Sample records for ac josephson effect

  1. The a.c. Josephson effect without superconductivity

    PubMed Central

    Gaury, Benoit; Weston, Joseph; Waintal, Xavier

    2015-01-01

    Superconductivity derives its most salient features from the coherence of the associated macroscopic wave function. The related physical phenomena have now moved from exotic subjects to fundamental building blocks for quantum circuits such as qubits or single photonic modes. Here we predict that the a.c. Josephson effect—which transforms a d.c. voltage Vb into an oscillating signal cos (2eVbt/ħ)—has a mesoscopic counterpart in normal conductors. We show that when a d.c. voltage Vb is applied to an electronic interferometer, there exists a universal transient regime where the current oscillates at frequency eVb/h. This effect is not limited by a superconducting gap and could, in principle, be used to produce tunable a.c. signals in the elusive 0.1–10-THz ‘terahertz gap’. PMID:25765929

  2. Demonstration of an ac Josephson junction laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cassidy, M. C.; Bruno, A.; Rubbert, S.; Irfan, M.; Kammhuber, J.; Schouten, R. N.; Akhmerov, A. R.; Kouwenhoven, L. P.

    2017-03-01

    Superconducting electronic devices have reemerged as contenders for both classical and quantum computing due to their fast operation speeds, low dissipation, and long coherence times. An ultimate demonstration of coherence is lasing. We use one of the fundamental aspects of superconductivity, the ac Josephson effect, to demonstrate a laser made from a Josephson junction strongly coupled to a multimode superconducting cavity. A dc voltage bias applied across the junction provides a source of microwave photons, and the circuit’s nonlinearity allows for efficient down-conversion of higher-order Josephson frequencies to the cavity’s fundamental mode. The simple fabrication and operation allows for easy integration with a range of quantum devices, allowing for efficient on-chip generation of coherent microwave photons at low temperatures.

  3. AC Josephson effect applications in microwave systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larkin, Serguey Y.

    1996-12-01

    analysis allow to get the picture of temperature distribution along the plasma cord diameter in accordance with dynamics of thermonuclear process development. Modem raclioastronomic research gives scientists the unique information on the world tructure. It is also necessary to analyze Space microwave radiation providing exclusive sensitivity of the equipment. In both cases equipment is required to be superwide band, to have high sensitivity and ability to operate at more than 300 GHz frequencies. Today all these requirements are met by the devices using the ac Josephson effect. The Josephson junctions are used as an active transforming element in such devices. At the end of 20 century the sphere of their utilization embraces medicine, communications, radiophysics, space exploration, ecology, military use, etc. The State Research Center "Fonon" ( SRC "Fonon") of the State Committee on Science and Technology of Ukraine was founded in 1991. The main aim of its creation was to concentrate the scientific and financial efforts for development and production of unique devices based on the results of fundamental study in physics of high T superconductivity. First of all we were interested in technological research on the obtaining of low impedance Josephson junctions out of the High T thin films. Using such junctions in combination with our original techniques developed in our Center we have succeed in creating the following new generation equipment: industrial set-up of the frequency meter in the range of 60 ... 600 GHz; experimental set-up of the spectrum analyzer operating in the range of 50 250 GHz; experimental model of radiometric receiver in 180...260 GHz range. All the above devices are based on the using ac Josephson effect for the receiving and processing mm- and submm- microwave signals.

  4. AC Josephson effect without superconductivity, and other effects of radio frequency quantum nanoelectronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waintal, Xavier; Gaury, Benoit; Weston, Joseph

    With single coherent electron sources and electronic interferometers now available in the lab, the time resolved dynamics of electrons can now be probed directly. I will discuss how a fast raise of voltage propagates inside an electronic interferometer and leads to an oscillating current of well controled frequency. This phenomena is the normal counterpart to the AC josephson effect. I will also briefly advertize our software for computing quantum transport properties, Kwant (http://kwant-project.org) and its time-dependent extension T-Kwant.

  5. ac Josephson effect and resonant Cooper pair tunneling emission of a single Cooper pair transistor.

    PubMed

    Billangeon, P-M; Pierre, F; Bouchiat, H; Deblock, R

    2007-05-25

    We measure the high-frequency emission of a single Cooper pair transistor (SCPT) in the regime where transport is only due to tunneling of Cooper pairs. This is achieved by coupling on chip the SCPT to a superconductor-insulator-superconductor junction and by measuring the photon assisted tunneling current of quasiparticles across the junction. This technique allows a direct detection of the ac Josephson effect of the SCPT and provides evidence of Landau-Zener transitions for proper gate voltage. The emission in the regime of resonant Cooper pair tunneling is also investigated. It is interpreted in terms of transitions between charge states coupled by the Josephson effect.

  6. Comparative analysis of approaches to frequency measurement and power estimation for polyharmonic microwave signals on the basis of the ac Josephson effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larkin, Serguey Y.; Anischenko, Serguei E.; Kamyshin, Vladimir A.

    1996-12-01

    The frequency and power measurements technique using ac Josephson effect is founded on deviation of the voltagecurrent curve of irradiated Josephson junction from its autonomous voltage-current (V-I) curve [1]. Generally this technique, in case of harmonic incident radiation, may be characterized in the following manner: -to measure frequency of the hannonic microwave signal inadiating the Josephson junction and to estimate its intensity using functional processing of the voltage-current curves, one should identify the "Special feature existence" zone on the voltage-current curves. The "Special feature existence" zone results the junction's response to the incident radiation. As this takes place, it is necessary to define the coordinate of a central point of the "Special feature existence" zone on the curve and to estimate the deviation of the V-I curve of irradiated Josephson junction from its autonomous V-I curve. The practical implementation of this technique place at one's disposal a number of algorithms, which enable to realize frequency measurements and intensity estimation with a particular accuracy for incident radiation. This paper presents two rational algorithms to determine the aggregate of their merits and disadvantages and to choose more optimal one.

  7. Thermally Driven Josephson Effect

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Penanen, Konstantin; Chui, Talso

    2008-01-01

    A concept is proposed of the thermally driven Josephson effect in superfluid helium. Heretofore, the Josephson effect in a superfluid has been recognized as an oscillatory flow that arises in response to a steady pressure difference between two superfluid reservoirs separated by an array of submicron-sized orifices, which act in unison as a single Josephson junction. Analogously, the thermally driven Josephson effect is an oscillatory flow that arises in response to a steady temperature difference. The thermally driven Josephson effect is partly a consequence of a quantum- mechanical effect known as the fountain effect, in which a temperature difference in a superfluid is accompanied by a pressure difference. The thermally driven Josephson effect may have significance for the development of a high-resolution gyroscope based on the Josephson effect in a superfluid: If the pressure-driven Josephson effect were used, then the fluid on the high-pressure side would become depleted, necessitating periodic interruption of operation to reverse the pressure difference. If the thermally driven Josephson effect were used, there would be no net flow and so the oscillatory flow could be maintained indefinitely by maintaining the required slightly different temperatures on both sides of the junction.

  8. Strong mechanically induced effects in DC current-biased suspended Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDermott, Thomas; Deng, Hai-Yao; Isacsson, Andreas; Mariani, Eros

    2018-01-01

    Superconductivity is a result of quantum coherence at macroscopic scales. Two superconductors separated by a metallic or insulating weak link exhibit the AC Josephson effect: the conversion of a DC voltage bias into an AC supercurrent. This current may be used to activate mechanical oscillations in a suspended weak link. As the DC-voltage bias condition is remarkably difficult to achieve in experiments, here we analyze theoretically how the Josephson effect can be exploited to activate and detect mechanical oscillations in the experimentally relevant condition with purely DC current bias. We unveil how changing the strength of the electromechanical coupling results in two qualitatively different regimes showing dramatic effects of the oscillations on the DC-voltage characteristic of the device. These include the appearance of Shapiro-type plateaus for weak coupling and a sudden mechanically induced retrapping for strong coupling. Our predictions, measurable in state-of-the-art experimental setups, allow the determination of the frequency and quality factor of the resonator using DC only techniques.

  9. Mitigating voltage lead errors of an AC Josephson voltage standard by impedance matching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Dongsheng; van den Brom, Helko E.; Houtzager, Ernest

    2017-09-01

    A pulse-driven AC Josephson voltage standard (ACJVS) generates calculable AC voltage signals at low temperatures, whereas measurements are performed with a device under test (DUT) at room temperature. The voltage leads cause the output voltage to show deviations that scale with the frequency squared. Error correction mechanisms investigated so far allow the ACJVS to be operational for frequencies up to 100 kHz. In this paper, calculations are presented to deal with these errors in terms of reflected waves. Impedance matching at the source side of the system, which is loaded with a high-impedance DUT, is proposed as an accurate method to mitigate these errors for frequencies up to 1 MHz. Simulations show that the influence of non-ideal component characteristics, such as the tolerance of the matching resistor, the capacitance of the load input impedance, losses in the voltage leads, non-homogeneity in the voltage leads, a non-ideal on-chip connection and inductors between the Josephson junction array and the voltage leads, can be corrected for using the proposed procedures. The results show that an expanded uncertainty of 12 parts in 106 (k  =  2) at 1 MHz and 0.5 part in 106 (k  =  2) at 100 kHz is within reach.

  10. π and 4 π Josephson Effects Mediated by a Dirac Semimetal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, W.; Pan, W.; Medlin, D. L.; Rodriguez, M. A.; Lee, S. R.; Bao, Zhi-qiang; Zhang, F.

    2018-04-01

    Cd3As2 is a three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetal with connected Fermi-arc surface states. It has been suggested that topological superconductivity can be achieved in the nontrivial surface states of topological materials by utilizing the superconductor proximity effect. Here we report observations of both π and 4 π periodic supercurrents in aluminum-Cd3As2 -aluminum Josephson junctions. The π period is manifested by both the magnetic-field dependence of the critical supercurrent and the appearance of half-integer Shapiro steps in the ac Josephson effect. Our macroscopic theory suggests that the π period arises from interference between the induced bulk superconductivity and the induced Fermi-arc surface superconductivity. The 4 π period is manifested by the missing first Shapiro steps and is expected for topological superconductivity.

