solid state of vortex filament, and Josephson plasma in parallel magnetic field are reported. The Josephson plasma resonance is the experimental means for exploring vortex filament state from microscopic standpoint, and its development hereafter is expected. (K.I.)

Fractional Josephson vortices at YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ grain boundaries

OpenAIRE

Mints, R. G.; Papiashvili, Ilya

2001-01-01

We report numerical simulations of magnetic flux patterns in asymmetric 45$^{\\circ}$ [001]-tilt grain boundaries in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ superconducting films. The grain boundaries are treated as Josephson junctions with the critical current density $j_c(x)$ alternating along the junctions. We demonstrate the existence of Josephson vortices with fractional flux quanta for both periodic and random $j_c(x)$. A method is proposed to extract fractional vortices from experimental flux patterns.

Defect formation in long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gordeeva, Anna; Pankratov, Andrey

2010-01-01

We study numerically a mechanism of vortex formation in a long Josephson junction within the framework of the one-dimensional sine-Gordon model. This mechanism is switched on below the critical temperature. It is shown that the number of fluxons versus velocity of cooling roughly scales according...... to the power law with the exponent of either 0.25 or 0.5 depending on the temperature variation in the critical current density....

A venture capital view of superconductivity electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kressel, H.

1987-01-01

Many venture capital backed start-up companies have followed major technological innovations in recent years. However, the field of electronics based on the use of superconducting devices (i.e. the Josephson Junction) has been a noteworthy exception. Until 1983, the bulk of the American development effort on superconductivity electronics was conducted by IBM where the focus was to demonstrate the feasibility of a superconducting computer prototype. Other activities using Josephson Junctions involved the development and production of magnetic sensing instruments and modest quantities of magnetometers which were marketed by several very small companies primarily for laboratory use. In addition, other applications in radiation sensing and biomagnetism and research leading to practical systems were ongoing in several organizations

Nanometer-scale patterning of high-Tc superconductors for Josephson junction-based digital circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wendt, J.R.; Plut, T.A.; Corless, R.F.; Martens, J.S.; Berkowitz, S.; Char, K.; Johansson, M.; Hou, S.Y.; Phillips, J.M.

1994-01-01

A straightforward method for nanometer-scale patterning of high-T c superconductor thin films is discussed. The technique combines direct-write electron beam lithography with well-controlled aqueous etches and is applied to the fabrication of Josephson junction nanobridges in high-quality, epitaxial thin-film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . We present the results of our studies of the dimensions, yield, uniformity, and mechanism of the junctions along with the performance of a representative digital circuit based on these junctions. Direct current junction parameter statistics measured at 77 K show critical currents of 27.5 μA±13% for a sample set of 220 junctions. The Josephson behavior of the nanobridge is believed to arise from the aggregation of oxygen vacancies in the nanometer-scale bridge

Search for the in-phase Flux Flow mode in stacked Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Madsen, Søren Peder

2006-01-01

Josephson vortex flux flow states in stacked Josephson junctions are investigated numerically. The aim of the work is to understand the mechanisms behind the formation of triangular (anti-phase) and square (in-phase) vortex lattices, and is motivated by recent experiments on layered BSCCO type high......-T-c superconductors in a magnetic field. In order to keep the problem as simple as possible we consider in detail only the case with two junctions in the stack. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

Soliton excitations in Josephson tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lomdahl, P. S.; Sørensen, O. H.; Christiansen, Peter Leth

1982-01-01

A detailed numerical study of a sine-Gordon model of the Josephson tunnel junction is compared with experimental measurements on junctions with different L / λJ ratios. The soliton picture is found to apply well on both relatively long (L / λJ=6) and intermediate (L / λJ=2) junctions. We find good...... agreement for the current-voltage characteristics, power output, and for the shape and height of the zero-field steps (ZFS). Two distinct modes of soliton oscillations are observed: (i) a bunched or congealed mode giving rise to the fundamental frequency f1 on all ZFS's and (ii) a "symmetric" mode which...... on the Nth ZFS yields the frequency Nf1 Coexistence of two adjacent frequencies is found on the third ZFS of the longer junction (L / λJ=6) in a narrow range of bias current as also found in the experiments. Small asymmetries in the experimental environment, a weak magnetic field, e.g., is introduced via...

Several alternative approaches to the manufacturing of HTS Josephson junctions

OpenAIRE

Villegier , J.; Boucher , H.; Ghis , A.; Levis , M.; Méchin , Laurence; Moriceau , H.; Pourtier , F.; Vabre , M.; Nicoletti , S.; Correra , L.

1994-01-01

In this work we describe comparatively the fabrication and the characterization of various types of HTS Josephson junctions manufactured using different processes : grain boundary junctions have been studied both by the way of junctions on bicrystal substrates and of bi-epitaxial junctions. Ramp-edge types have been elaborated and characterized using mainly N-YBaCuO thin film as a barrier while the trilayer approach has been investigated through a-axis structures. YBaCuO or GdBaCuO supercondu...

Experimental Evidence for Phase-Locked States in Stacked Long Josephson Junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carapella, Giovanni; Costabile, Giovanni; Mancher, Martin

1997-01-01

We fabricated and tested samples consisteing of two long stacked Josephson junctions with direct access to the intermediate electrode, whose thickness is smaller than the London penetration depth $\\lambda _L$. The electrodes are patterned so that the junctions can be idependently biased in the ov...

LTS junction technology for RSFQ and qubit circuit applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchholz, F.-Im.; Balashov, D.V.; Dolata, R.; Hagedorn, D.; Khabipov, M.I.; Kohlmann, J.; Zorin, A.B.; Niemeyer, J.

2006-01-01

The potentials of LTS junction technology and electronics offer innovative solutions for the processing of quantum information in RSFQ and qubit circuits. We discuss forthcoming approaches based on standard SIS technology and addressed to the development of new superconducting device concepts. The challenging problem of reducing back action noise of the RSFQ circuits deteriorating coherent properties of the qubit is currently solved by implementing Josephson junctions with non-linear shunts based on LTS SIS-SIN technology. Upgraded NbAlO x trilayer technology enables the fabrication of high-quality mesoscopic Josephson junction transistors down to the nanometer range suitable for a qubit-operation regime. As applications, circuit concepts are presented which combine superconducting devices of different nature

Aspects of stochastic resonance in Josephson junction, bimodal

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We present the results of extensive numerical studies on stochastic resonance and its characteristic features in three model systems, namely, a model for Josephson tunnel junctions, the bistable cubic map and a coupled map lattice formed by coupling the cubic maps. Some interesting features regarding the mechanism ...

Aspects of stochastic resonance in Josephson junction, bimodal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. We present the results of extensive numerical studies on stochastic resonance and its characteristic features in three model systems, namely, a model for Josephson tunnel junctions, the bistable cubic map and a coupled map lattice formed by coupling the cubic maps. Some interesting features regarding the ...

Chemically etched edges of YBa2Cu3O7 films for interconnects, crossovers and Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poppe, U.; Faley, M.I.; Urban, K.; Soltner, H.

1993-01-01

To produce damage-free edges is one of the main problems during the preparation of Josephson edge-type junctions and interconnects in multilayer structures including high temperature superconductors. The inherently short and anisotropic coherence length in high temperature superconductors makes it also difficult to fabricate Josephson junctions from these materials. One promising technique which helps to overcome such problems using a nonaqueous chemical etching with a Br-ethanol solution was first presented in a recent publication. Here we report results obtained with the use of this method: test of insulation properties of PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 , PrBa 2 Cu 2.85 Ga 0.15 O 7 , and SrTiO 3 used for crossovers and Josephson junctions. Some features of interconnects and Josephson junctions, prepared on the basis of the chemical technique are also discussed. (orig.)

Microwave Josephson generation in thin film superconducting bridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gubankov, V.N.; Koshelets, V.P.; Ovsyannikov, G.A.

1975-01-01

Thin-film bridges have some advantage over other types of superconducting weak links: good definition of electromagnetic parameters and of weak region geometry. Up to now Josephson properties of bridges have been investigated by using indirect methods (the effect of magnetic field on the critical current I 0 , the bridge behavior in a microwave field, etc.). Direct experimental observation of Josephson radiation from autonomous thin film bridges is reported. Microwave radiation in tin bridges of 'variable' thickness has been investigated where the thickness of the film forming the bridge is far less than the thickness of the bank films. (Auth.)

Preparation and characterization of a homemade Josephson junction prepared from a thin film sintered in a domestic microwave oven

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freitas, Gustavo Quereza; Moreto, Jeferson Aparecido [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGO), Rio Verde, GO (Brazil); Zadorosny, Rafael; Silveira, Joao Borsil; Carvalho, Claudio Luiz [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Ilha Solteira, SP (Brazil); Cena, Cicero Rafael, E-mail: gustavoquereza@yahoo.com.br [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia de Sao Paulo (IFSP), Birigui, SP (Brazil)

2016-03-15

A homemade Josephson junction was successfully obtained using a superconductor thin film of the BSCCO system. The film was deposited on a lanthanum aluminate, produced from a commercial powder with a nominal composition Bi{sub 1.8}Pb{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub x}, was thermally treated by a domestic microwave oven. The XRD analysis of the film indicated the coexistence of Bi-2212 and Bi-2223 phases and SEM images revealed that a typical superconductor plate-like morphology was formed. From the electrical characterization, performed using DC four probes technique, it was observed an onset superconducting transition temperature measured around 81K. At the current-voltage characteristics curve, a step of electric current at zero-voltage could be observed, an indicative that the tunneling Josephson occurred. (author)

Fluoride barriers in Nb/Pb Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Asano, H.; Tanabe, K.; Michikami, O.; Igarashi, M.; Beasley, M. R.

1985-03-01

Josephson tunnel junctions are fabricated using a new class of artificial barriers, metal fluorides (Al fluoride and Zr fluoride). These fluoride barriers are deposited on the surface of a Nb base electrode, which are previously cleaned using a CF4 cleaning process, and covered by a Pb counterelectrode. The junctions with both Al fluoride and Zr fluoride barriers exhibit good tunneling characteristics and have low specific capacitance. In the case of Zr fluoride, it is observed that reasonable resistances are obtained even at thickness greater than 100 A. This phenomenon might be explained by tunneling via localized states in Zr fluoride.

