Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements

Josephson arrays at 70 GHz for conventional and programmable voltage standards

Ralf Behr, H. Schulze, F. Muller, J. Niemeyer

Published Nov 27, 2002• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper describes the performance under real calibration conditions of improved conventional Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Nb (SIS) 10-V Josephson series arrays (JJAs) fabricated in the last two years at PTB. A new type of Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Al/AlO/sub x//Al/Nb (SINIS) array is described which is useful for programmable voltage standards in the frequency range from 70 GHz to 90 GHz.

DOI
10.1109/cpem.1998.699992

Related papers

10 V SINIS Josephson junction series arrays for programmable voltage standards

J. Kohlmann, H. Schulze, Ralf Behr +2 more

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.

IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement•Apr 1, 2001•20 citations

Improved 10 V SINIS Series Arrays for Applications in AC Voltage Metrology

F.. Mueller, Ralf Behr, L. Palafox +3 more

Recent metrological activities with programmable Josephson voltage standards (PJVS) are focused on extending the quantum accuracy to AC voltages, e.g. for the step-wise approximation of sine waves. Stimulated by the progress in this field, new requirements for the quality and availability of 1 V and 10 V circuits have been established. Based on the experience with programmable 1 V SINIS circuits fabricated at PTB and used at present by 13 National Metrological Institutes worldwide, the fabrication process and the microwave design were improved. The experience gained hereby enabled us to improve the properties of programmable 10 V SINIS arrays which were realized by us for the first time in 2000. The new 10 V circuits have 17 bit resolution and develop under 70 GHz microwave irradiation flat Shapiro steps at the 10 V level which are more than 600 muA wide. A direct comparison of the output voltage with a conventional 10 V SIS Josephson voltage standard confirmed the suitability for metrological applications. Incorporating 10 V-PJVS into existing AC metrology setups is expected to reduce their uncertainty budgets by about one order of magnitude.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 2007•58 citations

Design and fabrication of 10 V SINIS Josephson arrays for programmable voltage standards

H. Schulze, Ralf Behr, J. Kohlmann +2 more

The fabrication and the chip layout of 69120 SINIS Josephson junction series arrays for a programmable 10 V Josephson dc voltage standard are presented. Under 70 GHz microwave irradiation, the current-voltage characteristic exhibits a non-hysteretic voltage step with a step width of 200 µA. The chip can be operated with the conventional SIS Josephson voltage standard systems.

Superconductor Science and Technology•Aug 2, 2000•67 citations

1 V programmable voltage standards based on SNIS Josephson junction series arrays

V. Lacquaniti, Natascia De Leo, Matteo Fretto +3 more

Binary-divided 1 V arrays were fabricated for programmable Josephson voltage standards in close cooperation between INRIM and PTB. The arrays, consisting of 8192 overdamped Nb/Al-AlO(x)Nb SNIS Josephson junctions, were successfully operated at microwave frequencies around 70 GHz. While the characteristic voltage of the junctions ranged from 0.25 to 0.6 mV, the current margins were larger than 1 mA for the Shapiro step n = 1. In addition, flat Shapiro steps of higher order (n = 3 and 4) were generated at increased microwave power levels due to the large characteristic voltage, demonstrating the small parameter spread of the SNIS junctions. Operation at temperatures up to 6-7 K has also been verified, measuring quantized voltages up to 1.25 V on the n = 1 step.

Superconductor Science and Technology•Jan 27, 2011•37 citations

A new 10-V array of Josephson junctions based on low-frequency designs scaled up to 94 GHz

Hiroyuki Yoshida, Y. Murayama, T. Endo

A novel approach is described for the design of improved coupling of millimeter-waves in a 10-V array of Josephson junctions. In this approach, microwave structures were fabricated and tested in the range 2.8 GHz to 3.6 GHz, and a scaling calculation was then used to transform them to 94 GHz. By optimizing the trade-off between antenna size and efficiency, it was possible to make more space available on the device chip to increase the number of Josephson junctions. Simulation results showed that the optimal antenna is a short double-fin-line type. This antenna type allowed us to fabricate a Josephson junction array that had 25944 Nb/Al-AlO/sub x//Nb junctions. For this new array, zero-crossing steps were observed up to 18.5 V. The new array was then successfully used to calibrate a Zener voltage standard that had a 10-V output.

IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement•Jan 1, 1997•4 citations

1 V and 10 V SNS Programmable Voltage Standards for 70 GHz

F. Mueller, Ralf Behr, Thomas Weimann +4 more

Programmable Josephson voltage standards (PJVSs) in combination with fast switchable DC current sources have opened up new applications in the field of low-frequency AC metrology. The growing interest in output voltages of up to plusmn10 V initiated efforts by several National Metrological Institutes to realize 10 V PJVSs. Presently, only 10 V PJVSs from PTB based on SINIS junctions have been successfully incorporated into existing setups for AC metrology. However, the fabrication of 10 V SINIS arrays that are driven at 70 GHz suffers from very low yield. The recent technological progress made at NIST enabled the drop-in replacement of the low-yield SINIS arrays by more robust SNS arrays. The N-material is an amorphous NbxSi1-xalloy near the metal-insulator transition and is deposited by co-sputtering. For the first time, fully operational 1 V and 10 V PJVSs with SNS junctions that are suitable for a 70 GHz drive have been fabricated and tested. This work was done in close cooperation between NIST and PTB.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 2009•109 citations
This paper describes the performance under real calibration conditions of improved conventional Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Nb (SIS) 10-V Josephson series arrays (JJAs) fabricated in the last two years at PTB. A new type of Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Al/AlO/sub x//Al/Nb (SINIS) array is described which is useful for programmable voltage standards in the frequency range from 70 GHz to 90 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.
Recent metrological activities with programmable Josephson voltage standards (PJVS) are focused on extending the quantum accuracy to AC voltages, e.g. for the step-wise approximation of sine waves. Stimulated by the progress in this field, new requirements for the quality and availability of 1 V and 10 V circuits have been established. Based on the experience with programmable 1 V SINIS circuits fabricated at PTB and used at present by 13 National Metrological Institutes worldwide, the fabrication process and the microwave design were improved. The experience gained hereby enabled us to improve the properties of programmable 10 V SINIS arrays which were realized by us for the first time in 2000. The new 10 V circuits have 17 bit resolution and develop under 70 GHz microwave irradiation flat Shapiro steps at the 10 V level which are more than 600 muA wide. A direct comparison of the output voltage with a conventional 10 V SIS Josephson voltage standard confirmed the suitability for metrological applications. Incorporating 10 V-PJVS into existing AC metrology setups is expected to reduce their uncertainty budgets by about one order of magnitude.
Binary-divided 1 V arrays were fabricated for programmable Josephson voltage standards in close cooperation between INRIM and PTB. The arrays, consisting of 8192 overdamped Nb/Al-AlO(x)Nb SNIS Josephson junctions, were successfully operated at microwave frequencies around 70 GHz. While the characteristic voltage of the junctions ranged from 0.25 to 0.6 mV, the current margins were larger than 1 mA for the Shapiro step n = 1. In addition, flat Shapiro steps of higher order (n = 3 and 4) were generated at increased microwave power levels due to the large characteristic voltage, demonstrating the small parameter spread of the SNIS junctions. Operation at temperatures up to 6-7 K has also been verified, measuring quantized voltages up to 1.25 V on the n = 1 step.
A novel approach is described for the design of improved coupling of millimeter-waves in a 10-V array of Josephson junctions. In this approach, microwave structures were fabricated and tested in the range 2.8 GHz to 3.6 GHz, and a scaling calculation was then used to transform them to 94 GHz. By optimizing the trade-off between antenna size and efficiency, it was possible to make more space available on the device chip to increase the number of Josephson junctions. Simulation results showed that the optimal antenna is a short double-fin-line type. This antenna type allowed us to fabricate a Josephson junction array that had 25944 Nb/Al-AlO/sub x//Nb junctions. For this new array, zero-crossing steps were observed up to 18.5 V. The new array was then successfully used to calibrate a Zener voltage standard that had a 10-V output.
Programmable Josephson voltage standards (PJVSs) in combination with fast switchable DC current sources have opened up new applications in the field of low-frequency AC metrology. The growing interest in output voltages of up to plusmn10 V initiated efforts by several National Metrological Institutes to realize 10 V PJVSs. Presently, only 10 V PJVSs from PTB based on SINIS junctions have been successfully incorporated into existing setups for AC metrology. However, the fabrication of 10 V SINIS arrays that are driven at 70 GHz suffers from very low yield. The recent technological progress made at NIST enabled the drop-in replacement of the low-yield SINIS arrays by more robust SNS arrays. The N-material is an amorphous NbxSi1-xalloy near the metal-insulator transition and is deposited by co-sputtering. For the first time, fully operational 1 V and 10 V PJVSs with SNS junctions that are suitable for a 70 GHz drive have been fabricated and tested. This work was done in close cooperation between NIST and PTB.