  11. The Josephson Effect and e/h

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, John

    1970-01-01

    Discusses the theory of the Josephson Effect, the derivation of the Josephson voltage-frequency relation, and methods of measuring the fundamental constatn ratio e/h. Various types of Josephson junctions are described. The impact of the measurement of e/h upin the fundamental constants and quantum electro-dynamics is briefly discussed.…

  12. Quench dynamics of the Josephson current in a topological Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Dihao; Liu, Jie

    2018-01-01

    The 4 π -periodic Josephson effect is a distinguishing feature of a topological Josephson junction. However, stringent conditions make it hard to observe in experiments. In this work, we study the transient transport properties in a topological Josephson junction numerically. We show that the 4 π Josephson current can be sustained under nonequilibrium conditions. The properties of the Josephson current are analyzed for different conditions and three main regimes are identified. First, when both the superconducting wires of the Josephson junction lie in the topologically nontrivial region, a 4 π Josephson current can appear upon suddenly applying a dc voltage. Second, when one superconducting wire lies in the trivial region, while the other wire lies in the nontrivial region, the Josephson current is 2 π periodic but the component of the higher-order Josephson current increases. Third, when both wires lie in the trivial region, a stable 2 π Josephson current is observed. Most importantly, the fractional Josephson effect is fragile in the presence of disorder. Hence experiments should be designed carefully to eliminate the effect of disorder. These results could be helpful to optimize fine-tuning of the experimental parameters to observe the 4 π -periodic Josephson current in a topological Josephson junction.

  13. Josephson effects in a Bose–Einstein condensate of magnons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Troncoso, Roberto E., E-mail: r.troncoso.c@gmail.com; Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 487-3, Santiago; Núñez, Álvaro S., E-mail: alnunez@dfi.uchile.cl

    A phenomenological theory is developed, that accounts for the collective dynamics of a Bose–Einstein condensate of magnons. In terms of such description we discuss the nature of spontaneous macroscopic interference between magnon clouds, highlighting the close relation between such effects and the well known Josephson effects. Using those ideas, we present a detailed calculation of the Josephson oscillations between two magnon clouds, spatially separated in a magnonic Josephson junction. -- Highlights: •We presented a theory that accounts for the collective dynamics of a magnon-BEC. •We discuss the nature of macroscopic interference between magnon-BEC clouds. •We remarked the close relation betweenmore » the above phenomena and Josephson’s effect. •We remark the distinctive oscillations that characterize the Josephson oscillations.« less

  14. Unconventional Josephson effect in hybrid superconductor-topological insulator devices.

    PubMed

    Williams, J R; Bestwick, A J; Gallagher, P; Hong, Seung Sae; Cui, Y; Bleich, Andrew S; Analytis, J G; Fisher, I R; Goldhaber-Gordon, D

    2012-08-03

    We report on transport properties of Josephson junctions in hybrid superconducting-topological insulator devices, which show two striking departures from the common Josephson junction behavior: a characteristic energy that scales inversely with the width of the junction, and a low characteristic magnetic field for suppressing supercurrent. To explain these effects, we propose a phenomenological model which expands on the existing theory for topological insulator Josephson junctions.

  15. The Josephson Effect: 50 Years of Science and Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warburton, Paul A.

    2011-01-01

    The Josephson effect, the 50th anniversary of which will be celebrated in 2012, remains one of the most spectacular manifestations of quantum mechanics in all of experimental science. It was first predicted in 1962 and then experimentally verified in 1963. At its most fundamental level the Josephson effect is nothing more than the electronic…

  16. Anomalous Josephson effect controlled by an Abrikosov vortex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mironov, S.; Goldobin, E.; Koelle, D.; Kleiner, R.; Tamarat, Ph.; Lounis, B.; Buzdin, A.

    2017-12-01

    The possibility of a fast and precise Abrikosov vortex manipulation by a focused laser beam opens the way to create laser-driven Josephson junctions. We theoretically demonstrate that a vortex pinned in the vicinity of the Josephson junction generates an arbitrary ground state phase which can be equal not only to 0 or π but to any desired φ0 value in between. Such φ0 junctions have many peculiar properties and may be effectively controlled by the optically driven Abrikosov vortex. Also we theoretically show that the Josephson junction with the embedded vortex can serve as an ultrafast memory cell operating at sub THz frequencies.

  17. Anomalous spin Josephson effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Mei-Juan; Wang, Jun; Hao, Lei; Liu, Jun-Feng

    2016-10-01

    We report a theoretical study on the spin Josephson effect arising from the exchange coupling of the two ferromagnets (Fs), which are deposited on a two-dimensional (2D) time-reversal-invariant topological insulator. An anomalous spin supercurrent Js z˜sin(α +α0) is found to flow in between the two Fs and the ground state of the system is not limited to the magnetically collinear configuration (α =n π ,n is an integer) but determined by a controllable angle α0, where α is the crossed angle between the two F magnetizations. The angle α0 is the dynamic phase of the electrons traveling in between the two Fs and can be controlled electrically by a gate voltage. This anomalous spin Josephson effect, similar to the conventional φ0 superconductor junction, originates from the definite electron chirality of the helical edge states in the 2D topological insulator. These results indicate that the magnetic coupling in a topological system is different from the usual one in conventional materials.

  18. Discreteness-induced resonances and ac voltage amplitudes in long one-dimensional Josephson junction arrays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duwel, A.E.; Watanabe, S.; Trias, E.

    1997-11-01

    New resonance steps are found in the experimental current-voltage characteristics of long, discrete, one-dimensional Josephson junction arrays with open boundaries and in an external magnetic field. The junctions are underdamped, connected in parallel, and dc biased. Numerical simulations based on the discrete sine-Gordon model are carried out, and show that the solutions on the steps are periodic trains of fluxons, phase locked by a finite amplitude radiation. Power spectra of the voltages consist of a small number of harmonic peaks, which may be exploited for possible oscillator applications. The steps form a family that can be numbered by the harmonicmore » content of the radiation, the first member corresponding to the Eck step. Discreteness of the arrays is shown to be essential for appearance of the higher order steps. We use a multimode extension of the harmonic balance analysis, and estimate the resonance frequencies, the ac voltage amplitudes, and the theoretical limit on the output power on the first two steps. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

  19. Markovian Dynamics of Josephson Parametric Amplification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaiser, Waldemar; Haider, Michael; Russer, Johannes A.; Russer, Peter; Jirauschek, Christian

    2017-09-01

    In this work, we derive the dynamics of the lossy DC pumped non-degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier (DCPJPA). The main element in a DCPJPA is the superconducting Josephson junction. The DC bias generates the AC Josephson current varying the nonlinear inductance of the junction. By this way the Josephson junction acts as the pump oscillator as well as the time varying reactance of the parametric amplifier. In quantum-limited amplification, losses and noise have an increased impact on the characteristics of an amplifier. We outline the classical model of the lossy DCPJPA and derive the available noise power spectral densities. A classical treatment is not capable of including properties like spontaneous emission which is mandatory in case of amplification at the quantum limit. Thus, we derive a quantum mechanical model of the lossy DCPJPA. Thermal losses are modeled by the quantum Langevin approach, by coupling the quantized system to a photon heat bath in thermodynamic equilibrium. The mode occupation in the bath follows the Bose-Einstein statistics. Based on the second quantization formalism, we derive the Heisenberg equations of motion of both resonator modes. We assume the dynamics of the system to follow the Markovian approximation, i.e. the system only depends on its actual state and is memory-free. We explicitly compute the time evolution of the contributions to the signal mode energy and give numeric examples based on different damping and coupling constants. Our analytic results show, that this model is capable of including thermal noise into the description of the DC pumped non-degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier.

  20. Effets Josephson generalises entre antiferroaimants et entre supraconducteurs antiferromagnetiques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chasse, Dominique

    L'effet Josephson est generalement presente comme le resultat de l'effet tunnel coherent de paires de Cooper a travers une jonction tunnel entre deux supraconducteurs, mais il est possible de l'expliquer dans un contexte plus general. Par exemple, Esposito & al. ont recemment demontre que l'effet Josephson DC peut etre decrit a l'aide du boson pseudo-Goldstone de deux systemes couples brisant chacun la symetrie abelienne U(1). Puisque cette description se generalise de facon naturelle a des brisures de symetries continues non-abeliennes, l'equivalent de l'effet Josephson devrait donc exister pour des types d'ordre a longue portee differents de la supraconductivite. Le cas de deux ferroaimants itinerants (brisure de symetrie 0(3)) couples a travers une jonction tunnel a deja ete traite dans la litterature Afin de mettre en evidence la generalite du phenomene et dans le but de faire des predictions a partir d'un modele realiste, nous etudions le cas d'une jonction tunnel entre deux antiferroaimants itinerants. En adoptant une approche Similaire a celle d'Ambegaokar & Baratoff pour une jonction Josephson, nous trouvons un courant d'aimantation alternee a travers la jonction qui est proportionnel a sG x sD ou fG et sD sont les vecteurs de Neel de part et d'autre de la jonction. La fonction sinus caracteristique du courant Josephson standard est donc remplacee.ici par un produit vectoriel. Nous montrons que, d'un point de vue microscopique, ce phenomene resulte de l'effet tunnel coherent de paires particule-trou de spin 1 et de vecteur d'onde net egal au vecteur d'onde antiferromagnetique Q. Nous trouvons egalement la dependance en temperature de l'analogue du courant critique. En presence d'un champ magnetique externe, nous obtenons l'analogue de l'effet Josephson AC et la description complete que nous en donnons s'applique aussi au cas d'une jonction tunnel entre ferroaimants (dans ce dernier cas, les traitements anterieurs de cet effet AC s'averent incomplets). Nous

  1. Measurement of Aharonov-Casher effect in a Josephson junction chain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pop, Ioan Mihai; Lecocq, Florent; Pannetier, Bernard; Buisson, Olivier; Guichard, Wiebke

    2011-03-01

    We have recently measured the effect of superconducting phase-slips on the ground state of a Josephson junction chain and a rhombi chain. Here we report clear evidence of Aharonov-Casher effect in a chain of Josephson junctions. This phenomenon is the dual of the well known Aharonov-Bohm interference. Using a capacitively coupled gate to the islands of the chain, we induce oscillations of the supercurrent by tuning the polarization charges on the islands. We observe complex interference patterns for different quantum phase slip amplitudes, that we understand quantitatively as Aharonov-Casher vortex interferences. European STREP MIDAS.

