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Japanese Journal of Applied Physics

Nb/Al-oxide/Nb and NbN/MgO/NbN Tunnel Junctions in Large Series Arrays for Voltage Standards

Jurgen Niemeyer, Yasuhiko Sakamoto, E. Vollmer, Johann Heyen Hinken, Akira Shoji, Hiroshi Nakagawa, S. Takada, S. Kosaka

Published May 1, 1986• 35 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Series arrays of 1440 Josephson tunnel junctions were fabricated out of Nb/AN-oxide/Nb- and Nb/NbN/MgO/NbN/Nb-sandwiches The arrays provide microwave-induced constant voltage steps of at least one volt. The good stability of hard superconductor tunnel junctions against room temperature storage and thermal cyling suggests that these arrays might be very useful for the constructions of practical lasting Josephson voltage standards of high precision.

DOI
10.1143/jjap.25.l343

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Series arrays of 1440 Josephson tunnel junctions were fabricated out of Nb/AN-oxide/Nb- and Nb/NbN/MgO/NbN/Nb-sandwiches The arrays provide microwave-induced constant voltage steps of at least one volt. The good stability of hard superconductor tunnel junctions against room temperature storage and thermal cyling suggests that these arrays might be very useful for the constructions of practical lasting Josephson voltage standards of high precision.
Series arrays of Nb–PdAu–Nb Josephson junctions were fabricated with characteristics ideally suited for application in programmable voltage standards and D/A converters with fundamental accuracy. Large arrays of junctions with applied microwave power showed constant voltage steps with current amplitudes as large as 7 mA. A novel coplanar waveguide design enabled uniform microwave power coupling to a five-segment array of 8192 junctions, so each segment had constant voltage steps over the same bias range. The 8192-junction device generated 1.1 mA steps at 186 mV with 11 GHz power and a maximum constant voltage step of 260 mV at 15.34 GHz.
A programmable dc voltage standard for output voltages of up to 10 V has been realized. The series arrays, consisting of about 69120 overdamped superconductor/insulator/normal metal/insulator/superconductor (SINIS) Josephson junctions, have been fabricated using the reliable Nb-Al/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ technology. The arrays can be operated in conventional Josephson voltage standards at microwave frequencies from 70 GHz to 75 GHz. Steps of constant voltage are observed at very low microwave power levels, since the major part of the microwave power is generated by the junctions themselves. The operation of the arrays and the formation of Shapiro steps are discussed.
High precision dc voltage standards utilize microwave induced constant voltage steps occurring due to the ac Josephson effect. Existing standards can be considerably simplified and improved by using a large number of series-connected Josephson tunnel junctions which are operated in the zero current step mode. For this purpose superconducting millimeter wave integrated circuits (MMICs) have been designed, fabricated and tested. The circuits consist of a broadband taper between the waveguide and antipodal fin line, a transition to microstrip, the Josephson junction series, a well-matched load, and dc pads. Circuits with various numbers of junctions have been fabricated by photolithographic techniques and tested at 4.2 K in liquid helium. The version with 1474 junctions produced voltages up to 1.2 V when operated at 90 GHz.
Josephson voltage standards utilize microwave-induced constant voltage steps occurring due to the ac Josephson effect. Existing standards can be considerably simplified and their accuracy improved by using a large number of series-connected Josephson tunnel junctions which are operated in the zero current step mode. For this purpose superconducting millimeter wave integrated circuits have been designed, fabricated, and tested. The circuits consist of a broadband taper between the rectangular waveguide and the planar structure, the Josephson junction series, a well-matched load, and dc pads. Circuits with various numbers of junctions have been fabricated by photo-lithographic techniques and tested at 4.2 K in liquid helium. The version with 1474 junctions produced voltages up to 1.2 V when operated at 90 GHz.