Properties on niobium-based Josephson tunneling elements in junction microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albrecht, G.; Richter, J.; Weber, P.

1982-01-01

We describe the fabrication and electrical characteristics of niobium oxide-barrier tunnel junctions with counterelectrodes of lead/lead alloy. Primary attention is directed to the experimental conditions necessary to obtain high-quality tunnel barriers as well as studies on characterizing the atomic structure of the barrier region. In order to study the tunnel barrier homogeneity in the tunneling region the magnetic field dependence of the critical Josephson current is investigated. The I--V characteristics and dependence of the critical Josephson current on temperature are analyzed quantitatively by using a proximity effect model. Finally, we discuss experimental results on the improvement of junction quality by including traces of carbon in the rf argon plasma during the sputter cleaning of niobium base electrodes

Shunted-Josephson-junction model. II. The nonautonomous case

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belykh, V. N.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Sørensen, O. H.

1977-01-01

The shunted-Josephson-junction model with a monochromatic ac current drive is discussed employing the qualitative methods of the theory of nonlinear oscillations. As in the preceding paper dealing with the autonomous junction, the model includes a phase-dependent conductance and a shunt capacitance....... The mathematical discussion makes use of the phase-space representation of the solutions to the differential equation. The behavior of the trajectories in phase space is described for different characteristic regions in parameter space and the associated features of the junction IV curve to be expected are pointed...... out. The main objective is to provide a qualitative understanding of the junction behavior, to clarify which kinds of properties may be derived from the shunted-junction model, and to specify the relative arrangement of the important domains in the parameter-space decomposition....

Doped Josephson tunneling junction for use in a sensitive IR detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fletcher, J.C.; Saffren, M.M.

1975-01-01

A superconductive tunneling device having a modified tunnel barrier capable of supporting Josephson tunneling current is provided. The tunnel barrier located between a pair of electrodes includes a molecular species which is capable of coupling incident radiation of a spectrum characteristic of the molecular species into the tunnel barrier. The coupled radiation modulates the known Josephson characteristics of the superconducting device. As a result of the present invention, a superconductive tunneling device can be tuned or made sensitive to a particular radiation associated with the dopant molecular species. The present invention is particularly useful in providing an improved infrared detector. The tunnel barrier region can be, for example, an oxide of an electrode or frozen gas. The molecular species can be intermixed with the barrier region such as the frozen gas or deposited as one or more layers of molecules on the barrier region. The deposited molecules of the molecular species are unbonded and capable of responding to a radiation characteristic of the molecules. Semi-conductor material can be utilized as the molecular species to provide an increased selective bandwidth response. Finally, appropriate detector equipment can be utilized to measure the modulation of any of the Josephson characteristics such as critical current, voltage steps, Lambe-Jaklevic peaks and plasma frequency. (auth)

Switching between dynamic states in intermediate-length Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pagano, S.; Sørensen, Mads Peter; Parmentier, R. D.

1986-01-01

The appearance of zero-field steps (ZFS’s) in the current-voltage characteristics of intermediate-length overlap-geometry Josephson tunnel junctions described by a perturbed sine-Gordon equation (PSGE) is associated with the growth of parametrically excited instabilities of the McCumber backgroun...

Niobium nitride Josephson tunnel junctions with magnesium oxide barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoji, A.; Aoyagi, M.; Kosaka, S.; Shinoki, F.; Hayakawa, H.

1985-01-01

Niobium nitride-niobium nitride Josephson tunnel junctions have been fabricated using amorphous magnesium oxide (a-MgO) films as barriers. These junctions have excellent tunneling characteristics. For example, a large gap voltage (V/sub g/ = 5.1 mV), a large product of the maximum critical current and the normal tunneling resistance (I/sub c/R/sub n/ = 3.25 mV), and a small subgap leakage current (V/sub m/ = 45 mV, measured at 3 mV) have been obtained for a NbN/a-MgO/NbN junction. The critical current of this junction remains finite up to 14.5 K

Coherence properties in superconducting flux qubits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spilla, Samuele

2015-02-16

The research work discussed in this thesis deals with the study of superconducting Josephson qubits. Superconducting qubits are solid-state artificial atoms which are based on lithographically defined Josephson tunnel junctions properties. When sufficiently cooled, these superconducting devices exhibit quantized states of charge, flux or junction phase depending on their design parameters. This allows to observe coherent evolutions of their states. The results presented can be divided into two parts. In a first part we investigate operations of superconducting qubits based on the quantum coherence in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID). We explain experimental data which has been observed in a SQUID subjected to fast, large-amplitude modifications of its effective potential shape. The motivations for this work come from the fact that in the past few years there have been attempts to interpret the supposed quantum behavior of physical systems, such as Josephson devices, within a classical framework. Moreover, we analyze the possibility of generating GHZ states, namely maximally entangled states, in a quantum system made out of three Josephson qubits. In particular, we investigate the possible limitations of the GHZ state generation due to coupling to bosonic baths. In the second part of the thesis we address a particular cause of decoherence of flux qubits which has been disregarded until now: thermal gradients, which can arise due to accidental non equilibrium quasiparticle distributions. The reason for these detrimental effects is that heat currents flowing through Josephson tunnel junctions in response to a temperature gradient are periodic functions of the phase difference between the electrodes. The phase dependence of the heat current comes from Andreev reflection, namely an interplay between the quasiparticles which carry heat and the superconducting condensate which is sensitive to the superconducting phase difference. Generally speaking

Atomic scale 0-π transition and pairing symmetry in a Josephson junction with a ferromagnetic insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabata, S.; Kashiwaya, S.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, A. A.; Asano, Y.

2011-01-01

Full text: A superconducting ring with a π-junction made from superconductor (S) / ferromagnetic- metal (FM) / superconductor (S) exhibits a spontaneous current without an external magnetic field and the corresponding magnetic flux is half a flux quantum in the ground state. Such a π-ring provides so-called 'quiet qubit' that can be efficiently decoupled from the fluctuation of the external field. However, the usage of FM gives rise to strong Ohmic dissipation. Therefore, the realization of π-junctions without FM is highly desired for qubit applications. We theoretically consider the possibility of the π-junction formation in the mesoscopic Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic insulators (FI) by taking into account the band structure of such materials explicitly. In the case of the fully polarized FIs, e.g., La 2 BaCuO 5 (LBCO) and K 2 CuF 4 , we found the formation of a π-junction and a novel atomic-scale 0-π transition induced by increasing the FI thickness LF. In this talk, I will discuss a thermal stability and material-parameter dependences of the atomic-scale 0-π transition as well as possibility of the odd-frequency pairing in such systems. (author)

Inhomogeneous superconductivity in a ferromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kontos, T.; Aprili, M.; Lesueur, J.; Genet, F.; Boursier, R.; Grison, X.

2003-01-01

We have studied a new superconducting state where the condensate wave function resulting from conventional pairing, is modified by an exchange field. Superconductivity is induced into a ferromagnetic thin film (F) by the proximity effect with a superconducting reservoir (S). We observed oscillations of the superconducting order parameter induced in F as a function of the distance from the S/F interface. They originate from the finite momentum transfer provided to Cooper pairs by the splitting of the spin up and down bands. We measured the superconducting density of states in F by tunneling spectroscopy and the Josephson critical current when F is coupled with a superconducting counter-electrode. Negative values of the superconducting order parameter are revealed by capsized tunneling spectra in F and a negative Josephson coupling (π-junction)

Mutual Phase Locking of Fluxons in Stacked Long Josephson Junctions: Simulations and Experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carapella, Giovanni; Costabile, Giovanni; Filatrella, Giovanni

1997-01-01

We report on the experimental observation of reciprocal phase-locking in stacked $Nb-AlO_x-Nb$ Josephson junctions having overlap geometry. When the junctions are independently biased in zero external magnetic field, they each exhibit several Zero Field Steps. Biasing both the junctions on the Ze...

Static properties of small Josephson tunnel junctions in a transverse magnetic field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, R.; Aarøe, Morten; Mygind, Jesper

2008-01-01

The magnetic field distribution in the barrier of small planar Josephson tunnel junctions is numerically simulated in the case when an external magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the barrier plane. The simulations allow for heuristic analytical solutions for the Josephson static phase...... profile from which the dependence of the maximum Josephson current on the applied field amplitude is derived. The most common geometrical configurations are considered and, when possible, the theoretical findings are compared with the experimental data. ©2008 American Institute of Physics...

Temperature behavior of SNS-like Nb/Al-AlO x/Nb Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacquaniti, V.; Andreone, D.; Maggi, S.; Rocci, R.; Sosso, A.; Steni, R.

2006-01-01

Overdamped Nb/Al-AlO x /Nb Josephson junctions are an intermediate state between the SIS and SNS Josephson junctions. Stable and reproducible non-hysteretic current-voltage characteristics have been obtained with a proper choice of the fabrication parameters, featuring critical current densities J c up to 25 kA/cm 2 and characteristic voltages up to 450 μV. While these values make the junctions interesting for RSFQ electronic circuits, their response to an RF signal at 70 GHz has demonstrated their suitability for both programmable and ac voltage standard. In these work we analyse the temperature behavior of these junctions up to T/T c = 1, T c being the niobium critical temperature, which gives relevant information on the junction structure and, especially, on the oxide insulator/metallic film barrier, which is the key for the reproducible transition from an hysteretic to a non-hysteretic behavior. The results are also compared with other data of hysteretic and overdamped junctions

High-Tc superconducting Josephson mixers for terahertz heterodyne detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malnou, M.; Feuillet-Palma, C.; Olanier, L.; Lesueur, J.; Bergeal, N.; Ulysse, C.; Faini, G.; Febvre, P.; Sirena, M.