  2. Effect of Impurities on the Josephson Current through Helical Metals: Exploiting a Neutrino Paradigm.

    PubMed

    Ghaemi, Pouyan; Nair, V P

    2016-01-22

    In this Letter we study the effect of time-reversal symmetric impurities on the Josephson supercurrent through two-dimensional helical metals such as on a topological insulator surface state. We show that, contrary to the usual superconducting-normal metal-superconducting junctions, the suppression of the supercurrent in the superconducting-helical metal-superconducting junction is mainly due to fluctuations of impurities in the junctions. Our results, which are a condensed matter realization of a part of the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect for neutrinos, show that the relationship between normal state conductance and the critical current of Josephson junctions is significantly modified for Josephson junctions on the surface of topological insulators. We also study the temperature dependence of the supercurrent and present a two fluid model which can explain some of the recent experimental results in Josephson junctions on the edge of topological insulators.

  3. Effect of Impurities on the Josephson Current through Helical Metals: Exploiting a Neutrino Paradigm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghaemi, Pouyan; Nair, V. P.

    2016-01-01

    In this Letter we study the effect of time-reversal symmetric impurities on the Josephson supercurrent through two-dimensional helical metals such as on a topological insulator surface state. We show that, contrary to the usual superconducting-normal metal-superconducting junctions, the suppression of the supercurrent in the superconducting-helical metal-superconducting junction is mainly due to fluctuations of impurities in the junctions. Our results, which are a condensed matter realization of a part of the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect for neutrinos, show that the relationship between normal state conductance and the critical current of Josephson junctions is significantly modified for Josephson junctions on the surface of topological insulators. We also study the temperature dependence of the supercurrent and present a two fluid model which can explain some of the recent experimental results in Josephson junctions on the edge of topological insulators.

  4. Fractional Josephson vortices in two-gap superconductor long Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Ju

    2014-03-01

    We investigated the phase dynamics of long Josephson junctions (LJJ) with two-gap superconductors in the broken time reversal symmetry state. In this LJJ, spatial phase textures (i-solitons) can be excited due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Joesphson effect between them. The presence of a spatial phase texture in each superconductor layer leads to a spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. We find that this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in Josephson vortices with fractional flux quanta. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, the fractionalization of a Josephson vortex arises as a response to either periodic or random excitation of i-solitions. This suggests that magnetic flux measurements may be used to probe i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs.

  5. Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Jung-Jung; Hsu, Ya-Fen

    The Josephson effect is especially appealing because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. Here we study this effect in an excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. Such a junction is proposed to take place in the quantum Hall bilayer (QHB) that makes it subtler than in superconductor because of the counterflow of excitonic supercurrent and the interlayer tunneling in QHB. We treat the system theoretically by first mapping it into a pseudospin ferromagnet then describing it by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, the excitonic Josephson junction can possess a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons that resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Interestingly, each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q which is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The resultant current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q =ϕ0 / 2 π are the lowest energy states for small ϕ0. When ϕ0 > π , solitons with Q =ϕ0 / 2 π - 1 take place - the polarity of CPR is then switched.

  6. A thin polymer insulator for Josephson tunneling applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilmsen, C. M.

    1973-01-01

    The use of an organic monolayer formed from a vapor as an insulating barrier for thin film Josephson junctions is considered, and the effect of an organic monolayer on the transition temperature of a thin film superconductor is investigated. Also analyzed are the geometric factors which influence Josephson junctions and Josephson junction interferometers.

  7. Four photon parametric amplification. [in unbiased Josephson junction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parrish, P. T.; Feldman, M. J.; Ohta, H.; Chiao, R. Y.

    1974-01-01

    An analysis is presented describing four-photon parametric amplification in an unbiased Josephson junction. Central to the theory is the model of the Josephson effect as a nonlinear inductance. Linear, small signal analysis is applied to the two-fluid model of the Josephson junction. The gain, gain-bandwidth product, high frequency limit, and effective noise temperature are calculated for a cavity reflection amplifier. The analysis is extended to multiple (series-connected) junctions and subharmonic pumping.

  8. Radio-Frequency Illuminated Superconductive Disks: Reverse Josephson Effects and Implications for Precise Measuring of Proposed Gravity Effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Noever, David A.; Koczor, Ronald J.

    1998-01-01

    We have previously reported results using a high precision gravimeter to probe local gravity changes in the neighborhood of large bulk-processed high-temperature superconductors. It have been indicated three essential components to achieve anomalous gravity effects, namely large, two-layer high-temperature YBCO superconductors, magnetic levitation and AC input in the form of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. We report experiments on RF-illuminated (1-15 MHz) superconducting disks with corresponding gravity readings indicating an apparent increase in observed gravity of approximately 3-5 x l0(exp -5)cm/sq s, above and to the side of the superconductor. In this preliminary study, RF- illumination is achieved using a series of large radius (15 cm) spiral antenna with RF power inputs equal to or greater than 90 W. The observed gravitational modification range is significantly lower than the 2.1% gravity modification. The error analyses of thermal and electromagnetic interference in a magnetically shielded gravimeter with vacuum enclosures, Faraday cages and shielded instrument leads, are outlined both experimentally and theoretically. The nearly exact correspondence between the peak gravity effects reported and the well-known peak in AC resistance in superconductors (2-7 MHz, owing to reverse Josephson quantum effects) suggests that electrical resistance will arise in this frequency range and subsequently any trapped magnetic fields in the superconductor may disperse partially into the measuring instrument's local environment. Implications for propulsion initiatives and RF-heating in superconductors will be discussed.

  9. Atomic Josephson Vortex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaurov, Vitaliy; Kuklov, Anatoly

    2006-03-01

    We show that atomic Josephson vortices [1] in a quasi-1D atomic junction can be controllably manipulated by imposing a tunneling bias current created by a difference of chemical potentials on the atomic BEC waveguides forming the junction. This effect, which has its origin in the Berry phase structure of a vortex, turns out to be very robust in the whole range of the parameters where such vortices can exist [2]. Acceleration of the vortex up to a certain threshold speed, determined by the strength of the Josephson coupling, results in the phase slip causing switching of the vorticity. This effect is directly related to the interconversion [1], when slow variation of the coupling can cause transformation of the vortex into the dark soliton and vice verse. We also propose that a Josephson vortex can be created by the phase imprinting technique and can be identified by a specific tangential feature in the interference picture produced by expanding clouds released from the waveguides [2]. [1] V. M. Kaurov , A. B. Kuklov, Phys. Rev. A 71, 11601(R) (2005). [2] V. M. Kaurov , A. B. Kuklov cond-mat/0508342

  10. Josephson junction

    DOEpatents

    Wendt, J.R.; Plut, T.A.; Martens, J.S.

    1995-05-02

    A novel method for fabricating nanometer geometry electronic devices is described. Such Josephson junctions can be accurately and reproducibly manufactured employing photolithographic and direct write electron beam lithography techniques in combination with aqueous etchants. In particular, a method is described for manufacturing planar Josephson junctions from high temperature superconducting material. 10 figs.

  11. Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Ya-Fen; Su, Jung-Jung

    2015-10-29

    The Josephson effect is especially appealing to physicists because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. In excitonic bilayers the effect is even subtler due to the counterflow of supercurrent as well as the tunneling between layers (interlayer tunneling). Here we study, in a quantum Hall bilayer, the excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. The system is mapped into a pseudospin ferromagnet then described numerically by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, we identify a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons which resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q that is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The calculated current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π is the lowest energy state starting from zero ϕ0 - until ϕ0 > π - then the alternative group of solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π - 1 takes place and switches the polarity of CPR.

  12. Quantum ratchets, the orbital Josephson effect, and chaos in Bose-Einstein condensates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carr, Lincoln D.; Heimsoth, Martin; Creffield, Charles E.; Sols, Fernando

    2014-03-01

    In a system of ac-driven condensed bosons we study a new type of Josephson effect occurring between states sharing the same region of space and the same internal atom structure. We first develop a technique to calculate the long-time dynamics of a driven interacting many-body system. For resonant frequencies, this dynamics can be shown to derive from an effective time-independent Hamiltonian which is expressed in terms of standard creation and annihilation operators. Within the subspace of resonant states, and if the undriven states are plane waves, a locally repulsive interaction between bosons translates into an effective attraction. We apply the method to study the effect of interactions on the coherent ratchet current of an asymmetrically driven boson system. We find a wealth of dynamical regimes which includes Rabi oscillations, self-trapping and chaotic behavior. In the latter case, a full quantum many-body calculation deviates from the mean-field results by predicting large quantum fluctuations of the relative particle number. Moreover, we find that chaos and entanglement, as defined by a variety of widely used and accepted measures, are overlapping but distinct notions. Funded by Spanish MINECO, the Ramon y Cajal program (CEC), the Comunidad de Madrid through Grant Microseres, the Heidelberg Center for Quantum Dynamics, and the NSF.

  13. Josephson parametric converter saturation and higher order effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, G.; Chien, T.-C.; Cao, X.; Lanes, O.; Alpern, E.; Pekker, D.; Hatridge, M.

    2017-11-01

    Microwave parametric amplifiers based on Josephson junctions have become indispensable components of many quantum information experiments. One key limitation which has not been well predicted by theory is the gain saturation behavior which limits the amplifier's ability to process large amplitude signals. The typical explanation for this behavior in phase-preserving amplifiers based on three-wave mixing, such as the Josephson Parametric Converter, is pump depletion, in which the consumption of pump photons to produce amplification results in a reduction in gain. However, in this work, we present experimental data and theoretical calculations showing that the fourth-order Kerr nonlinearities inherent in Josephson junctions are the dominant factor. The Kerr-based theory has the unusual property of causing saturation to both lower and higher gains, depending on bias conditions. This work presents an efficient methodology for optimizing device performance in the presence of Kerr nonlinearities while retaining device tunability and points to the necessity of controlling higher-order Hamiltonian terms to make further improvements in parametric devices.

