Resonant modes in two Josephson junction interferometers

Lorin L. Vant-Hull

de Broglie wave interferometers have been constructed, successfully utilizing extended superconducting links of tin to couple coherently the quantum phases of two Josephson junctions. The current transmitted by these devices was periodic in the enclosed flux (periodicity (.9 ± .3) h/2e) demonstrating unambiguously coherence of the superconducting order parameter over 1.33 meters. We may define a Josephson junction as one for which the quantum mechanical coupling energy is insufficient to overcome the disruptive effects of noise. Consequently, the relative phase of the coupled superconductors is not stabilized and the zero Josephson current fluctuates, (bandwidth ~ 2eVnoise/h) averaging to zero. Two such junctions have been coupled to an electromagnetic cavity formed by the superconducting arms of a quantum interferometer (junction separation 1. 33 meters). With an applied steady voltage such that the Josephson current excites a normal mode of the cavity, a coherent radiation field is built up. This coherent radiation feeds back to the junctions forcing time coherence on the phase precession, resulting in a dynamic stabilization of the junctions. Under these conditions a series of constant voltage has been observed in the I-V characteristic of one interferometer. The Josephson frequency associated with these steps is shown to be characteristic of the electromagnetic resonant modes of the cavity. Frequency modulation analysis, combined with a detailed analysis of the cavity-junction combination, predicts such maxima in the tunneling of pairs when a selection rule, (m + n) even, is obeyed. Here m/2 is the number of flux quanta (h/2e) linking the interferometer and n is the order of the cavity resonance excited. Experimental confirmation of the detailed predictions of the analysis is presented.

E. O. Schulz-DuBois, P. Wolf

Sebastian Kempf

Gianfranco Paternò, Anna Maria Cucolo, G. Modestino

Resonances in the current-voltage characteristics of interferometers with two Nb-NbOx-Pb window junctions have been experimentally investigated. The data are compared with the theoretical curves computed both for the voltage and for the magnetic field dependence of the resonance amplitudes. Very good agreement is found in all the range of values of the damping parameter Γ=I0 R/Vr, where Vr is the resonant voltage and I0 and R are the maximum Josephson current and the parallel resistance of each junction. New features that cannot be explained in terms of the existing theory have been observed in devices with larger values of the parameter β=2πLI0/Φ0, where L is the loop inductance, and Φ0 is the flux quantum.

Dario Gerace, Hakan E. Türeci, Ataç İmamoğlu +2 more

Linda Geppert, J. H. Greiner, Dennis Herrell +1 more

This paper describes the design, fabrication and characterization of damped three-junction interferometers suitable for LSI latching logic. The high speed and low power dissipation of Josephson interferometers make them ideal devices for logic applications. However, their inherent high Q gives rise to resonances which appear as current steps in the quasiparticle curve. If not controlled, these current steps can interfere with the proper operation of logic circuits. Studies have shown that these resonances can be effectively damped by shunting the interferometer inductance with a small resistance. In this work the interferometers were made by placing the interferometer loops parallel to the groundplane and clustering the Josephson junctions together. This minimized the loop inductance associated with the counterelectrode which in turn meant that adequate damping could be achieved with metallurgically compatible short resistors connected only to the base electrode. The resultant structure with two overlying control lines each 2.5μm wide had an area of 0.008mm2. The Josephson junctions were 5μm in diameter. The measured damped resonance characteristics and threshold characteristics (Ig(Vg) and Im(Ic) respectively) of these structures agreed very well with theory.