2014-01-01

We report on an experimental and theoretical study of the high-frequency mixing properties of ion-irradiated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 Josephson junctions embedded in THz antennas. We investigated the influence of the local oscillator power and frequency on the device performances. The experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions of the general three-port model for mixers in which the junction is described by the resistively shunted junction model. A good agreement is obtained for the conversion efficiency in different frequency ranges, spanning above and below the characteristic frequencies f c of the junctions

External magnetic field and self-field effects in stacked long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carapella, G.; Costabile, G.; Mygind, Jesper

1996-01-01

We have fabricated and tested samples consisting of two long stacked Josephson junctions with direct access to the intermediate electrode, whose thickness is smaller than London penetration depth lambda(L). The electrodes are patterned so that the junctions can be independently biased in the over...

Static properties of small Josephson tunnel junctions in an oblique magnetic field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monaco, Roberto; Aarøe, Morten; Mygind, Jesper

2009-01-01

We have carried out a detailed experimental investigation of the static properties of planar Josephson tunnel junctions in presence of a uniform external magnetic field applied in an arbitrary orientation with respect to the barrier plane. We considered annular junctions, as well as rectangular...

Superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, N.H.; Mortensen, K.

1988-12-01

This report contains lecture notes of the basic lectures presented at the 1st Topsoee Summer School on Superconductivity held at Risoe National Laboratory, June 20-24, 1988. The following lecture notes are included: L.M. Falicov: 'Superconductivity: Phenomenology', A. Bohr and O. Ulfbeck: 'Quantal structure of superconductivity. Gauge angle', G. Aeppli: 'Muons, neutrons and superconductivity', N.F. Pedersen: 'The Josephson junction', C. Michel: 'Physicochemistry of high-T c superconductors', C. Laverick and J.K. Hulm: 'Manufacturing and application of superconducting wires', J. Clarke: 'SQUID concepts and systems'. (orig.) With 10 tabs., 128 figs., 219 refs

Experiments on the interaction between long Josephson junctions and a coplanar strip resonator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davidson, A.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1992-01-01

Experiments are reported on a new geometry designed to couple long Josephson junction fluxon oscillators to a resonant cavity. The junctions were made with a niobium-aluminum oxide-niobium trilayer process with a critical-current density of around 1000 A/cm2. Various numbers of such junctions wer...

NbCN Josephson junctions with AlN barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomasson, S.L.; Murduck, J.M.; Chan, H.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on niobium carbonitride (NbCN) Josephson circuits which operate over a wider temperature range than either niobium or niobium nitride circuits. Higher operating temperature places NbCN technology more comfortably within the range of closed cycle refrigerators, a key factor in aerospace applications. We have fabricated tunnel junctions from NbCN films with transition temperatures up to 18 Kelvin. High quality NbCN tunnel junction fabrication generally requires low stress films with roughness less than the barrier thickness (∼20 Angstrom). We have developed scanning tunneling microscopy as a tool for measuring and optimizing film smoothness. Junctions formed in situ with AIN tunneling barriers show reproducible I-V characteristics

Josephson current at atomic scale: Tunneling and nanocontacts using a STM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigo, J.G.; Crespo, V.; Vieira, S.

2006-01-01

Using a scanning tunneling microscope, STM, with a superconducting tip, we have measured the Josephson current in atomic size tunnel junctions and contacts with a small number of quantum channels of conduction. We analyze our results in terms of the Ivanchenko and Zil'berman model for phase diffusion. The effect of the thermal energy and the electromagnetic environment on the Josephson current is discussed in terms of the transmissions of the individual quantum channels. These results suppose an initial step to the control of Scanning Josephson Spectroscopy at atomic level

Anodization-based process for the fabrication of all niobium nitride Josephson junction structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimiliano Lucci

2017-03-01

Full Text Available We studied the growth and oxidation of niobium nitride (NbN films that we used to fabricate superconductive tunnel junctions. The thin films were deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering using a mixture of argon and nitrogen. The process parameters were optimized by monitoring the plasma with an optical spectroscopy technique. This technique allowed us to obtain NbN as well as good quality AlN films and both were used to obtain NbN/AlN/NbN trilayers. Lift-off lithography and selective anodization of the NbN films were used, respectively, to define the main trilayer geometry and/or to separate electrically, different areas of the trilayers. The anodized films were characterized by using Auger spectroscopy to analyze compounds formed on the surface and by means of a nano-indenter in order to investigate its mechanical and adhesion properties. The transport properties of NbN/AlN/NbN Josephson junctions obtained as a result of the above described fabrication process were measured in liquid helium at 4.2 K.

Dynamics of underdamped Josephson arrays in a magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Octavio, M.; Whan, C.B.; Geigenmueller, U.; Lobb, C.J.

1994-01-01

We present simulations of the dynamics of underdamped classical Josephson arrays for values of the flux quanta per unit cell f=1/2. We find the dynamics of this system to be quite rich. The I-V characteristics are found to have two distinct regime as the damping is increased. At low voltages the current-voltage characteristics exhibit a regime which we characterize as flux-flow-like since it is dominated by the motion of the vortex superlattice. This regime may exhibit chaotic-like behavior as the damping parameter is increased. At high voltages the characteristics jump to an ohmic-like state in which the junctions are all oscillating. We present a potential model which is quite useful in understanding the dynamics of the system. (orig.)

Markovian Dynamics of Josephson Parametric Amplification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Kaiser

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, we derive the dynamics of the lossy DC pumped non-degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier (DCPJPA. The main element in a DCPJPA is the superconducting Josephson junction. The DC bias generates the AC Josephson current varying the nonlinear inductance of the junction. By this way the Josephson junction acts as the pump oscillator as well as the time varying reactance of the parametric amplifier. In quantum-limited amplification, losses and noise have an increased impact on the characteristics of an amplifier. We outline the classical model of the lossy DCPJPA and derive the available noise power spectral densities. A classical treatment is not capable of including properties like spontaneous emission which is mandatory in case of amplification at the quantum limit. Thus, we derive a quantum mechanical model of the lossy DCPJPA. Thermal losses are modeled by the quantum Langevin approach, by coupling the quantized system to a photon heat bath in thermodynamic equilibrium. The mode occupation in the bath follows the Bose-Einstein statistics. Based on the second quantization formalism, we derive the Heisenberg equations of motion of both resonator modes. We assume the dynamics of the system to follow the Markovian approximation, i.e. the system only depends on its actual state and is memory-free. We explicitly compute the time evolution of the contributions to the signal mode energy and give numeric examples based on different damping and coupling constants. Our analytic results show, that this model is capable of including thermal noise into the description of the DC pumped non-degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier.

Markovian Dynamics of Josephson Parametric Amplification

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Waldemar; Haider, Michael; Russer, Johannes A.; Russer, Peter; Jirauschek, Christian

2017-09-01

In this work, we derive the dynamics of the lossy DC pumped non-degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier (DCPJPA). The main element in a DCPJPA is the superconducting Josephson junction. The DC bias generates the AC Josephson current varying the nonlinear inductance of the junction. By this way the Josephson junction acts as the pump oscillator as well as the time varying reactance of the parametric amplifier. In quantum-limited amplification, losses and noise have an increased impact on the characteristics of an amplifier. We outline the classical model of the lossy DCPJPA and derive the available noise power spectral densities. A classical treatment is not capable of including properties like spontaneous emission which is mandatory in case of amplification at the quantum limit. Thus, we derive a quantum mechanical model of the lossy DCPJPA. Thermal losses are modeled by the quantum Langevin approach, by coupling the quantized system to a photon heat bath in thermodynamic equilibrium. The mode occupation in the bath follows the Bose-Einstein statistics. Based on the second quantization formalism, we derive the Heisenberg equations of motion of both resonator modes. We assume the dynamics of the system to follow the Markovian approximation, i.e. the system only depends on its actual state and is memory-free. We explicitly compute the time evolution of the contributions to the signal mode energy and give numeric examples based on different damping and coupling constants. Our analytic results show, that this model is capable of including thermal noise into the description of the DC pumped non-degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier.

Self-positioned thin Pb-alloy base electrode Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroda, K.; Sato, K.

1986-01-01

A self-positioned thin (SPOT) Pb-alloy base electrode Josephson junction is developed. In this junction, a 50-nm thick Pb-alloy base electrode is restricted within the junction region on an Nb underlayer using a self-alignment technique. The grain size reduction and the base electrode area restriction greatly improve thermal cycling stability, where the thermal cycling tests of 4000 proposed junctions (5 x 5 μm 2 ) showed no failures after 4000 cycles. In addition, the elimination of insulator layer stress on the Pb-alloy base electrode rectifies the problem of size effect on current density. The Nb underlayers also serve to isolate the Pb-alloy base electrodes from the resistors

Current-voltage characteristic of a Josephson junction with randomly distributed Abrikosov vortices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fistul, M.V.; Giuliani, G.F.

1997-01-01

We have developed a theory of the current-voltage characteristic of a Josephson junction in the presence of randomly distributed, pinned misaligned Abrikosov vortices oriented perpendicularly to the junction plane. Under these conditions the Josephson phase difference var-phi acquires an interesting stochastic dependence on the position in the plane of the junction. In this situation it is possible to define an average critical current which is determined by the spatial correlations of this function. Due to the inhomogeneity, we find that for finite voltage bias the electromagnetic waves propagating in the junction display a broad spectrum of wavelengths. This is at variance with the situation encountered in homogeneous junctions. The amplitude of these modes is found to decrease as the bias is increased. We predict that the presence of these excitations is directly related to a remarkable feature in the current-voltage characteristic. The dependence of the position and the magnitude of this feature on the vortex concentration has been determined. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Josephson phase qubit circuit for the evaluation of advanced tunnel barrier materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kline, Jeffrey S; Oh, Seongshik; Pappas, David P [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Wang Haohua; Martinis, John M [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)], E-mail: klinej@nist.gov

2009-01-15

We have found that crystalline Josephson junctions have problems with the control of critical current density that decrease the circuit yield. We present a superconducting quantum bit circuit designed to accommodate a factor of five variation in critical current density from one fabrication run to the next. The new design enables the evaluation of advanced tunnel barrier materials for superconducting quantum bits. Using this circuit design, we compare the performance of Josephson phase qubits fabricated with MgO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} advanced crystalline tunnel barriers to AlO{sub x} amorphous tunnel barrier qubits.

Dynamical properties of weakly coupled Josephson systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.H.; Xia, T.K.; Stroud, D.