  14. Quantum dynamics of a Josephson junction driven cavity mode system in the presence of voltage bias noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hui; Blencowe, M. P.; Armour, A. D.; Rimberg, A. J.

    2017-09-01

    We give a semiclassical analysis of the average photon number as well as photon number variance (Fano factor F ) for a Josephson junction (JJ) embedded microwave cavity system, where the JJ is subject to a fluctuating (i.e., noisy) bias voltage with finite dc average. Through the ac Josephson effect, the dc voltage bias drives the effectively nonlinear microwave cavity mode into an amplitude squeezed state (F <1 ), as has been established previously [Armour et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 247001 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.247001], but bias noise acts to degrade this squeezing. We find that the sensitivity of the Fano factor to bias voltage noise depends qualitatively on which stable fixed point regime the system is in for the corresponding classical nonlinear steady-state dynamics. Furthermore, we show that the impact of voltage bias noise is most significant when the cavity is excited to states with large average photon number.

  15. Josephson A/D Converter Development.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-10-01

    by Zappe and A Landman [20]. They conclude that the simple model of the Josephson effect is applicable up to frequencies at least as high (a) as 300...GHz. B. Time-Domain Experiments 4ooF so The early high - frequency experiments with Josephson devices I .O suggested their use as very fast logic switches...exactly as for the phenomenological model . The tunneling pacitive current paths dominate the circuit at high frequencies . current is the sum of two

  16. Fractional Solitons in Excitonic Josephson Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsu, Ya-Fen; Su, Jung-Jung

    2015-10-01

    The Josephson effect is especially appealing to physicists because it reveals macroscopically the quantum order and phase. In excitonic bilayers the effect is even subtler due to the counterflow of supercurrent as well as the tunneling between layers (interlayer tunneling). Here we study, in a quantum Hall bilayer, the excitonic Josephson junction: a conjunct of two exciton condensates with a relative phase ϕ0 applied. The system is mapped into a pseudospin ferromagnet then described numerically by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. In the presence of interlayer tunneling, we identify a family of fractional sine-Gordon solitons which resemble the static fractional Josephson vortices in the extended superconducting Josephson junctions. Each fractional soliton carries a topological charge Q that is not necessarily a half/full integer but can vary continuously. The calculated current-phase relation (CPR) shows that solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π is the lowest energy state starting from zero ϕ0 - until ϕ0 > π - then the alternative group of solitons with Q = ϕ0/2π - 1 takes place and switches the polarity of CPR.

  17. Self-Oscillating Josephson Quantum Heat Engine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marchegiani, G.; Virtanen, P.; Giazotto, F.; Campisi, M.

    2016-11-01

    The design of a mesoscopic self-oscillating heat engine that works thanks to purely quantum effects is presented. The proposed scheme is amenable to experimental implementation with current state-of-the-art nanotechnology and materials. One of the main features of the structure is its versatility: The engine can deliver work to a generic load without galvanic contact. This versatility makes it a promising building block for low-temperature on-chip energy-management applications. The heat engine consists of a circuit featuring a thermoelectric element based on a ferromagnetic insulator-superconductor tunnel junction and a Josephson weak link that realizes a purely quantum dc-ac converter. This makeup enables the contactless transfer of work to the load (a generic RL circuit). The performance of the heat engine is investigated as a function of the thermal gradient applied to the thermoelectric junction. Power up to 1 pW can be delivered to a load RL=10 Ω .

  18. Josephson effect in multiterminal superconductor-ferromagnet junctions coupled via triplet components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moor, Andreas; Volkov, Anatoly F.; Efetov, Konstantin B.

    2016-03-01

    On the basis of the Usadel equation we study a multiterminal Josephson junction. This junction is composed by "magnetic" superconductors Sm, which have singlet pairing and are separated from the normal n wire by spin filters so that the Josephson coupling is caused only by fully polarized triplet components. We show that there is no interaction between triplet Cooper pairs with antiparallel total spin orientations. The presence of an additional singlet superconductor S attached to the n wire leads to a finite Josephson current IQ with an unusual current-phase relation. The density of states in the n wire for different orientations of spins of Cooper pairs is calculated. We derive a general formula for the current IQ in a multiterminal Josephson contact and apply this formula for analysis of two four-terminal Josephson junctions of different structures. It is shown in particular that both the "nematic" and the "magnetic" cases can be realized in these junctions. In a two-terminal structure with parallel filter orientations and in a three-terminal structure with antiparallel filter orientations of the "magnetic" superconductors with attached additional singlet superconductor, we find a nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the critical current. Also, in these structures, the critical current shows a Riedel peak like dependence on the exchange field in the "magnetic" superconductors. Although there is no current through the S/n interface due to orthogonality of the singlet and triplet components, the phase of the order parameter in the superconuctor S is shown to affect the Josephson current in a multiterminal structure.

  19. Josephson current signatures of the Majorana flat bands on the surface of time-reversal-invariant Weyl and Dirac semimetals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Anffany; Pikulin, Dmitry I.; Franz, Marcel

    A linear Josephson junction mediated by the surface states of a time-reversal-invariant Weyl or Dirac semimetal localizes Majorana flat bands protected by the time-reversal symmetry. We show that as a result, the Josephson current exhibits a discontinuous jump at π phase difference which can serve as an experimental signature of the Majorana bands. The magnitude of the jump scales proportionally to the junction length and the momentum space distance between the Weyl nodes projected onto the junction. It also exhibits a characteristic dependence on the junction orientation. We demonstrate that the jump is robust against the effects of non-zero temperature and weak non-magnetic disorder. This work was supported by NSERC and CIfAR. In addition A.C. acknowledges support by the 2016 Boulder Summer School for Condensed Matter and Materials Physics through NSF Grant DMR-13001648.

  20. Two-Volt Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer Using Wilkinson Dividers.

    PubMed

    Flowers-Jacobs, Nathan E; Fox, Anna E; Dresselhaus, Paul D; Schwall, Robert E; Benz, Samuel P

    2016-09-01

    The root-mean-square (rms) output voltage of the NIST Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer (JAWS) has been doubled from 1 V to a record 2 V by combining two new 1 V chips on a cryocooler. This higher voltage will improve calibrations of ac thermal voltage converters and precision voltage measurements that require state-of-the-art quantum accuracy, stability, and signal-to-noise ratio. We achieved this increase in output voltage by using four on-chip Wilkinson dividers and eight inner-outer dc blocks, which enable biasing of eight Josephson junction (JJ) arrays with high-speed inputs from only four high-speed pulse generator channels. This approach halves the number of pulse generator channels required in future JAWS systems. We also implemented on-chip superconducting interconnects between JJ arrays, which reduces systematic errors and enables a new modular chip package. Finally, we demonstrate a new technique for measuring and visualizing the operating current range that reduces the measurement time by almost two orders of magnitude and reveals the relationship between distortion in the output spectrum and output pulse sequence errors.

  1. Phase retrapping in a pointlike φ Josephson junction: the butterfly effect.

    PubMed

    Goldobin, E; Kleiner, R; Koelle, D; Mints, R G

    2013-08-02

    We consider a φ Josephson junction, which has a bistable zero-voltage state with the stationary phases ψ = ±φ. In the nonzero voltage state the phase "moves" viscously along a tilted periodic double-well potential. When the tilting is reduced quasistatically, the phase is retrapped in one of the potential wells. We study the viscous phase dynamics to determine in which well (-φ or +φ) the phase is retrapped for a given damping, when the junction returns from the finite-voltage state back to the zero-voltage state. In the limit of low damping, the φ Josephson junction exhibits a butterfly effect-extreme sensitivity of the destination well on damping. This leads to an impossibility to predict the destination well.

  2. Precision measurement with an optical Josephson junction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ng, H. T.; Burnett, K.; Dunningham, J. A.

    2007-06-15

    We present a theoretical study of a type of Josephson device, the so-called 'optical Josephson junction' [Y. Shin et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 170402 (2005).]. In this device, two condensates are optically coupled through a waveguide by a pair of Bragg beams. This optical Josephson junction differs from the usual Josephson junction where condensates are weakly coupled by tunneling through a barrier. We discuss the use of this optical Josephson junction, for making precision measurements.

  3. Josephson flux-flow oscillator: The microscopic tunneling approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulevich, D. R.; Koshelets, V. P.; Kusmartsev, F. V.

    2017-07-01

    We elaborate a theoretical description of large Josephson junctions which is based on Werthamer's microscopic tunneling theory. The model naturally incorporates coupling of electromagnetic radiation to the tunnel currents and, therefore, is particularly suitable for description of the self-coupling effect in Josephson junction. In our numerical calculations we treat the arising integro-differential equation, which describes temporal evolution of the superconducting phase difference coupled to the electromagnetic field, by the Odintsov-Semenov-Zorin algorithm. This allows us to avoid evaluation of the time integrals at each time step while taking into account all the memory effects. To validate the obtained microscopic model of large Josephson junction we focus our attention on the Josephson flux-flow oscillator. The proposed microscopic model of flux-flow oscillator does not involve the phenomenological damping parameter, rather the damping is taken into account naturally in the tunnel current amplitudes calculated at a given temperature. The theoretically calculated current-voltage characteristics is compared to our experimental results obtained for a set of fabricated flux-flow oscillators of different lengths.

  4. Charge imbalance and Josephson effects in superconductor-normal metal mesoscopic structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volkov, A. F.

    2007-11-01

    We consider a SBS Josephson junction the superconducting electrodes S of which are in contact with normal metal reservoirs ( B means a barrier). For temperatures near Tc we calculate an effective critical current Ic* and the resistance of the system at the currents Ieffective critical current Ic* is always larger than the critical current Ic in the absence of the normal reservoirs and increases with decreasing the ratio of the length of the S wire 2L to the charge imbalance relaxation length lQ . It is shown that a series of peaks arises on the I-V characteristics due to excitation of the Carlson-Goldman collective modes. We find the position of Shapiro steps which deviates from that given by the Josephson relation.

