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Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics

Observation of stimulated emission of electromagnetic waves by Josephson tunnel junctions

É. M. Belenov, Сергей Иванович Веденеев, E. M. Golyamina

Published Jan 31, 1981• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Indirect observations are reported of stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation by superconducting Josephson tunnel junctions or microbridges in such junctions exhibiting the properties of a strip resonator. Excitation in the resonator of a field of frequency ω by Josephson radiation of frequency ωJ = 2ω gave rise to a current step in the current-voltage characteristics of Nb–oxide–Pb tunnel junctions and this step indicated that lasing occurred at the frequency ω.

DOI
10.1070/qe1981v011n01abeh005383

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Indirect observations are reported of stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation by superconducting Josephson tunnel junctions or microbridges in such junctions exhibiting the properties of a strip resonator. Excitation in the resonator of a field of frequency ω by Josephson radiation of frequency ωJ = 2ω gave rise to a current step in the current-voltage characteristics of Nb–oxide–Pb tunnel junctions and this step indicated that lasing occurred at the frequency ω.
We investigated the emission of subterahertz frequency electromagnetic radiation from high-TC superconducting c-axis NdBa2Cu3O7−δ∕PrBa2Cu3O7−δ∕NdBa2Cu3O7−δ trilayer thin film tunneling junctions when external electric and magnetic fields are applied. The current-voltage characteristics under applied ab-plane magnetic fields H (up 8T) exhibit well defined steps, Vn, such that eVn≈hωp∕(2nπ), where the plasma frequency ωp≈0.4 THz and n=1,2,3,….. These steps may be interpreted using Josephson plasma dynamics. The applied voltage creates oscillating currents via the Josephson coupling energy EJ (EJ=hIJ∕4πe, where IJ is the Josephson current and h is Planck’s constant) and the charge energy EC (EC=e2∕2C, where C is the junction capacitance). Thus the Josephson plasma becomes excited by the tunneling current, with some of the energy being emitted as subterahertz frequency radiation. Our results provide a new insight into a solid-state quantum system with considerable potential for new solid-state terahertz emission sources.
A small-area Josephson tunnel junction is pumped by the radiation emitted by a long Josephson junction dc biased on a zero-field singularity. Josephson constant voltage steps are observed in the current-voltage characteristic of the small junction at voltages of ±150 μV corresponding to the fundamental frequency of emission of the oscillator. The radiation also gives rise to quasiparticle steps around the gap-sum voltage of the small junction. From the measured current amplitude of the steps we estimate that the maximum power coupled to the small junction is about 90 nW.
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-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-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.
A major factor in the practical utilization of any Josephson device for microwave and higher frequency applications (such as the generation and detection of electromagnetic radiation) is the success with which the junction device can be coupled to an external transmission line. As part of an experimental investigation of the electrodynamics of small arrays of Josephson tunnel junctions, the properties of the coherent radiation emitted both by individual junctions and by coupled junction systems have been studied at frequencies between 2 and 12 GHz. Near 9 GHz, more than 10-9 W of coherent radiation has been detected from a single Pb-Pb oxide-Pb junction coupled via waveguide. The development of thin film devices in which the tunnel junctions form part of a microstrip line have made it feasible to observe directly (in a single device) the radiation emitted both at the fundamental geometrical frequency and at the low order harmonics. The observed temperature dependence of the junction cavity Q indicate the low temperature losses are primarily due to cavity loading of the external transmission line.
Extensive measurements of radiation emitted from long Josephson junctions d.c.-current biased on zero-field and Fiske-steps are reported. The measurements were made in the band 8-10 GHz on long Nb-Nb oxide-Pb overlap tunnel junctions with the lengths 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm having fundamental frequencies of 10 GHz and 5 GHz, respectively. Depending on the fundamental frequency of the junction 1st or 2nd harmonic detection was employed. In the fundamental scheme the frequency f n vs. the d.c.-voltage V n along the steps follows a modified Josephson voltage/frequency relation f n / V n = 2 e/nh , where n is the step-number n = 1, 2, 3,... for Fiske-steps and n = 2, 4, 6,... for zero-field steps. On a given step the frequency could be tuned (200-500 MHz) by varying the bias point. The linewidth was measured to be less than 5 kHz. All the observed phenomena are consistent with a novel unified dynamic bunched fluxon model applicable to both zero-field and Fiske-steps and are in good agreement with recent numerical solutions of the perturbed sine-Gordon equation with proper boundary conditions. Taking advantage of operation on higher order steps and strong harmonic generation the present upper frequency limit for the Josephson fluxon oscillator is above 200 GHz. The maximum power observed so far is only 5 pW, but the estimated available power is of the order 1 μW, which is quite sufficient to pump other Josephson devices.