1990-01-01

This paper reviews recent work on the dynamical behavior of coupled resistively-shunted Josephson junctions, with emphasis on our own calculations. The authors present a model which allows for the inclusion of finite temperature, disorder, d.c. and a.c. applied currents, and applied magnetic fields. The authors discuss applications to calculations of critical currents and IV characteristics; harmonic generation and microwave absorption by finite clusters of Josephson junctions; critical energies for vortex depinning; and quantized voltage plateaus in arrays subjected to combined d.c. and a.c. currents. Possible connections to the behavior of granular high-temperature superconductors are briefly discussed

Effect of transparency on the Josephson junction between D-wave superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashedi, G

2008-01-01

In this paper, a dc Josephson junction between two singlet superconductors (d-wave and s-wave) with arbitrary reflection coefficient has been investigated theoretically following the famous paper [Y. Tanaka and S. Kashiwaya 1996 Phys. Rev. B 53, R11957]. For the case of High T c superconductors, the c-axes are parallel to an interface with finite transparency and their ab-planes have a mis-orientation. The effect of transparency and mis-orientation on the currents is studied both analytically and numerically. It is observed that, the current phase relations are totally different from the case of ideal transparent Josephson junctions between d-wave superconductors and two s-wave superconductors. This apparatus can be used to demonstrate d-wave order parameter in High T c superconductors

Annealing effect on the reproducibility of Josephson Junctions made by ion irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sirena, M; Matzen, S; Bergeal, N; Lesueur, J [Laboratoire Photons Et Matiere, CNRS, ESPCI, 10 Rue Vauquelin 75231 Paris (France) (France); Faini, G [Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis (France) (France); Bernard, R; Briatico, J; Crete, D [UMR-CNRS/THALES, Route D128, 91767 Palaiseau (France) (France)], E-mail: martin.sirena@espci.fr

2008-02-01

We have studied the annealing effects on the transport properties of High Tc Josephson Junctions (JJ) made by ion irradiation. Several JJ were measured for different annealing times and the experimental data were compared to numerical simulations. We have successfully used a vacancy-interstitial annihilation mechanism to describe the evolution of the JJ coupling temperature (T{sub J}) and the homogeneity of a JJ array, related to the evolution of the defects density mean value and its distribution width. For sufficient long annealing times (t > 600 min), {delta}T{sub J} was significatively reduced. This result appears to be very encouraging for future applications where the spread in JJ characteristics has to be as low as possible.

Annealing effect on the reproducibility of Josephson Junctions made by ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sirena, M; Matzen, S; Bergeal, N; Lesueur, J; Faini, G; Bernard, R; Briatico, J; Crete, D

2008-01-01

We have studied the annealing effects on the transport properties of High Tc Josephson Junctions (JJ) made by ion irradiation. Several JJ were measured for different annealing times and the experimental data were compared to numerical simulations. We have successfully used a vacancy-interstitial annihilation mechanism to describe the evolution of the JJ coupling temperature (T J ) and the homogeneity of a JJ array, related to the evolution of the defects density mean value and its distribution width. For sufficient long annealing times (t > 600 min), ΔT J was significatively reduced. This result appears to be very encouraging for future applications where the spread in JJ characteristics has to be as low as possible

Chaos controlling problems for circuit systems with Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gou, X-F; Wang, X; Xie, J-L

2008-01-01

The complex dynamical characters of the Josephson junction circuit system are studied and the tunnel effect is considered. The dynamical equation of the system is established. The route from periodic motion to chaos is illustrated using bifurcation diagram. An adscititious coupling controller is constructed to control the chaos

Using ion irradiation to make high-Tc Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergeal, N.; Lesueur, J.; Sirena, M.; Faini, G.; Aprili, M.; Contour, J. P.; Leridon, B.

2007-01-01

In this article we describe the effect of ion irradiation on high-T c superconductor thin film and its interest for the fabrication of Josephson junctions. In particular, we show that these alternative techniques allow to go beyond most of the limitations encountered in standard junction fabrication methods, both in the case of fundamental and technological purposes. Two different geometries are presented: a planar one using a single high-T c film and a mesa one defined in a trilayer structure

Spin nutation effects in molecular nanomagnet–superconductor tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abouie, J; Abdollahipour, B; Rostami, A A

2013-01-01

We study the spin nutation effects of a molecular nanomagnet on the Josephson current through a superconductor|molecular nanomagnet|superconductor tunnel junction. We explicitly demonstrate that, due to the spin nutation of the molecular nanomagnet, two oscillatory terms emerge in the ac Josephson current in addition to the conventional ac Josephson current. Some resonances occur in the junction due to the interactions of the transported quasiparticles with the bias voltage and molecular nanomagnet spin dynamics. Their appearance indicates that the energy exchanged during these interactions is in the range of the superconducting energy gap. We also show that the spin nutation is able to convert the ac Josephson current to a dc current, which is interesting for applications. (paper)

Nonlinear optical control of Josephson coupling in cuprates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casandruc, Eliza

2017-03-15

In High-T{sub C} cuprates superconducting Cu-O planes alternate with insulating layers along the crystallographic c-axis, making the materials equivalent to Josephson junctions connected in series. The most intriguing consequence is that the out-of-plane superconducting transport occurs via Cooper pairs tunneling across the insulating layers and can be predicted by the Josephson tunneling equations. Nonlinear interaction between light fields and the superconducting carriers serves as a powerful dynamical probe of cuprates, while offering opportunities for controlling them in an analogous fashion to other stimuli such as pressure and magnetic fields. The main goal of this thesis work is to use intense transient light fields to control the interlayer superconducting transport on ultrafast time scales. This was achieved by tuning the wavelength of such light pulses to completely different ranges, in order to either directly excite Josephson Plasma Waves in the nonlinear regime, or efficiently melt the competing charge and spin order phase, which in certain cuprates quenches the Josephson tunneling at equilibrium. In a first study, I have utilized strong field terahertz transients with frequencies tuned to the Josephson plasma resonance (JPR) to coherently control the c-axis superconducting transport. The Josephson relations have a cubic nonlinearity which is exploited to achieve two related, albeit slightly different, phenomena. Depending on the driving pulse, solitonic breathers were excited with narrow-band multi-cycle pulses in La{sub 1.84}Sr{sub 0.16}CuO{sub 4} while broad-band half-cycle pulses were employed to achieve a parametric amplification of Josephson Plasma Waves in La{sub 1.905}Ba{sub 0.095}CuO{sub 4}. These experiments are supported by extensive modeling, showing exceptional agreement. A comprehensive study illustrates the strong enhancement of the nonlinear effects near the JPR frequency. Then, I turned to investigate the competition between

Measured Temperature Dependence of the cos-phi Conductance in Josephson Tunnel Junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, O. H.; Mygind, Jesper; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1977-01-01

The temperature dependence of the cosϕ conductance in Sn-O-Sn Josephson tunnel junctions has been measured just below the critical temperature, Tc. From the resonant microwave response at the junction plasma frequency as the temperature is decreased from Tc it is deduced that the amplitude of the...

Micromagnetic modeling of critical current oscillations in magnetic Josephson junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

golovchanskiy, I.A.; Bol'ginov, V.V.; Stolyarov, V.S.; Abramov, N.N.; Ben Hamida, A.; Emelyanova, O.V.; Stolyarov, B.S.; Kupriyanov, M..Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Ryazanov, V.V.

2016-01-01

In this work we propose and explore an effective numerical approach for investigation of critical current dependence on applied magnetic field for magnetic Josephson junctions with in-plane magnetization orientation. This approach is based on micromagnetic simulation of the magnetization reversal

Breathers in Josephson junction ladders: Resonances and electromagnetic wave spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miroshnichenko, A. E.; Flach, S.; Fistul, M.

2001-01-01

We present a theoretical study of the resonant interaction between dynamical localized states (discrete breathers) and linear electromagnetic excitations (EE's) in Josephson junction ladders. By making use of direct numerical simulations we find that such an interaction manifests itself by resonant...

Properties of superconducting S-I-N, S-I-S, and S-C-S structures with amorphous weak coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozub, V.I.

1984-01-01

The properties due to the presence of two-level structure systems in superconducting tunnel junctions with amorphous insulators, as well as in point and bridge Josephson junctions with amorphous surrounds, are investigated. Equations are obtained for tunneling with participation of the two-level systems for the cases of quasistatic tunneling in an S-I-N junction (N is the normal metal) and for the case of Josephson tunneling in an S-I-S junction. It is shown that inelastic tunneling makes an additional contribution to the nonlinearity of the current-voltage characteristic of an S-I-N junction. The specific phenomena of nonexponential relaxation in this junction (in particular, tunnel-current relaxation), which have a 1/t dependence, are discussed. Low-frequency noise in S-I-S and S-C-S structures, due to transitions in the two-level system and having a 1/f dependence at not too small junction sizes are considered. In the case of the stationary Josephson effect this noise has features of critical-current fluctuations that can manifest themselves, in particular as fluctuations of the magnetic flux linked with a weakly coupled superconducting ring. Under conditions of the nonstationary Josephson effect the two-level structures lead to broadening of the Josephson-generation line. It is proposed to use the nonstationary Josephson effect to observe the echo effect in glasses

Computed tomography image using sub-terahertz waves generated from a high-Tc superconducting intrinsic Josephson junction oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashiwagi, T.; Minami, H.; Kadowaki, K.; Nakade, K.; Saiwai, Y.; Kitamura, T.; Watanabe, C.; Ishida, K.; Sekimoto, S.; Asanuma, K.; Yasui, T.; Shibano, Y.; Tsujimoto, M.; Yamamoto, T.; Marković, B.; Mirković, J.; Klemm, R. A.

2014-01-01

A computed tomography (CT) imaging system using monochromatic sub-terahertz coherent electromagnetic waves generated from a device constructed from the intrinsic Josephson junctions in a single crystalline mesa structure of the high-T c superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ was developed and tested on three samples: Standing metallic rods supported by styrofoam, a dried plant (heart pea) containing seeds, and a plastic doll inside an egg shell. The images obtained strongly suggest that this CT imaging system may be useful for a variety of practical applications

Influence of coupling parameter on current-voltage characteristics of intrinsic Josephson junctions in high-T c superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukrinov, Yu.M.; Mahfouzi, F.