  5. Possible resonance effect of axionic dark matter in Josephson junctions.

    PubMed

    Beck, Christian

    2013-12-06

    We provide theoretical arguments that dark-matter axions from the galactic halo that pass through Earth may generate a small observable signal in resonant S/N/S Josephson junctions. The corresponding interaction process is based on the uniqueness of the gauge-invariant axion Josephson phase angle modulo 2π and is predicted to produce a small Shapiro steplike feature without externally applied microwave radiation when the Josephson frequency resonates with the axion mass. A resonance signal of so far unknown origin observed by C. Hoffmann et al. [Phys. Rev. B 70, 180503(R) (2004)] is consistent with our theory and can be interpreted in terms of an axion mass m(a)c2=0.11  meV and a local galactic axionic dark-matter density of 0.05  GeV/cm3. We discuss future experimental checks to confirm the dark-matter nature of the observed signal.

  6. Interactions between electrons, mesoscopic Josephson effect and asymmetric current fluctuations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huard, B.

    2006-07-01

    This article discusses three experiments on the properties of electronic transport at the mesoscopic scale. The first one allowed to measure the energy exchange rate between electrons in a metal contaminated by a very weak concentration of magnetic impurities. The role played by magnetic impurities in the Kondo regime on those energy exchanges is quantitatively investigated, and the global measured exchange rate is larger than expected. The second experiment is a measurement of the current-phase relation in a system made of two superconductors linked through a single atom. We thus provide quantitative support for the recent description of the mesoscopic Josephson effect. The last experiment is a measurement of the asymmetry of the current fluctuations in a mesoscopic conductor, using a Josephson junction as a threshold detector. Cet ouvrage décrit trois expériences portant sur les propriétés du transport électronique à l'échelle mésoscopique. La première a permis de mesurer le taux d'échange d'énergie entre électrons dans un métal contenant une très faible concentration d'impuretés magnétiques. Nous avons validé la description quantitative du rôle des impuretés magnétiques dans le régime Kondo sur ces échanges énergétiques et aussi montré que le taux global d'échange est plus fort que prévu. La seconde expérience est une mesure de la relation courant-phase dans un système constitué de deux supraconducteurs couplés par un seul atome. Elle nous a permis de conforter quantitativement la récente description de l'effet Josephson mésoscopique. La dernière expérience est unemesure de l'asymétrie des fluctuations du courant dans un conducteur mésoscopique en utilisant une Jonction Josephson comme détecteur de seuil.

  7. Effect of current injection into thin-film Josephson junctions

    DOE PAGES

    Kogan, V. G.; Mints, R. G.

    2014-11-11

    New thin-film Josephson junctions have recently been tested in which the current injected into one of the junction banks governs Josephson phenomena. One thus can continuously manage the phase distribution at the junction by changing the injected current. Our method of calculating the distribution of injected currents is also proposed for a half-infinite thin-film strip with source-sink points at arbitrary positions at the film edges. The strip width W is assumed small relative to Λ=2λ 2/d;λ is the bulk London penetration depth of the film material and d is the film thickness.

  8. Modeling Bloch oscillations in ultra-small Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vora, Heli; Kautz, Richard; Nam, Sae Woo; Aumentado, Jose

    In a seminal paper, Likharev et al. developed a theory for ultra-small Josephson junctions with Josephson coupling energy (Ej) less than the charging energy (Ec) and showed that such junctions demonstrate Bloch oscillations which could be used to make a fundamental current standard that is a dual of the Josephson volt standard. Here, based on the model of Geigenmüller and Schön, we numerically calculate the current-voltage relationship of such an ultra-small junction which includes various error processes present in a nanoscale Josephson junction such as random quasiparticle tunneling events and Zener tunneling between bands. This model allows us to explore the parameter space to see the effect of each process on the width and height of the Bloch step and serves as a guide to determine whether it is possible to build a quantum current standard of a metrological precision using Bloch oscillations.

  9. Tunable φ Josephson junction ratchet.

    PubMed

    Menditto, R; Sickinger, H; Weides, M; Kohlstedt, H; Koelle, D; Kleiner, R; Goldobin, E

    2016-10-01

    We demonstrate experimentally the operation of a deterministic Josephson ratchet with tunable asymmetry. The ratchet is based on a φ Josephson junction with a ferromagnetic barrier operating in the underdamped regime. The system is probed also under the action of an additional dc current, which acts as a counterforce trying to stop the ratchet. Under these conditions the ratchet works against the counterforce, thus producing a nonzero output power. Finally, we estimate the efficiency of the φ Josephson junction ratchet.

  10. Ferromagnetic resonance with long Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golovchanskiy, I. A.; Abramov, N. N.; Stolyarov, V. S.; Emelyanova, O. V.; Golubov, A. A.; Ustinov, A. V.; Ryazanov, V. V.

    2017-05-01

    In this work we propose a hybrid device based on a long Josephson junction (JJ) coupled inductively to an external ferromagnetic (FM) layer. The long JJ in a zero-field operation mode induces a localized AC magnetic field in the FM layer and enables a synchronized magnetostatic standing wave. The magnetostatic wave induces additional dissipation for soliton propagation in the junction and also enables a phase locking (resonant soliton synchronization) at a frequency of natural ferromagnetic resonance. The later manifests itself as an additional constant voltage step on the current-voltage characteristics at the corresponding voltage. The proposed device allows to study magnetization dynamics of individual micro-scaled FM samples using just DC technique, and also it provides additional phase locking frequency in the junction, determined exclusively by characteristics of the ferromagnet.

  11. Josephson Metamaterial with a Widely Tunable Positive or Negative Kerr Constant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Wenyuan; Huang, W.; Gershenson, M. E.; Bell, M. T.

    2017-11-01

    We report on the microwave characterization of a novel one-dimensional Josephson metamaterial composed of a chain of asymmetric superconducting quantum interference devices with nearest-neighbor coupling through common Josephson junctions. This metamaterial demonstrates a strong Kerr nonlinearity, with a Kerr constant tunable over a wide range, from positive to negative values, by a magnetic flux threading the superconducting quantum interference devices. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theory of nonlinear effects in Josephson chains. The metamaterial is very promising as an active medium for Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifiers; its use facilitates phase matching in a four-wave-mixing process for efficient parametric gain.

  12. Flux Cloning in Josephson Transmission Lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulevich, D. R.; Kusmartsev, F. V.

    2006-07-01

    We describe a novel effect related to the controlled birth of a single Josephson vortex. In this phenomenon, the vortex is created in a Josephson transmission line at a T-shaped junction. The “baby” vortex arises at the moment when a “mother” vortex propagating in the adjacent transmission line passes the T-shaped junction. In order to give birth to a new vortex, the mother vortex must have enough kinetic energy. Its motion can also be supported by an externally applied driving current. We determine the critical velocity and the critical driving current for the creation of the baby vortices and briefly discuss the potential applications of the found effect.

  13. Josephson junction Q-spoiler

    DOEpatents

    Clarke, J.; Hilbert, C.; Hahn, E.L.; Sleator, T.

    1986-03-25

    An automatic Q-spoiler comprising at least one Josephson tunnel junction connected in an LC circuit for flow of resonant current therethrough. When in use in a system for detecting the magnetic resonance of a gyromagnetic particle system, a high energy pulse of high frequency energy irradiating the particle system will cause the critical current through the Josephson tunnel junctions to be exceeded, causing the tunnel junctions to act as resistors and thereby damp the ringing of the high-Q detection circuit after the pulse. When the current has damped to below the critical current, the Josephson tunnel junctions revert to their zero-resistance state, restoring the Q of the detection circuit and enabling the low energy magnetic resonance signals to be detected.

  14. Josephson junction Q-spoiler

    DOEpatents

    Clarke, John; Hilbert, Claude; Hahn, Erwin L.; Sleator, Tycho

    1988-01-01

    An automatic Q-spoiler comprising at least one Josephson tunnel junction connected in an LC circuit for flow of resonant current therethrough. When in use in a system for detecting the magnetic resonance of a gyromagnetic particle system, a high energy pulse of high frequency energy irradiating the particle system will cause the critical current through the Josephson tunnel junctions to be exceeded, causing the tunnel junctions to act as resistors and thereby damp the ringing of the high-Q detection circuit after the pulse. When the current has damped to below the critical current, the Josephson tunnel junctions revert to their zero-resistance state, restoring the Q of the detection circuit and enabling the low energy magnetic resonance signals to be detected.

  15. Experimental Studies of Josephson Effect

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-09-06

    to test predictions that macroscopic variables, such as the flux through a SQUID loop, display quantum mechanical properties such as tunneling and...approximately Oo/L as flux quanta enter the loop. In the Josephson junctions used here are lead-alloy tunnel junc- linear region, for I, <<J, the rate...magnetometer. The junctions ln(F)-AU/kT+In(f/2z). (3) used were nominal I x I pm 2 Nb/AI2O3/Nb tunnel junc- As Fig. 3 shows, the observed dependence is in

  16. A dry-cooled AC quantum voltmeter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schubert, M.; Starkloff, M.; Peiselt, K.; Anders, S.; Knipper, R.; Lee, J.; Behr, R.; Palafox, L.; Böck, A. C.; Schaidhammer, L.; Fleischmann, P. M.; Meyer, H.-G.

    2016-10-01

    The paper describes a dry-cooled AC quantum voltmeter system operated up to kilohertz frequencies and 7 V rms. A 10 V programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) array was installed on a pulse tube cooler (PTC) driven with a 4 kW air-cooled compressor. The operating margins at 70 GHz frequencies were investigated in detail and found to exceed 1 mA Shapiro step width. A key factor for the successful chip operation was the low on-chip power consumption of 65 mW in total. A thermal interface between PJVS chip and PTC cold stage was used to avoid a significant chip overheating. By installing the cryocooled PJVS array into an AC quantum voltmeter setup, several calibration measurements of dc standards and calibrator ac voltages up to 2 kHz frequencies were carried out to demonstrate the full functionality. The results are discussed and compared to systems with standard liquid helium cooling. For dc voltages, a direct comparison measurement between the dry-cooled AC quantum voltmeter and a liquid-helium based 10 V PJVS shows an agreement better than 1 part in 1010.

