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arXiv:2404.18899 · ACS Nano

High-Performance Gate-Controlled Superconducting Switches: Large Output Voltage and Reproducibility

Leon Ruf, Elke Scheer, Angelo Di Bernardo

Published Jul 26, 2024• 8 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Logic circuits consist of devices that can be controlled between two distinct states. The recent demonstration that a superconducting current flowing in a constriction can be controlled via a gate voltage ( V G )─gate-controlled supercurrent (GCS)─can lead to superconducting logic with better performance than existing logics. However, before such logic is developed, high reproducibility in the functioning of GCS devices and optimization of their performance must be achieved. Here, we report an investigation of gated Nb devices showing GCS with very high reproducibility. Based on the investigation of a statistically significant number of devices, we demonstrate that the GCS is independent of the constriction width, in contrast with previous reports, and confirm a strong correlation between the GCS and the leakage current ( I leak ) induced by V G . We also achieve a voltage output in our devices larger than the typical values reported to date by at least 1 order of magnitude, which is relevant for the future interconnection of devices, and show that I leak can be used as a tool to modulate the operational V G of devices on a SiO 2 substrates. These results altogether represent an important step forward toward the optimization of reproducibility and performance of GCS devices, and the future development of a GCS-based logic.

DOI
10.1021/acsnano.4c05910

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High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Logic circuits consist of devices that can be controlled between two distinct states. The recent demonstration that a superconducting current flowing in a constriction can be controlled via a gate voltage ( V G )─gate-controlled supercurrent (GCS)─can lead to superconducting logic with better performance than existing logics. However, before such logic is developed, high reproducibility in the functioning of GCS devices and optimization of their performance must be achieved. Here, we report an investigation of gated Nb devices showing GCS with very high reproducibility. Based on the investigation of a statistically significant number of devices, we demonstrate that the GCS is independent of the constriction width, in contrast with previous reports, and confirm a strong correlation between the GCS and the leakage current ( I leak ) induced by V G . We also achieve a voltage output in our devices larger than the typical values reported to date by at least 1 order of magnitude, which is relevant for the future interconnection of devices, and show that I leak can be used as a tool to modulate the operational V G of devices on a SiO 2 substrates. These results altogether represent an important step forward toward the optimization of reproducibility and performance of GCS devices, and the future development of a GCS-based logic.
The observation of the gate-controlled supercurrent (GCS) effect in superconducting nanostructures initiated major research efforts toward the realisation of superconducting-based computing architectures. Here we introduce a universal logic circuit that can be a promising superconducting building block of classical hybrid supercomputers. We demonstrate a functionally complete set of logic gates by realising the AND, OR, NOT and COPY gates. The general layout and scalability of our device, combined with recent experiments demonstrating fast switching and small voltage signals, make it a functional candidate in superconducting electronics. Our device enables the realization of all classical logic gates and the half-adder combinational logic circuit using at most three nanowires, each uniquely configured with two side-gate electrodes.
Local control of superconducting circuits by high-impedance electrical gates offers potential advantages in superconducting logic, quantum processing units, and cryoelectronics. Recent experiments have reported gate-controlled supercurrent in Dayem bridges made of metallic superconductors, mediated by direct current leakage, out-of-equilibrium phonons, or possibly other mechanisms. However, a time-domain characterization of this effect has been lacking. Here, we integrate Dayem bridges made of niobium on silicon into coplanar waveguide resonators and measure the effect of the gate voltage at steady state and during pulsed operation. We consider two types of arrangements for the gate: a side-coupled gate and a remote injector. In both cases, we observe sizable changes in the real and the imaginary part of the constriction's impedance for gate voltages of the order of 1 V. However, we find striking differences in the time-domain dynamics, with the remote injector providing a faster and more controlled response. Our results contribute to our understanding of gate-controlled superconducting devices and their suitability for applications.
It was recently discovered that supercurrents flowing through thin superconducting nanowires can be quenched by a gate voltage. This gate control of supercurrents, known as the GCS effect, could enable superconducting transistor logic. Here, we report that the GCS also manifests in a suppression of Meissner screening, establishing the phenomenon as a genuine feature of superconductivity that is not restricted to transport. Using a scanning nitrogen-vacancy magnetometer at sub-Kelvin temperatures, we image the nanoscale spatial region of GCS suppression in micron-size niobium islands. Our observations are compatible with a microscopic hot-spot model of quasiparticle generation and diffusion, and in conflict with other candidate mechanisms such as Joule heating or an electric field effect. Our work introduces an alternative means for studying quasiparticle dynamics in superconducting nanostructures, and showcases the power of local imaging techniques for understanding emergent condensed matter phenomena.
It was recently discovered that supercurrents flowing through thin superconducting nanowires can be quenched by applying a gate voltage to a nearby gate electrode. This gate control of supercurrents, known as the GCS effect, could enable superconducting transistor logic. Here, we report that the GCS also manifests in a suppression of Meissner screening, establishing the phenomenon as a genuine feature of superconductivity that is not restricted to transport. Using a scanning nitrogen-vacancy (NV) magnetometer at sub-Kelvin temperatures, we image the nanoscale spatial region of GCS suppression in micron-size niobium islands. Our observations are compatible with a microscopic hot-spot model of quasiparticle generation and diffusion, and in conflict with other candidate mechanisms such as Joule heating or an electric field effect. Our work introduces an alternative means for studying quasiparticle dynamics in superconducting nanostructures, and showcases the power of local imaging techniques for understanding emergent condensed matter phenomena.
The interplay of alternative materials, large-scale integration technologies, and innovative devices plays a pivotal role on the way to fault-tolerant quantum computing. In this context, gate-controlled superconductivity (GCS) emerges as a key enabling technology, promising to advance superconducting logic and quantum electronics, complementing conventional approaches based on Josephson effects and quantum interference. Here, we demonstrate all-metallic superconducting ZrN nanostructures on silicon, fabricated entirely using a subtractive, monolithic dry-etch approach with a 300 mm CMOS-compatible process flow. For Dayem-bridge weak links with decreasing width down to 27 nm, we observe Tc of 7.3 K, width-dependent switching characteristics, and a progressive approach of the tunneling limit. In laterally gated Dayem-bridge and nanowire devices, we observe GCS with full suppression of the critical current, where required gate voltages <5 V promise compatibility with CMOS interfaces. Asymmetries in polarity-dependent power injection via field emission support GCS models that attribute the effect to quasiparticle relaxation through phonon emission. Additional asymmetries in the GCS effect suggest an influence of the substrate condition after dry etching. Field emission features in the gated nanowire device imply superimposed current paths along the gate edge and corners. Finally, we analyze magnetic interference in Dayem-bridge weak links and superconducting quantum interference devices, where quantum interference is governed by Josephson effects and inductance loop asymmetries. Our results contribute to the scaling efforts in hybrid superconducting electronics and quantum-processing units.
We report on the realization of Nb-based all-metallic Dayem nano-bridge gate-controlled transistors (Nb-GCTs). These Josephson devices operate up to a temperature of ∼3 K and exhibit full suppression of the supercurrent thanks to the application of a control gate voltage. The dependence of the kinetic inductance and of the transconductance on gate voltage promises a performance already on par with so far realized metallic Josephson transistors and leads us to foresee the implementation of a superconducting digital logic based on the Nb-GCT. We conclude by showing the practical realization of a scheme implementing an all-metallic gate-tunable half-wave rectifier to be used for either superconducting electronics or photon detection applications.