2006-01-01

We study the current-voltage characteristics of intrinsic Josephson junctions in high-T c superconductors by numerical calculations and in framework of capacitively coupled Josephson junctions model we obtain the total number of branches. The influence of the coupling parameter α on the current-voltage characteristics at fixed parameter β (β 2 1/β c , where β c is McCumber parameter) and the influence of α on β-dependence of the current-voltage characteristics are investigated. We obtain the α-dependence of the branch's slopes and branch's endpoints. The presented results show new features of the coupling effect on the scheme of hysteresis jumps in current-voltage characteristics of intrinsic Josephson junctions in high-T c superconductors

Two coupled Josephson junctions: dc voltage controlled by biharmonic current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machura, L; Spiechowicz, J; Kostur, M; Łuczka, J

2012-01-01

We study transport properties of two Josephson junctions coupled by an external shunt resistance. One of the junctions (say, the first) is driven by an unbiased ac current consisting of two harmonics. The device can rectify the ac current yielding a dc voltage across the first junction. For some values of coupling strength, controlled by an external shunt resistance, a dc voltage across the second junction can be generated. By variation of system parameters such as the relative phase or frequency of two harmonics, one can conveniently manipulate both voltages with high efficiency, e.g. changing the dc voltages across the first and second junctions from positive to negative values and vice versa. (paper)

Spin-triplet supercurrent in Co-based Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khasawneh, Mazin A; Khaire, Trupti S; Klose, Carolin; Pratt, William P Jr; Birge, Norman O

2011-01-01

In the past year several groups have reported experimental evidence for spin-triplet supercurrents in Josephson junctions containing strong ferromagnetic materials. In this paper we present several new experimental results that follow up on our previous work. We study Josephson junctions of the form S/X/N/SAF/N/X/S, where S is a superconductor (Nb), N is a normal metal, SAF is a synthetic antiferromagnet of the form Co/Ru/Co and X is an ferromagnetic layer necessary to induce spin-triplet correlations in the structure. Our work is distinguished by the fact that the generation of spin-triplet correlations is tuned by the type and thickness of the X layers. The most important new result reported here is the discovery that a conventional, strong ferromagnetic material, Ni, performs well as the X layer, if it is sufficiently thin. This discovery rules out our earlier hypothesis that out-of-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy is an important attribute of the X layers. These results suggest that the spin-triplet correlations are most likely induced by noncollinear magnetization between the X layers and adjacent Co layers.

Emergent Higgsless Superconductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Diamantini M.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We present a new Higgsless model of superconductivity, inspired from anyon superconductivity but P- and T-invariant and generalizable to any dimension. While the original anyon superconductivity mechanism was based on incompressible quantum Hall fluids as average field states, our mechanism involves topological insulators as average field states. In D space dimensions it involves a (D-1-form fictitious pseudovector gauge field which originates from the condensation of topological defects in compact lowenergy effective BF theories. There is no massive Higgs scalar as there is no local order parameter. When electromagnetism is switched on, the photon acquires mass by the topological BF mechanism. Although the charge of the gapless mode (2 and the topological order (4 are the same as those of the standard Higgs model, the two models of superconductivity are clearly different since the origins of the gap, reflected in the high-energy sectors are totally different. In 2D thi! s type of superconductivity is explicitly realized as global superconductivity in Josephson junction arrays. In 3D this model predicts a possible phase transition from topological insulators to Higgsless superconductors.

Dynamics of the Josephson multi-junction system with junctions characterized by non-sinusoidal current - phase relationship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abal'osheva, I.; Lewandowski, S.J.

2004-01-01

It is shown that the inclusion of junctions characterized by non-sinusoidal current - phase relationship in the systems composed of multiple Josephson junctions - results in the appearance of additional system phase states. Numerical simulations and stability considerations confirm that those phase states can be realized in practice. Moreover, spontaneous formation of the grain boundary junctions in high-T c superconductors with non-trivial current-phase relations due to the d-wave symmetry of the order parameter is probable. Switching between the phase states of multiple grain boundary junction systems can lead to additional 1/f noise in high-T c superconductors. (author)

Fluxon dynamics in long Josephson junctions in the presence of a temperature gradient or spatial nonuniformity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krasnov, V.M.; Oboznov, V.A.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1997-01-01

Fluxon dynamics in nonuniform Josephson junctions was studied both experimentally and theoretically. Two types of nonuniform junctions were considered: the first type had a nonuniform spatial distribution of critical and bias currents and the second had a temperature gradient applied along...... the junction. An analytical expression for the I-V curve in the presence of a temperature gradient or spatial nonuniformity was derived. It was shown that there is no static thermomagnetic Nernst effect due to Josephson fluxon motion despite the existence of a force pushing fluxons in the direction of smaller...

Numerical simulation of the self-pumped long Josephson junction using a modified sine-Gordon model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sobolev, A.S.; Pankratov, A.L.; Mygind, J.

2006-01-01

We have numerically investigated the dynamics of a long Josephson junction (flux-flow oscillator) biased by a DC current in the presence of magnetic field. The study is performed in the frame of the modified sine-Gordon model, which includes the surface losses, RC-load at both FFO ends and the self-pumping effect. In our model the dumping parameter depends both on the spatial coordinate and the amplitude of the AC voltage. In order to find the DC FFO voltage the damping parameter has to be calculated by successive approximations and time integration of the perturbed sine-Gordon equation. The modified model, which accounts for the presence of the superconducting gap, gives better qualitative agreement with experimental results compare to the conventional sine-Gordon model

Effect of exciton pairing on the stationary Josephson current in superconductor-semimetal-superconductor junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itskovich, I.F.; Shekhter, R.I.

1983-01-01

The effect of exciton pairing of charge carriers in a semimetal on the stationary Josephson current in superconductor-semimetal-superconductor junctions is considered. It is shown that the phase transition of the semimetal interlayer into an exciton dielectric state for T/sub γ/< T/sub c/ (T/sub γ/, T/sub c/ are the superconducting and exciton transition temperatures, respectively) is accompanied by a kink on the critical current j/sub c/ versus temperature curve at the point T = T/sub γ/. A sharp nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the reduced current j/sub c//j/sub c/0 (j/sub c/0 is the critical current at T/sub γ/ = 0) is also possible in the range T< T/sub γ/. At low temperatures T<< v/sub 1,2//d<< T/sub γ/ (v/sub 1,2/ are the Fermi velocities of the carriers in the semimetal, d is the thickness of the interlayer) the critical current of the superconductor-semimetal-superconductor junction is exponentially smaller than the current in the absence of exciton pairing

High density processing electronics for superconducting tunnel junction x-ray detector arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warburton, W.K., E-mail: bill@xia.com [XIA LLC, 31057 Genstar Road, Hayward, CA 94544 (United States); Harris, J.T. [XIA LLC, 31057 Genstar Road, Hayward, CA 94544 (United States); Friedrich, S. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)

2015-06-01

Superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs) are excellent soft x-ray (100–2000 eV) detectors, particularly for synchrotron applications, because of their ability to obtain energy resolutions below 10 eV at count rates approaching 10 kcps. In order to achieve useful solid detection angles with these very small detectors, they are typically deployed in large arrays – currently with 100+ elements, but with 1000 elements being contemplated. In this paper we review a 5-year effort to develop compact, computer controlled low-noise processing electronics for STJ detector arrays, focusing on the major issues encountered and our solutions to them. Of particular interest are our preamplifier design, which can set the STJ operating points under computer control and achieve 2.7 eV energy resolution; our low noise power supply, which produces only 2 nV/√Hz noise at the preamplifier's critical cascode node; our digital processing card that digitizes and digitally processes 32 channels; and an STJ I–V curve scanning algorithm that computes noise as a function of offset voltage, allowing an optimum operating point to be easily selected. With 32 preamplifiers laid out on a custom 3U EuroCard, and the 32 channel digital card in a 3U PXI card format, electronics for a 128 channel array occupy only two small chassis, each the size of a National Instruments 5-slot PXI crate, and allow full array control with simple extensions of existing beam line data collection packages.

Microwave oscillator based on an intrinsic BSCCO-type Josephson junction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Madsen, Søren Peder

2005-01-01

. The resulting model is a set of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations. By direct numerical simulations we have demonstrated that the qualitative behavior of the combined intrinsic Josephson junction and cavity system can be understood on the basis of general concepts of nonlinear oscillators...

Momentum-Space Josephson Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Junpeng; Luo, Xi-Wang; Sun, Kuei; Bersano, Thomas; Gokhroo, Vandna; Mossman, Sean; Engels, Peter; Zhang, Chuanwei

2018-03-01

The Josephson effect is a prominent phenomenon of quantum supercurrents that has been widely studied in superconductors and superfluids. Typical Josephson junctions consist of two real-space superconductors (superfluids) coupled through a weak tunneling barrier. Here we propose a momentum-space Josephson junction in a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate, where states with two different momenta are coupled through Raman-assisted tunneling. We show that Josephson currents can be induced not only by applying the equivalent of "voltages," but also by tuning tunneling phases. Such tunneling-phase-driven Josephson junctions in momentum space are characterized through both full mean field analysis and a concise two-level model, demonstrating the important role of interactions between atoms. Our scheme provides a platform for experimentally realizing momentum-space Josephson junctions and exploring their applications in quantum-mechanical circuits.

Capacitance measurement of Josephson tunnel junctions with microwave-induced dc quasiparticle tunneling currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamasaki, K.; Yoshida, K.; Irie, F.; Enpuku, K.