  17. Phase-dependent noise in Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheldon, Forrest; Peotta, Sebastiano; Di Ventra, Massimiliano

    2018-03-01

    In addition to the usual superconducting current, Josephson junctions (JJs) support a phase-dependent conductance related to the retardation effect of tunneling quasi-particles. This introduces a dissipative current with a memory-resistive (memristive) character that should also affect the current noise. By means of the microscopic theory of tunnel junctions we compute the complete current autocorrelation function of a Josephson tunnel junction and show that this memristive component gives rise to both a previously noted phase-dependent thermal noise, and an undescribed non-stationary, phase-dependent dynamic noise. As experiments are approaching ranges in which these effects may be observed, we examine the form and magnitude of these processes. Their phase dependence can be realized experimentally as a hysteresis effect and may be used to probe defects present in JJ based qubits and in other superconducting electronics applications.

  18. Effect of interjunction coupling on superconducting current and charge correlations in intrinsic Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Hamdipour, M.; Kolahchi, M. R.

    2009-07-01

    Charge formations on superconducting layers and creation of the longitudinal plasma wave in the stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions change crucially the superconducting current through the stack. Investigation of the correlations of superconducting currents in neighboring Josephson junctions and the charge correlations in neighboring superconducting layers allows us to predict the additional features in the current-voltage characteristics. The charge autocorrelation functions clearly demonstrate the difference between harmonic and chaotic behavior in the breakpoint region. Use of the correlation functions gives us a powerful method for the analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of coupled Josephson junctions.

  19. 4π-periodic Josephson supercurrent in HgTe-based topological Josephson junctions

    PubMed Central

    Wiedenmann, J.; Bocquillon, E.; Deacon, R. S.; Hartinger, S.; Herrmann, O.; Klapwijk, T. M.; Maier, L.; Ames, C.; Brüne, C.; Gould, C.; Oiwa, A.; Ishibashi, K.; Tarucha, S.; Buhmann, H.; Molenkamp, L. W.

    2016-01-01

    The Josephson effect describes the generic appearance of a supercurrent in a weak link between two superconductors. Its exact physical nature deeply influences the properties of the supercurrent. In recent years, considerable efforts have focused on the coupling of superconductors to the surface states of a three-dimensional topological insulator. In such a material, an unconventional induced p-wave superconductivity should occur, with a doublet of topologically protected gapless Andreev bound states, whose energies vary 4π-periodically with the superconducting phase difference across the junction. In this article, we report the observation of an anomalous response to rf irradiation in a Josephson junction made of a HgTe weak link. The response is understood as due to a 4π-periodic contribution to the supercurrent, and its amplitude is compatible with the expected contribution of a gapless Andreev doublet. Our work opens the way to more elaborate experiments to investigate the induced superconductivity in a three-dimensional insulator. PMID:26792013

  20. Gate-tuned Josephson effect on the surface of a topological insulator

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    In the study, we investigate the Josephson supercurrent of a superconductor/normal metal/superconductor junction on the surface of a topological insulator, where a gate electrode is attached to the normal metal. It is shown that the Josephson supercurrent not only can be tuned largely by the temperature but also is related to the potential and the length of the weak-link region. Especially, the asymmetry excess critical supercurrent, oscillatory character, and plateau-like structure have been revealed. We except those phenomena that can be observed in the recent experiment. PMID:25249827

  1. Ultimately short ballistic vertical graphene Josephson junctions

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Gil-Ho; Kim, Sol; Jhi, Seung-Hoon; Lee, Hu-Jong

    2015-01-01

    Much efforts have been made for the realization of hybrid Josephson junctions incorporating various materials for the fundamental studies of exotic physical phenomena as well as the applications to superconducting quantum devices. Nonetheless, the efforts have been hindered by the diffusive nature of the conducting channels and interfaces. To overcome the obstacles, we vertically sandwiched a cleaved graphene monoatomic layer as the normal-conducting spacer between superconducting electrodes. The atomically thin single-crystalline graphene layer serves as an ultimately short conducting channel, with highly transparent interfaces with superconductors. In particular, we show the strong Josephson coupling reaching the theoretical limit, the convex-shaped temperature dependence of the Josephson critical current and the exceptionally skewed phase dependence of the Josephson current; all demonstrate the bona fide short and ballistic Josephson nature. This vertical stacking scheme for extremely thin transparent spacers would open a new pathway for exploring the exotic coherence phenomena occurring on an atomic scale. PMID:25635386

  2. Experimental evidence of a φ Josephson junction.

    PubMed

    Sickinger, H; Lipman, A; Weides, M; Mints, R G; Kohlstedt, H; Koelle, D; Kleiner, R; Goldobin, E

    2012-09-07

    We demonstrate experimentally the existence of Josephson junctions having a doubly degenerate ground state with an average Josephson phase ψ=±φ. The value of φ can be chosen by design in the interval 0<φ<π. The junctions used in our experiments are fabricated as 0-π Josephson junctions of moderate normalized length with asymmetric 0 and π regions. We show that (a) these φ Josephson junctions have two critical currents, corresponding to the escape of the phase ψ from -φ and +φ states, (b) the phase ψ can be set to a particular state by tuning an external magnetic field, or (c) by using a proper bias current sweep sequence. The experimental observations are in agreement with previous theoretical predictions.

  3. Magnetization induced by odd-frequency spin-triplet Cooper pairs in a Josephson junction with metallic trilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hikino, S.; Yunoki, S.

    2015-07-01

    We theoretically study the magnetization inside a normal metal induced in an s -wave superconductor/ferromagnetic metal/normal metal/ferromagnetic metal/s -wave superconductor (S /F 1 /N /F 2 /S ) Josephson junction. Using the quasiclassical Green's function method, we show that the magnetization becomes finite inside the N . The origin of this magnetization is due to odd-frequency spin-triplet Cooper pairs formed by electrons of equal and opposite spins, which are induced by the proximity effect in the S /F 1 /N /F 2 /S junction. We find that the magnetization M (d ,θ ) in the N can be decomposed into two parts, M (d ,θ ) =MI(d ) +MII(d ,θ ) , where θ is the superconducting phase difference between the two S s and d is the thickness of N . The θ -independent magnetization MI(d ) exists generally in S /F junctions, while MII(d ,θ ) carries all θ dependence and represents the fingerprint of the phase coherence between the two S s in Josephson junctions. The θ dependence thus allows us to control the magnetization in the N by tuning θ for a fixed d . We show that the θ -independent magnetization MI(d ) weakly decreases with increasing d , while the θ -dependent magnetization MII(d ,θ ) rapidly decays with d . Moreover, we find that the time-averaged magnetization exhibits a discontinuous peak at each resonance dc voltage Vn=n ℏ ωS/2 e (n : integer) when dc voltage V as well as ac voltage vac(t ) with frequency ωS are both applied to the S /F 1 /N /F 2 /S junction. This is because MII(d ,θ ) oscillates generally in time t (ac magnetization) with d θ /d t =2 e [V +vac(t ) ]/ℏ and thus =0 , but can be converted into the time-independent dc magnetization for the dc voltage at Vn. We also discuss that the magnetization induced in the N can be measurably large in realistic systems. Therefore, the measurement of the induced magnetization serves as an alternative way to detect the phase coherence between the two S s in

  4. Phase-locking transition in a chirped superconducting Josephson resonator.

    PubMed

    Naaman, O; Aumentado, J; Friedland, L; Wurtele, J S; Siddiqi, I

    2008-09-12

    We observe a sharp threshold for dynamic phase locking in a high-Q transmission line resonator embedded with a Josephson tunnel junction, and driven with a purely ac, chirped microwave signal. When the drive amplitude is below a critical value, which depends on the chirp rate and is sensitive to the junction critical current I0, the resonator is only excited near its linear resonance frequency. For a larger amplitude, the resonator phase locks to the chirped drive and its amplitude grows until a deterministic maximum is reached. Near threshold, the oscillator evolves smoothly in one of two diverging trajectories, providing a way to discriminate small changes in I0 with a nonswitching detector, with potential applications in quantum state measurement.

  5. Magnetization-induced dynamics of a Josephson junction coupled to a nanomagnet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, Roopayan; Maiti, Moitri; Shukrinov, Yury M.; Sengupta, K.

    2017-11-01

    We study the superconducting current of a Josephson junction (JJ) coupled to an external nanomagnet driven by a time-dependent magnetic field both without and in the presence of an external ac drive. We provide an analytic, albeit perturbative, solution for the Landau-Lifshitz (LL) equations governing the coupled JJ-nanomagnet system in the presence of a magnetic field with arbitrary time dependence oriented along the easy axis of the nanomagnet's magnetization and in the limit of weak dimensionless coupling ɛ0 between the JJ and the nanomagnet. We show the existence of Shapiro-type steps in the I -V characteristics of the JJ subjected to a voltage bias for a constant or periodically varying magnetic field and explore the effect of rotation of the magnetic field and the presence of an external ac drive on these steps. We support our analytic results with exact numerical solution of the LL equations. We also extend our results to dissipative nanomagnets by providing a perturbative solution to the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equations for weak dissipation. We study the fate of magnetization-induced Shapiro steps in the presence of dissipation both from our analytical results and via numerical solution of the coupled LLG equations. We discuss experiments which can test our theory.

  6. 0-π phase-controllable thermal Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fornieri, Antonio; Timossi, Giuliano; Virtanen, Pauli; Solinas, Paolo; Giazotto, Francesco

    2017-05-01

    Two superconductors coupled by a weak link support an equilibrium Josephson electrical current that depends on the phase difference ϕ between the superconducting condensates. Yet, when a temperature gradient is imposed across the junction, the Josephson effect manifests itself through a coherent component of the heat current that flows opposite to the thermal gradient for |ϕ| < π/2 (refs 2-4). The direction of both the Josephson charge and heat currents can be inverted by adding a π shift to ϕ. In the static electrical case, this effect has been obtained in a few systems, for example via a ferromagnetic coupling or a non-equilibrium distribution in the weak link. These structures opened new possibilities for superconducting quantum logic and ultralow-power superconducting computers. Here, we report the first experimental realization of a thermal Josephson junction whose phase bias can be controlled from 0 to π. This is obtained thanks to a superconducting quantum interferometer that allows full control of the direction of the coherent energy transfer through the junction. This possibility, in conjunction with the completely superconducting nature of our system, provides temperature modulations with an unprecedented amplitude of ∼100 mK and transfer coefficients exceeding 1 K per flux quantum at 25 mK. Then, this quantum structure represents a fundamental step towards the realization of caloritronic logic components such as thermal transistors, switches and memory devices. These elements, combined with heat interferometers and diodes, would complete the thermal conversion of the most important phase-coherent electronic devices and benefit cryogenic microcircuits requiring energy management, such as quantum computing architectures and radiation sensors.

  7. Josephson oscillation and self-trapping in momentum space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Yi; Feng, Shiping; Yang, Shi-Jie

    2018-04-01

    The Creutz ladder model is studied in the presence of unconventional flux induced by complex tunneling rates along and between the two legs. In the vortex phase, the double-minima band structure is regarded as a double well. By introducing a tunable coupling between the two momentum minima, we demonstrate a phenomenon of Josephson oscillations in momentum space. The condensate density locked in one of the momentum valleys is referred to as macroscopic quantum self-trapping. The on-site interaction of the lattice provides an effective analogy to the double-well model within the two-mode approximation which allows for a quantitative understanding of the Josephson effect and the self-trapping in momentum space.

  8. Microwave integrated circuit for Josephson voltage standards

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holdeman, L. B.; Toots, J.; Chang, C. C. (Inventor)

    1980-01-01

    A microwave integrated circuit comprised of one or more Josephson junctions and short sections of microstrip or stripline transmission line is fabricated from thin layers of superconducting metal on a dielectric substrate. The short sections of transmission are combined to form the elements of the circuit and particularly, two microwave resonators. The Josephson junctions are located between the resonators and the impedance of the Josephson junctions forms part of the circuitry that couples the two resonators. The microwave integrated circuit has an application in Josephson voltage standards. In this application, the device is asymmetrically driven at a selected frequency (approximately equal to the resonance frequency of the resonators), and a d.c. bias is applied to the junction. By observing the current voltage characteristic of the junction, a precise voltage, proportional to the frequency of the microwave drive signal, is obtained.

  9. Simple Electronic Analog of a Josephson Junction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, R. W.; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Demonstrates that an electronic Josephson junction analog constructed from three integrated circuits plus an external reference oscillator can exhibit many of the circuit phenomena of a real Josephson junction. Includes computer and other applications of the analog. (Author/SK)

  10. Ballistic Josephson junctions based on CVD graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Tianyi; Gallop, John; Hao, Ling; Romans, Edward

    2018-04-01

    Josephson junctions with graphene as the weak link between superconductors have been intensely studied in recent years, with respect to both fundamental physics and potential applications. However, most of the previous work was based on mechanically exfoliated graphene, which is not compatible with wafer-scale production. To overcome this limitation, we have used graphene grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) as the weak link of Josephson junctions. We demonstrate that very short, wide CVD-graphene-based Josephson junctions with Nb electrodes can work without any undesirable hysteresis in their electrical characteristics from 1.5 K down to a base temperature of 320 mK, and their gate-tuneable critical current shows an ideal Fraunhofer-like interference pattern in a perpendicular magnetic field. Furthermore, for our shortest junctions (50 nm in length), we find that the normal state resistance oscillates with the gate voltage, consistent with the junctions being in the ballistic regime, a feature not previously observed in CVD-graphene-based Josephson junctions.

  11. Anomalous current in diffusive ferromagnetic Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silaev, M. A.; Tokatly, I. V.; Bergeret, F. S.

    2017-05-01

    We demonstrate that in diffusive superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor (S/F/S) junctions a finite, anomalous Josephson current can flow even at zero phase difference between the S electrodes. The conditions for the observation of this effect are noncoplanar magnetization distribution and a broken magnetization inversion symmetry of the superconducting current. The latter symmetry is intrinsic for the widely used quasiclassical approximation and prevented previous works based on this approximation from obtaining the Josephson anomalous current. We show that this symmetry can be removed by introducing spin-dependent boundary conditions for the quasiclassical equations at the superconducting/ferromagnet interfaces in diffusive systems. Using this recipe, we consider generic multilayer magnetic systems and determine the ideal experimental conditions in order to maximize the anomalous current.

  12. Measurement of Quantum Phase-Slips in Josephson Junction Chains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guichard, Wiebke

    2011-03-01

    Quantum phase-slip dynamics in Josephson junction chains could provide the basis for the realization of a new type of topologically protected qubit or for the implementation of a new current standard. I will present measurements of the effect of quantum phase-slips on the ground state of a Josephson junction chain. We can tune in situ the strength of the phase-slips. These phase-slips are the result of fluctuations induced by the finite charging energy of each junction in the chain. Our measurements demonstrate that a Josephson junction chain under phase bias constraint behaves in a collective way. I will also show evidence of coherent phase-slip interference, the so called Aharonov-Casher effect. This phenomenon is the dual of the well known Aharonov-Bohm interference. In collaboration with I.M. Pop, Institut Neel, C.N.R.S. and Universite Joseph Fourier, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble, France; I. Protopopov, L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kosygin str. 2, Moscow 119334, Russia and Institut fuer Nanotechnologie, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany; and F. Lecocq, Z. Peng, B. Pannetier, O. Buisson, Institut Neel, C.N.R.S. and Universite Joseph Fourier. European STREP MIDAS, ANR QUANTJO.

  13. Effect of inductive and capacitive coupling on the current–voltage characteristic and electromagnetic radiation from a system of Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rahmonov, I. R., E-mail: rahmonov@theor.jinr.ru, E-mail: ilhom-tj@inbox.ru; Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Atanasova, P. Kh.

    We have studied the current–voltage characteristic of a system of long Josephson junctions taking into account the inductive and capacitive coupling. The dependence of the average time derivative of the phase difference on the bias current and spatiotemporal dependences of the phase difference and magnetic field in each junction are considered. The possibility of branching of the current–voltage characteristic in the region of zero field step, which is associated with different numbers of fluxons in individual Josephson junctions, is demonstrated. The current–voltage characteristic of the system of Josephson junctions is compared with the case of a single junction, and itmore » is shown that the observed branching is due to coupling between the junctions. The intensity of electromagnetic radiation associated with motion of fluxons is calculated, and the effect of coupling between junctions on the radiation power is analyzed.« less

  14. Polaritonic Rabi and Josephson Oscillations

    PubMed Central

    Rahmani, Amir; Laussy, Fabrice P.

    2016-01-01

    The dynamics of coupled condensates is a wide-encompassing problem with relevance to superconductors, BECs in traps, superfluids, etc. Here, we provide a unified picture of this fundamental problem that includes i) detuning of the free energies, ii) different self-interaction strengths and iii) finite lifetime of the modes. At such, this is particularly relevant for the dynamics of polaritons, both for their internal dynamics between their light and matter constituents, as well as for the more conventional dynamics of two spatially separated condensates. Polaritons are short-lived, interact only through their material fraction and are easily detuned. At such, they bring several variations to their atomic counterpart. We show that the combination of these parameters results in important twists to the phenomenology of the Josephson effect, such as the behaviour of the relative phase (running or oscillating) or the occurence of self-trapping. We undertake a comprehensive stability analysis of the fixed points on a normalized Bloch sphere, that allows us to provide a generalized criterion to identify the Rabi and Josephson regimes in presence of detuning and decay. PMID:27452872

  15. Dynamical Casimir effect in a Josephson metamaterial

    PubMed Central

    Lähteenmäki, Pasi; Paraoanu, G. S.; Hassel, Juha; Hakonen, Pertti J.

    2013-01-01

    The zero-point energy stored in the modes of an electromagnetic cavity has experimentally detectable effects, giving rise to an attractive interaction between the opposite walls, the static Casimir effect. A dynamical version of this effect was predicted to occur when the vacuum energy is changed either by moving the walls of the cavity or by changing the index of refraction, resulting in the conversion of vacuum fluctuations into real photons. Here, we demonstrate the dynamical Casimir effect using a Josephson metamaterial embedded in a microwave cavity at 5.4 GHz. We modulate the effective length of the cavity by flux-biasing the metamaterial based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), which results in variation of a few percentage points in the speed of light. We extract the full 4 × 4 covariance matrix of the emitted microwave radiation, demonstrating that photons at frequencies symmetrical with respect to half of the modulation frequency are generated in pairs. At large detunings of the cavity from half of the modulation frequency, we find power spectra that clearly show the theoretically predicted hallmark of the Casimir effect: a bimodal, “sparrow-tail” structure. The observed substantial photon flux cannot be assigned to parametric amplification of thermal fluctuations; its creation is a direct consequence of the noncommutativity structure of quantum field theory.

  16. Conditions for synchronization in Josephson-junction arrays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chernikov, A.A.; Schmidt, G.

    An effective perturbation theoretical method has been developed to study the dynamics of Josephson Junction series arrays. It is shown that the inclusion of Junction capacitances, often ignored, has a significant impact on synchronization. Comparison of analytic with computational results over a wide range of parameters shows excellent agreement.

  17. Josephson junction spectrum analyzer for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Larkin, S.Y.; Anischenko, S.E.; Khabayev, P.V.

    1994-12-31

    A prototype of the Josephson-effect spectrum analyzer developed for the millimeter-wave band is described. The measurement results for spectra obtained in the frequency band from 50 to 250 GHz are presented.

  18. Josephson Junction spectrum analyzer for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Larkin, S. Y.; Anischenko, S. E.; Khabayev, P. V.