1982-01-01

The microwave response of the dc quasiparticle tunneling current in Josephson tunnel junctions, where the Josephson current is suppressed by an external magnetic field, has been studied quantitatively in order to clarify its characteristics as a probe for the measurement of the junction capacitance. Extensive experiments for both small and long junctions are carried out for distinguishing between microwave behaviors of lumped and distributed constant junctions. It is shown that the observed voltage dependence of the dc quasiparticle tunneling current modified by an applied rf field is in good agreement with a theoretical result which takes into account the influence of the microwave circuit connected to the junction. The comparison between theory and experiment gives the magnitude of the internal rf field in the junction. Together with the applied rf field, this internal rf field leads to the junction rf impedance which is dominated by the junction capacitance in our experimental condition. In the case of lumped junctions, this experimental rf impedance is in reasonable agreement with the theoretical one with the junction capacitance estimated from the Fiske step of the distributed junction fabricated on the same substrate; the obtained ratio of the experimental impedance to the theoretical one is approximately 0.6--1.7. In the case of distributed junctions, however, experimental values of their characteristic impedances are approximately 0.2--0.3 of theoretical values calculated by assuming the one-dimensional junction model and taking account of the standing-wave effect in the junction

Low temperature properties of spin filter NbN/GdN/NbN Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massarotti, D., E-mail: dmassarotti@na.infn.it [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa (CE) (Italy); CNR-SPIN UOS Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Caruso, R. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); CNR-SPIN UOS Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Pal, A. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Rotoli, G. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa (CE) (Italy); Longobardi, L. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa (CE) (Italy); American Physical Society, 1 Research Road, Ridge, New York 11961 (United States); Pepe, G.P. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); CNR-SPIN UOS Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); Blamire, M.G. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Tafuri, F. [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione, Seconda Università di Napoli, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa (CE) (Italy); CNR-SPIN UOS Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • We study the phase dynamics of ferromagnetic NbN/GdN/NbN Josephson junctions. • The ferromagnetic insulator GdN barrier generates spin-filtering properties. • Spin filter junctions fall in the underdamped regime. • MQT occurs with the same phenomenology as in conventional Josephson junctions. • Dissipation is studied in a wide range of critical current density values. - Abstract: A ferromagnetic Josephson junction (JJ) represents a special class of hybrid system where different ordered phases meet and generate novel physics. In this work we report on the transport measurements of underdamped ferromagnetic NbN/GdN/NbN JJs at low temperatures. In these junctions the ferromagnetic insulator gadolinium nitride barrier generates spin-filtering properties and a dominant second harmonic component in the current-phase relation. These features make spin filter junctions quite interesting also in terms of fundamental studies on phase dynamics and dissipation. We discuss the fingerprints of spin filter JJs, through complementary transport measurements, and their implications on the phase dynamics, through standard measurements of switching current distributions. NbN/GdN/NbN JJs, where spin filter properties can be controllably tuned along with the critical current density (J{sub c}), turn to be a very relevant term of reference to understand phase dynamics and dissipation in an enlarged class of JJs, not necessarily falling in the standard tunnel limit characterized by low J{sub c} values.

Interaction between fractional Josephson vortices in multi-gap superconductor tunnel junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ju H.

In a long Josephson junction (LJJ) with two-band superconductors, fractionalization of Josephson vortices (fluxons) can occur in the broken time reversal symmetry state when spatial phase textures (i-solitons) are excited. Excitation of i-solitons in each superconductor layer of the junction, arising due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Josephson effect, leads to spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in fractional fluxons with large and small fraction of flux quantum. Similar to fluxons in one-band superconductor LJJ, these fractional fluxons are found to interact with each other. The interaction between large and small fractional fluxons determines the size of a fluxon which includes two (one large and one small) fractional fluxons. We discuss the nature of interaction between fractional fluxons and suggest that i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs may be probed by using magnetic flux measurements.

Direct DC 10 V comparison between two programmable Josephson voltage standards made of niobium nitride (NbN)-based and niobium (Nb)-based Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Solve, S.; Chayramy, R.; Maruyama, M.; Urano, C.; Kaneko, N.-H.; Rüfenacht, A.

2018-04-01

BIPM’s new transportable programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) has been used for an on-site comparison at the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (NMIJ/AIST, hereafter called just NMIJ unless otherwise noted). This is the first time that an array of niobium-based Josephson junctions with amorphous niobium silicon Nb x Si1-x barriers, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology4 (NIST), has been directly compared to an array of niobium nitride (NbN)-based junctions (developed by the NMIJ in collaboration with the Nanoelectronics Research Institute (NeRI), AIST). Nominally identical voltages produced by both systems agreed within 5 parts in 1012 (0.05 nV at 10 V) with a combined relative uncertainty of 7.9  ×  10-11 (0.79 nV). The low side of the NMIJ apparatus is, by design, referred to the ground potential. An analysis of the systematic errors due to the leakage current to ground was conducted for this ground configuration. The influence of a multi-stage low-pass filter installed at the output measurement leads of the NMIJ primary standard was also investigated. The number of capacitances in parallel in the filter and their insulation resistance have a direct impact on the amplitude of the systematic voltage error introduced by the leakage current, even if the current does not necessarily return to ground. The filtering of the output of the PJVS voltage leads has the positive consequence of protecting the array from external sources of noise. Current noise, when coupled to the array, reduces the width or current range of the quantized voltage steps. The voltage error induced by the leakage current in the filter is an order of magnitude larger than the voltage error in the absence of all filtering, even though the current range of steps is significantly decreased without filtering.

Stability of fluxon motion in long Josephson junctions at high bias

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pagano, S.; Sørensen, Mads Peter; Christiansen, Peter Leth

1988-01-01

In long Josephson junctions the motion of fluxons is revealed by the existence of current steps, zero-field steps, in the current-voltage characteristics. In this paper we investigate the stability of the fluxon motion when high values of the current bias are involved. The investigation is carried...... dissipations and of the junction length on the switching-current value is investigated. A simple boundary model is able to describe, for junctions of overlap geometry, the qualitative dependence of the switching current on the system parameters....

Thermalization of a quenched Bose-Josephson junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Posazhennikova, Anna [Royal Holloway, University of London (United Kingdom); Trujillo-Martinez, Mauricio; Kroha, Johann [Universitaet Bonn (Germany)

2015-07-01

The experimental realization and control of quantum systems isolated from the environment, in ultracold atomic gases relaunched the interest in the fundamental non-equilibrium problem of how a finite system approaches thermal equilibrium. Despite intensive research there is still no conclusive answer to this question. We investigate theoretically how a quenched Bose-Josephson junction, where the Josephson coupling is switched on instantaneously, approaches its stationary state. We use the field theoretical approach for bosons out of equilibrium in a trap with discrete levels, developed by us previously. In this approach the operators for Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) particles are treated on mean-field level, while excitations of the Bose gas in higher trap levels are treated fully quantum-mechanically. This leads to coupled equations of motion for the BEC amplitudes (Gross-Pitaevskii equation) and the quasiparticle propagators. The inelastic quasiparticle collisions responsible for the system relaxation during the time-dependent evolution are described within self-consistent second-order approximation.

Multiwall carbon nanotube Josephson junctions with niobium contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pallecchi, Emiliano

2009-01-01

The main goal of this thesis is the investigation of dissipationless supercurrent in multiwall carbon nanotubes embedded in a controlled environment. The experimental observation of a dissipationless supercurrent in gated carbon nanotubes remains challenging because of its extreme sensitivity to the environment and to noise fluctuations. We address these issues by choosing niobium as a superconductor and by designing an optimized on chip electromagnetic environment. The environment is meant to reduce the suppression of the supercurrent and allows to disentangle the effects of thermal fluctuations from the intrinsic behavior of the junction. This is crucial for the extraction of the value critical current from the measured data. When the transparency of the contacts is high enough we observed a fully developed supercurrent and we found that it depends on the gate voltage in a resonant manner. In average the critical current increases when the gate is tuned more negative, reflecting the increase of the transparency of the contacts, while the resonant behavior is due to quantum interference effects. We measured the temperature dependence of the switching current and we analyzed the data with an extended RCSJ model that allow to extract the critical current from the experimental data. The measured critical currents are very high with respect to previous reports on gated devices. At positive gate voltage the contacts transparency is lowered and Coulomb blockade is observed. This allows to use Coulomb blockade measurements to further characterize the nanotube and to study the physics of a quantum dot coupled to superconducting leads. The last part of this thesis is dedicated to the measurements of a carbon nanotube Josephson junction in the Coulomb blockade regime. (orig.)

Multiwall carbon nanotube Josephson junctions with niobium contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pallecchi, Emiliano

2009-02-17

The main goal of this thesis is the investigation of dissipationless supercurrent in multiwall carbon nanotubes embedded in a controlled environment. The experimental observation of a dissipationless supercurrent in gated carbon nanotubes remains challenging because of its extreme sensitivity to the environment and to noise fluctuations. We address these issues by choosing niobium as a superconductor and by designing an optimized on chip electromagnetic environment. The environment is meant to reduce the suppression of the supercurrent and allows to disentangle the effects of thermal fluctuations from the intrinsic behavior of the junction. This is crucial for the extraction of the value critical current from the measured data. When the transparency of the contacts is high enough we observed a fully developed supercurrent and we found that it depends on the gate voltage in a resonant manner. In average the critical current increases when the gate is tuned more negative, reflecting the increase of the transparency of the contacts, while the resonant behavior is due to quantum interference effects. We measured the temperature dependence of the switching current and we analyzed the data with an extended RCSJ model that allow to extract the critical current from the experimental data. The measured critical currents are very high with respect to previous reports on gated devices. At positive gate voltage the contacts transparency is lowered and Coulomb blockade is observed. This allows to use Coulomb blockade measurements to further characterize the nanotube and to study the physics of a quantum dot coupled to superconducting leads. The last part of this thesis is dedicated to the measurements of a carbon nanotube Josephson junction in the Coulomb blockade regime. (orig.)

Magnetic field behavior of current steps in long Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costabile, G.; Cucolo, A.M.; Pace, S.; Parmentier, R.D.; Savo, B.; Vaglio, R.

1980-01-01

The zero-field steps, or dc current singularities, in the current-voltage characteristics of long Josephson tunnel junctions, first reported by Chen et al., continue to attract research interest both because their study can provide fundamental information on the dynamics of fluxons in such junctions and because they are accompanied by the emission of microwave radiation from the junction, which may be exploitable in practical oscillator applications. The purpose of this paper is to report some experimental observations of the magnetic field behavior of the steps in junctions fabricated in our Laboratory and to offer a qualitative explanation for this behavior. Measurements have been made both for very long (L >> lambdasub(J)) and for slightly long (L approx. >= lambdasub(J)) junctions with a view toward comparing our results with those of other workers. (orig./WRI)

Chaos synchronization in a Josephson junction system via active sliding mode control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yang; Wang Wei

2009-01-01

In this letter, two types of active siding control methods are proposed and applied to achieve chaotic synchronization in a Josephson junction system. Numerical simulations are used to verify the proposed control techniques.

Negative differential resistance in Josephson junctions coupled to a cavity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Filatrella, G.; Pierro, V.

2014-01-01

or external – is often used. A cavity may also induce a negative differential resistance region at the lower side of the resonance frequency. We investigate the dynamics of Josephson junctions with a negative differential resistance in the quasi particle tunnel current, i.e. in the McCumber curve. We find...

Relaxation towards phase-locked dynamics in long Josephson junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salerno, M.; Grønbech-Jensen, Niels; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm

1995-01-01

We study the relaxation phenomenon towards phase-locked dynamics in long Josephson junctions. In particular the dependence of the relaxation frequency for the equal time of flight solution on the junction parameters is derived. The analysis is based on a phase-locked map and is compared with direct...... numerical experiments performed both on the map and on the perturbed sine-Gordon equation. As an interesting result we find that very close to a bifurcation the relaxation frequency is exactly equal to the half of the step frequency, i.e., the frequency characterizing the period-one solution....

Possible resonance effect of axionic dark matter in Josephson junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Christian

2013-12-06

We provide theoretical arguments that dark-matter axions from the galactic halo that pass through Earth may generate a small observable signal in resonant S/N/S Josephson junctions. The corresponding interaction process is based on the uniqueness of the gauge-invariant axion Josephson phase angle modulo 2π and is predicted to produce a small Shapiro steplike feature without externally applied microwave radiation when the Josephson frequency resonates with the axion mass. A resonance signal of so far unknown origin observed by C. Hoffmann et al. [Phys. Rev. B 70, 180503(R) (2004)] is consistent with our theory and can be interpreted in terms of an axion mass m(a)c2=0.11  meV and a local galactic axionic dark-matter density of 0.05  GeV/cm3. We discuss future experimental checks to confirm the dark-matter nature of the observed signal.

Phase dynamics of single long Josephson junction in MgB2 superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Chimouriya, Shanker Pd.; Ghimire, Bal Ram; Kim, Ju H.

2018-05-01

A system of perturbed sine Gordon equations is derived to a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) long Joseph-son junction as an extension of the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation, following the long route of path integral formalism. A computer simulation is performed by discretizing the equations using finite difference approximation and applied to the MgB2 superconductor with SiO2 as the junction material. The solution of unperturbed sG equation is taken as the initial profile for the simulation and observed how the perturbation terms play the role to modify it. It is found initial profile deformed as time goes on. The variation of total Josephson current has also been observed. It is found that, the perturbation terms play the role for phase frustration. The phase frustration achieves quicker for high tunneling current.

Second international Israeli conference on High Tc Superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The superconductivity fields covered in this conference are: theory, applications, devices, flux properties high frequencies, Josephson junctions, magnetism, material sciences and physical properties of superconductors, spectroscopy and resonances and thin films

Partially spin-polarized Josephson tunneling between non-centrosymmetric superconductors like CePt3Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandal, S.S.; Mukherjee, S.P.

2007-01-01

Full text: The recent discovery of the superconductivity in the heavy fermionic compound CePt 3 Si have attracted much of the attention of the physics community. The presence of strong Rashba kind of spin-orbit coupling in them split the otherwise degenerate electronic band into two nondegenerate bands. This peculiarity in the band structure gives rise to complicated kind of order parameter whose exact nature is unknown till date. Traditionally Josephson junctions in superconductors draw interest both scientifically and its applicability in making devices. It has been used in several cases as a probe to the order parameter symmetry of the superconductor. It has also been studied in unconventional superconductors like spin-singlet cuprate and spin-triplet Sr 2 RuO 4 superconductors. However no Josephson junction between nonmagnetic superconductors is known to generate spin-polarized current. The purpose of this work is to theoretically show that the direction dependent tunneling matrix element across the junction between two recently discovered non-centrosymmetric superconductors like CePt 3 Si, leads to tunneling of both spin-singlet and spin-triplet Cooper pairs. As a consequence, nonvanishing spin-Josephson current is viable along with the usual charge-Josephson current. This novel spin-Josephson current depends on the relative angle xi between the axes of non-centrosymmetry {n} L and that {n} R in the left and right side of the junction respectively. This angular dependence may be used to make Josephson spin switch. (authors)

Ion implantation in superconducting niobium and Nb3 Sn thin films: adjustment of Josephson microbridges and SQUID devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robic, J.Y.; Piaguet, J.; Duret, D.; Veler, J.C.; Veran, J.L.; Zenatti, D.

1978-01-01

The principles of operation of Josephson junctions and SQUIDS are resumed. An ion implantation technique for the adjustment of the critical current is presented. High quality superconducting thin films were obtained by electron gun evaporation of niobium on heated substrates. Polycrystalline Nb 3 Sn was made by annealing (1000 K, 10 -6 Torr) a multilayer structure of successively evaporated niobium and thin films. Selected ions (helium, neon, argon) were implanted at doses ranging from 10 13 to 10 17 cm -2 . After implantation the critical temperature, the critical current and the normal resistivity were measured on special photoetched geometries. The variations of these electrical properties depend on the nuclear energy loss. The critical temperature of Nb 3 Sn is decreased by ion implantation and can be increased again by a new annealing. The parameters of the ion implantation were defined in order to obtain a critical temperature slightly higher than the operating temperature. The geometries of the microbridges and the implanted areas where then chosen to obtain appropriate criticals currents (approximately 10 μA) at the operating temperature. The obtained microbridges were used as junction elements in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID)

Even and odd subharmonic frequencies and chaos in Josephson junctions: Impact on parametric amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levinsen, M.T.

1982-01-01

The Stewart-McCumber model of a Josephson junction has been shown to exhibit period-doubling bifurcation cascades, as described by the Feigenbaum bifurcation theory. Chaotic states, sometimes associated with the bifurcations, are also prevalent. The present paper deals with the questions of subharmonic generation and chaotic states in the aforementioned model, and in addition with the problem of the ubiquitous noise rise found in Josephson junction parametric amplifiers. The bifurcation is first discussed by drawing on analytical results on the Duffing equation which is an approximation to the complete ac-driven Stewart-McCumber model. The complete model is then solved on an analog computer. Thereafter it is shown that besides the even subharmonics predicted by the bifurcation theory, the natural subharmonic to expect at small dc currents is the odd. This may then have associated its own bifurcation tree. The role of spontaneous symmetry breaking will be discussed. This reconciles the earlier treatment of the 3-photon amplifier with the Feigenbaum scheme. Finally, analog calculations on a model of an externally pumped Josephson junction parametric amplifier will be discussed. The conclusion seems to be that chaotic noise cannot account for the noise rise

Frequency Combs in a Lumped-Element Josephson-Junction Circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Saeed; Türeci, Hakan E.

2018-04-01

We investigate the dynamics of a microwave-driven Josephson junction capacitively coupled to a lumped-element L C oscillator. In the regime of driving where the Josephson junction can be approximated as a Kerr oscillator, this minimal nonlinear system has been previously shown to exhibit a bistability in phase and amplitude. In the present study, we characterize the full phase diagram and show that besides a parameter regime exhibiting bistability, there is also a regime of self-oscillations characterized by a frequency comb in its spectrum. We discuss the mechanism of comb generation which appears to be different from those studied in microcavity frequency combs and mode-locked lasers. We then address the fate of the comblike spectrum in the regime of strong quantum fluctuations, reached when nonlinearity becomes the dominant scale with respect to dissipation. We find that the nonlinearity responsible for the emergence of the frequency combs also leads to its dephasing, leading to broadening and ultimate disappearance of sharp spectral peaks. Our study explores the fundamental question of the impact of quantum fluctuations for quantum systems which do not possess a stable fixed point in the classical limit.

High-T{sub c} superconducting Josephson mixers for terahertz heterodyne detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malnou, M.; Feuillet-Palma, C.; Olanier, L.; Lesueur, J.; Bergeal, N. [Laboratoire de Physique et d' Etude des Matériaux—UMR8213-CNRS-ESPCI ParisTech-UPMC-PSL university, 10 Rue Vauquelin—75005 Paris (France); Ulysse, C.; Faini, G. [Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures LPN-CNRS, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis (France); Febvre, P. [IMEP-LAHC—UMR 5130 CNRS, Université de Savoie, 73376 Le Bourget du Lac cedex (France); Sirena, M. [Centro Atómico Bariloche, Instituto Balseiro—CNEA and Univ. Nac. de Cuyo, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro (Argentina)

2014-08-21

We report on an experimental and theoretical study of the high-frequency mixing properties of ion-irradiated YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} Josephson junctions embedded in THz antennas. We investigated the influence of the local oscillator power and frequency on the device performances. The experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions of the general three-port model for mixers in which the junction is described by the resistively shunted junction model. A good agreement is obtained for the conversion efficiency in different frequency ranges, spanning above and below the characteristic frequencies f{sub c} of the junctions.

Resistive transition of two-dimensional arrays of proximity-effect Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abraham, D.W.

1983-01-01

Results of measurements on large arrays of PbBi/Cu proximity-effect junctions are presented. Extrapolation of the critical current measured at low temperature to the region at and above T/sub c/ allows us to describe the initial drop in resistance by a simple model of the proximity effect, and also to define an effective temperature T' = E/sub J/(T/sub c/)T/E/sub J/(T) for describing the vortex-unbinding transition. This extrapolation has also allowed comparison of the magnitude of the universal jump in the renormalized coupling strength E/sub J/(T) with prediction, after allowance for renormalization effects. A simple decomposition of the vortex population above T/sub c/ into a sum of thermally-generated and currents-split components allows us to compare data taken at finite voltage sensitivity with theory. This idea is used to understand the broadened universal scaling of this data in a form consistent with the theory of Halperin and Nelson, suitably modified for array samples. Except for temperatures very near the transition temperature, these results can differ significantly from the continuum results of Halperin and Nelson and may be more appropriate for description of junction arrays and some granular films. New experimental data are also presented which show a periodic variation of the resistance of these arrays with the magnetic flux per cell in units of the flux quantum, including a secondary minimum at the half-quantum points. A simple model is presented which accounts for the existence, shape, and magnitude of this periodic variation in terms of vortex core energies. Observations of the current dependence of this periodic variation are presented, and a qualitative model of this effect is discussed

Josephson scanning tunneling microscopy -- a local and direct probe of the superconducting order parameter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimura, Hikari; Dynes, Robert; Barber Jr., Richard. P.; Ono, S.; Ando, Y.

2009-09-01

Direct measurements of the superconducting superfluid on the surface of vacuum-cleaved Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta (BSCCO) samples are reported. These measurements are accomplished via Josephson tunneling into the sample using a novel scanning tunneling microscope (STM) equipped with a superconducting tip. The spatial resolution of the STM of lateral distances less than the superconducting coherence length allows it to reveal local inhomogeneities in the pair wavefunction of the BSCCO. Instrument performance is demonstrated first with Josephson measurements of Pb films followed by the layered superconductor NbSe2. The relevant measurement parameter, the Josephson ICRN product, is discussed within the context of both BCS superconductors and the high transition temperature superconductors. The local relationship between the ICRN product and the quasiparticle density of states (DOS) gap are presented within the context of phase diagrams for BSCCO. Excessive current densities can be produced with these measurements and have been found to alter the local DOS in the BSCCO. Systematic studies of this effect were performed to determine the practical measurement limits for these experiments. Alternative methods for preparation of the BSCCO surface are also discussed.

Controllable Quantum States Mesoscopic Superconductivity and Spintronics (MS+S2006)

Science.gov (United States)

Takayanagi, Hideaki; Nitta, Junsaku; Nakano, Hayato

2008-10-01

Josephson effect in diffusive d-wave junctions / T. Yokoyama. Quantum dissipation due to the zero energy bound states in high-T[symbol] superconductor junctions / Shiro Kawabata. Spin-polarized heat transport in ferromagnet/unconventional superconductor junctions / T. Yokoyama. Little-Parks oscillations in chiral p-wave superconducting rings / Mitsuaki Takigawa. Theoretical study of synergy effect between proximity effect and Andreev interface resonant states in triplet p-wave superconductors / Yasunari Tanuma. Theory of proximity effect in unconventional superconductor junctions / Y. Tanaka -- Quantum information. Analyzing the effectiveness of the quantum repeater / Kenichiro Furuta. Architecture-dependent execution time of Shor's algorithm / Rodney Van Meter -- Quantum dots and Kondo effects. Coulomb blockade properties of 4-gated quantum dot / Shinichi Amaha. Order-N electronic structure calculation of n-type GaAs quantum dots / Shintaro Nomura. Transport through double-dots coupled to normal and superconducting leads / Yoichi Tanaka. A study of the quantum dot in application to terahertz single photon counting / Vladimir Antonov. Electron transport through laterally coupled double quantum dots / T. Kubo. Dephasing in Kondo systems: comparison between theory and experiment / F. Mallet. Kondo effect in quantum dots coupled with noncollinear ferromagnetic leads / Daisuke Matsubayashi. Non-crossing approximation study of multi-orbital Kondo effect in quantum dot systems / Tomoko Kita. Theoretical study of electronic states and spin operation in coupled quantum dots / Mikio Eto. Spin correlation in a double quantum dot-quantum wire coupled system / S. Sasaki. Kondo-assisted transport through a multiorbital quantum dot / Rui Sakano. Spin decay in a quantum dot coupled to a quantum point contact / Massoud Borhani -- Quantum wires, low-dimensional electrons. Control of the electron density and electric field with front and back gates / Masumi Yamaguchi. Effect of the array

Microstructure of edge-type Josephson junctions with PrBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7-x] barrier layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lebedev, O I; Vasiliev, A L; Kiselev, N A [Inst. of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russia); Mazo, L A; Gaponov, S V; Paveliev, D G; Strikovsky, M D [Inst. of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novgorod (Russia)

1992-08-01

HREM investigations of edge Josephson junctions (EJJ) with PrBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7-x] barrier layer (PB) were performed. All layers (superconducting YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7-x]) (Y1) and (Y2), insulating PrBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7-x] (PI) and barrier (PB) were obtained by laser ablation. The edges were formed by ion sputtering using a fotoresist mask. EJJ shows Josephson conductivity at Tc=77 K, giving j[sub c]=10[sup 4] A/cm[sup 2] at U[sub c]=50 [mu]V. Cross-sectional images show that Y1, PI and PB layers are single crystalline with the c-axis normal to the substrate surface. The Y2 layer in the regions of a multilayered structure is polycrystalline. The PB/Y1 interface is characterised by APB line boundaries; it is inclined to the substrate by 20-35deg. (orig.).

Theory of superconducting spintronic SIsFS devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakurskiy, S.V.; Klenov, N.V.; Soloviev, I.I.; Kupriyanov, M.Yu.; Bol'ginov, V.V.; Ryazanov, V.V.; Vernik, I.V.; Mukhanov, O.A.; Golubov, A.A.

2013-01-01

Full text: Motivated by recent progress in developments of cryogenic memory compatible with single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits we have performed a theoretical study of magnetic SIsFS Josephson junctions, where 'S' is a bulk superconductor, 's' is a thin superconducting film, 'F' is a metallic ferromagnet and 'I' is an insulator. We calculate the Josephson current as a function of s and F layers thickness, temperature and exchange energy of F film. We outline several modes of operation of these junctions and demonstrate their unique ability to have high I C R N product in the π-state, comparable to that in SIS tunnel junctions commonly used in SFQ circuits. We develop a model describing switching of the Josephson critical current in these devices by external magnetic field. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data for Nb-Al/AlOx-Nb-Pd0:99Fe0:01-Nb junctions. This work is supported by RFBR No. 12-02-90010-Bel a .

Quantum resonances in a single plaquette of Josephson junctions: excitations of Rabi oscillations

OpenAIRE

Fistul, M. V.

2001-01-01

We present a theoretical study of a quantum regime of the resistive (whirling) state of dc driven anisotropic single plaquette containing three small Josephson junctions. The current-voltage characteristics of such a system display resonant steps that are due to the resonant interaction between the time dependent Josephson current and the excited electromagnetic oscillations (EOs). The voltage positions of the resonances are determined by the quantum interband transitions of EOs. We show that...

Applying the Network Simulation Method for testing chaos in a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junction model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Gimeno Bellver

Full Text Available In this paper, we explore the chaotic behavior of resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions via the so-called Network Simulation Method. Such a numerical approach establishes a formal equivalence among physical transport processes and electrical networks, and hence, it can be applied to efficiently deal with a wide range of differential systems.The generality underlying that electrical equivalence allows to apply the circuit theory to several scientific and technological problems. In this work, the Fast Fourier Transform has been applied for chaos detection purposes and the calculations have been carried out in PSpice, an electrical circuit software.Overall, it holds that such a numerical approach leads to quickly computationally solve Josephson differential models. An empirical application regarding the study of the Josephson model completes the paper. Keywords: Electrical analogy, Network Simulation Method, Josephson junction, Chaos indicator, Fast Fourier Transform

Linewidth of Josephson oscillations in YBa2Cu3O7-x grain-boundary junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Divin, Yu. Ya.; Mygind, Jesper; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

The AC Josephson effect in YBa2Cu3O7-x grain-boundary junctions (GBJs) was studied in the temperature range from 4 K to 90 K. The temperature dependence of the linewidth of millimeter-wave Josephson oscillations was measured, and it is shown that the derived effective noise temperature of GBJ mig...... Josephson oscillations observed at 77 K was equal to 380 MHz, which demonstrates the applicability of GBJ, particularly in the field of radiation spectroscopy, even at liquid nitrogen temperatures...

Effective boundary field theory for a Josephson junction chain with a weak link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giuliano, Domenico; Sodano, Pasquale

2005-01-01

We show that a finite Josephson junction (JJ) chain, ending with two bulk superconductors, and with a weak link at its center, may be regarded as a condensed matter realization of a two-boundary sine-Gordon model. Computing the partition function yields a remarkable analytic expression for the DC Josephson current as a function of the phase difference across the chain. We show that, in a suitable range of the chain parameters, there is a crossover of the DC Josephson current from a sinusoidal to a sawtooth behavior, which signals a transition from a regime where the boundary term is an irrelevant operator to a regime where it becomes relevant

Reproducible fabrication and characterization of YBa2Cu3O7 Josephson junctions and SQUIDs on SrTiO3 bi-crystal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kromann, R.; Vase, P.; Shen, Y.Q.; Freltoft, T.

1993-01-01

The fabrication of Josephson junctions and SQUIDs using ceramic high T c superconductors continues to be a subject of great interest and activity. In the case of the YBCO family of superconductors, most of the research effort has been concentrated on the grain boundary junctions. This type of junction can be fabricated in a controlled way by a variety of approaches, such as the bi-crystal technique, the bi-epitaxial technique or the step-edge technique. From a fabrication point of view, the bi-crystal technique is by far the simplest of the three. The availability of (100) SrTiO 3 bi-crystals on a commercial basis has lead to the possibility of making Josephson junctions by a simple process involving only one deposition and one patterning step. Reproducibility of the junction parameters between junctions on the same chip is a key point for electronic applications of Josephson junctions requiring a large amount of Josephson junctions working at the same time, as for example in the voltage standard. Another key point is the uniformity of the barrier, i.e. the extent to which the junction behaves as an ideal SIS junction. In this work junction uniformity has been studied by Frauenhofer diffraction patterns. The Josephson junctions have also been used in the fabrication of dc SQUIDs. In this work we have tried to optimize the magnitude of the voltage modulation from the SQUID by varying the design parameters. The SQUIDs have been characterized in terms of I c , R n , voltage modulation and noise properties. (orig.)

Josephson edge junctions on YBa2Cu3O7 thin films prepared with Br-ethanol etching