    1995-01-01

    A prototype of the Josephson-effect spectrum analyzer developed for the millimeter wave band is described. The measurement results for spectra obtained in the frequency band from 50 to 250 GHz are presented.

  19. Intrinsic Josephson effects in the magnetic superconductor RuSr2GdCu2O8.

    PubMed

    Nachtrab, T; Koelle, D; Kleiner, R; Bernhard, C; Lin, C T

    2004-03-19

    We have measured interlayer current transport in small-sized RuSr2GdCu2O8 single crystals. We find a clear intrinsic Josephson effect showing that the material acts as a natural superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-insulator-superconductor superlattice. Thus far, we detected no unconventional behavior due to the magnetism of the RuO2 layers.

  20. Josephson frequency meter for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anischenko, S.E.; Larkin, S.Y.; Chaikovsky, V.I.

    1994-12-31

    Frequency measurements of electromagnetic oscillations of millimeter and submillimeter wavebands with frequency growth due to a number of reasons become more and more difficult. First, these frequencies are considered to be cutoff for semiconductor converting devices and one has to use optical measurement methods instead of traditional ones with frequency transfer. Second, resonance measurement methods are characterized by using relatively narrow bands and optical ones are limited in frequency and time resolution due to the limited range and velocity of movement of their mechanical elements as well as the efficiency of these optical techniques decreases with the increase of wavelengthmore » due to diffraction losses. That requires the apriori information on the radiation frequency band of the source involved. Method of measuring frequency of harmonic microwave signals in millimeter and submillimeter wavebands based on the ac Josephson effect in superconducting contacts is devoid of all the above drawbacks. This approach offers a number of major advantages over the more traditional measurement methods, that is the one based on frequency conversion, resonance and interferrometric techniques. It can be characterized by high potential accuracy, wide range of frequencies measured, prompt measurement and the opportunity to obtain panoramic display of the results as well as full automation of the measuring process.« less

  1. Josephson frequency meter for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anischenko, S. E.; Larkin, S. Y.; Chaikovsky, V. I.; Kabayev, P. V.; Kamyshin, V. V.

    1995-01-01

    Frequency measurements of electromagnetic oscillations of millimeter and submillimeter wavebands with frequency growth due to a number of reasons become more and more difficult. First, these frequencies are considered to be cutoffs for semiconductor converting devices and one has to use optical measurement methods instead of traditional ones with frequency transfer. Second, resonance measurement methods are characterized by using relatively narrow bands and optical ones are limited in frequency and time resolution due to the limited range and velocity of movement of their mechanical elements as well as the efficiency of these optical techniques decrease with the increase of wavelength due to diffraction losses. That requires a priori information on the radiation frequency band of the source involved. Method of measuring frequency of harmonic microwave signals in millimeter and submillimeter wavebands based on the ac Josephson effect in superconducting contacts is devoid of all the above drawbacks. This approach offers a number of major advantages over the more traditional measurement methods, that is one based on frequency conversion, resonance and interferometric techniques. It can be characterized by high potential accuracy, wide range of frequencies measured, prompt measurement and the opportunity to obtain a panoramic display of the results as well as full automation of the measuring process.

  2. Feynman's and Ohta's Models of a Josephson Junction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Luca, R.

    2012-01-01

    The Josephson equations are derived by means of the weakly coupled two-level quantum system model given by Feynman. Adopting a simplified version of Ohta's model, starting from Feynman's model, the strict voltage-frequency Josephson relation is derived. The contribution of Ohta's approach to the comprehension of the additional term given by the…

  3. Short Ballistic Josephson Coupling in Planar Graphene Junctions with Inhomogeneous Carrier Doping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Jinho; Lee, Jae Hyeong; Lee, Gil-Ho; Takane, Yositake; Imura, Ken-Ichiro; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Lee, Hu-Jong

    2018-02-01

    We report on short ballistic (SB) Josephson coupling in junctions embedded in a planar heterostructure of graphene. Ballistic Josephson coupling is confirmed by the Fabry-Perot-type interference of the junction critical current Ic . The product of Ic and the normal-state junction resistance RN , normalized by the zero-temperature gap energy Δ0 of the superconducting electrodes, turns out to be exceptionally large close to 2, an indication of strong Josephson coupling in the SB junction limit. However, Ic shows a temperature dependence that is inconsistent with the conventional short-junction-like behavior based on the standard Kulik-Omel'yanchuk prediction. We argue that this feature stems from the effects of inhomogeneous carrier doping in graphene near the superconducting contacts, although the junction is in fact in the short-junction limit.

  4. Parity Anomaly and Spin Transmutation in Quantum Spin Hall Josephson Junctions.

    PubMed

    Peng, Yang; Vinkler-Aviv, Yuval; Brouwer, Piet W; Glazman, Leonid I; von Oppen, Felix

    2016-12-23

    We study the Josephson effect in a quantum spin Hall system coupled to a localized magnetic impurity. As a consequence of the fermion parity anomaly, the spin of the combined system of impurity and spin-Hall edge alternates between half-integer and integer values when the superconducting phase difference across the junction advances by 2π. This leads to characteristic differences in the splittings of the spin multiplets by exchange coupling and single-ion anisotropy at phase differences, for which time-reversal symmetry is preserved. We discuss the resulting 8π-periodic (or Z_{4}) fractional Josephson effect in the context of recent experiments.

  5. Quantum Dynamics of a d-wave Josephson Junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauch, Thilo

    2007-03-01

    Thilo Bauch ^1, Floriana Lombardi ^1, Tobias Lindstr"om ^2, Francesco Tafuri ^3, Giacomo Rotoli ^4, Per Delsing ^1, Tord Claeson ^1 1 Quantum Device Physics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, MC2, Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96 G"oteborg, Sweden. 2 National Physical Laboratory, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW, UK. 3 Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia-Dipartimento Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Seconda Universita di Napoli, Aversa (CE), Italy. 4 Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Universita of L'Aquila, Localita Monteluco, L'Aquila, Italy. We present direct observation of macroscopic quantum properties in an all high critical temperature superconductor d-wave Josephson junction. Although dissipation caused by low energy excitations is expected to strongly suppress quantum effects we demonstrate macroscopic quantum tunneling [1] and energy level quantization [2] in our d-wave Josephson junction. The results clearly indicate that the role of dissipation mechanisms in high temperature superconductors has to be revised, and may also have consequences for a new class of solid state ``quiet'' quantum bit with superior coherence time. We show that the dynamics of the YBCO grain boundary Josephson junctions fabricated on a STO substrate are strongly affected by their environment. As a first approximation we model the environment by the stray capacitance and stray inductance of the junction electrodes. The total system consisting of the junction and stray elements has two degrees of freedom resulting in two characteristic resonance frequencies. Both frequencies have to be considered to describe the quantum mechanical behavior of the Josephson circuit. [1] T. Bauch et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 087003 (2005). [2] T. Bauch et al, Science 311, 57 (2006).

  6. Hierarchy of Supercurrents in Multicomponent Atomic Josephson Vortices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaurov, Vitaliy

    2009-03-01

    We show that a quasi-1D long atomic Josephson junction [1,2] containing a mixture of BECs can sustain multi-component Josephson vortices (mJV). A new exact soliton solution is given to describe a stationary mJV in the general N-component case. Depending on system parameters (scattering lengths, tunneling strengths, and chemical potentials) Josephson supercurrents of different components form a hierarchy according to their intensity and proximity to phase slip. By tuning the parameters it is possible to turn off or on particular currents using the JV -- dark soliton interconversion effect [1,2]. Inside the mJV different components may circulate either in the same or opposite directions resulting in bulk super-counter-flow in the latter case. The weak tunneling limit can be described by a modified Sine-Gordon model. An approximate solution for mJV propagating along the junction is found for the two-component case. The degeneracy of stationary mJV with respect to co-flow or counter-flow configurations is lifted by the uniform motion of mJV. Which configuration is energetically preferable depends on the interspecies scattering length. [1] V. M. Kaurov and A. B. Kuklov, Phys. Rev. A 71, 011601(R) (2005). [2] V. M. Kaurov and A. B. Kuklov, Phys. Rev. A 73, 013627 (2006).

  7. Some Aspects of Self-Field Effects in Large Vanadium-Based Josephson Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cristiano, R.; Russo, M.; Di Chiara, A.; Huang, Hesheng; Peluso, G.

    1984-03-01

    Experiments concerning large V-VxOy-Pb Josephson junctions have been performed. Structures having an overlap-type geometry have been considered. Preliminary experimental results are justified in the framework of the linearized current-phase model.

  8. Inelastic effects of Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranjan, Samir

    We have investigated the effects of the inelastic interaction of electrons with phonons in the barrier region of S-I-S and S-N-S Josephson junctions. We find that under suitable conditions this mechanism can cause substantial modifications of the temperature dependence of the critical current jsb{c} as the inevitable loss of coherence can be more than compensated by the enhancement of the tunneling probability resulting from the phonon absorption. The effect depends strongly on the ratio qsb{TF}a of the junction width a to the screening length in the barrier region. For a S-I-S junction, a monotonic decrease in the critical current with temperature is found for qsb{TF}a ≫ 1 whereas for qsb{TF}a ≪ 1, the appearance of a peak in jsb{c}(T) near Tsb{c} is predicted. This new interesting effect is the consequence of the competition between the decrease of the superconducting gap function and the increase in the number of phonons with temperature. A wide range of parameter values has been explored and contact with relevant experimental results has been made. For an S-N-S junction, there is a large increase in the coherence length in the non-superconducting region leading to a substantial enhancement of the critical current over a wide range of temperature. It turns out that the entire temperature range can be divided broadly into two regimes. At low temperatures, the electron predominantly exchanges energy with just one phonon and it is this process that mainly determines the critical current. At higher temperatures the critical current is determined by processes in which the electrons exchange energy with many phonons during their under barrier motion.

  9. Current driven transition from Abrikosov-Josephson to Josephson-like vortex in mesoscopic lateral S/S’/S superconducting weak links

    PubMed Central

    Carapella, G.; Sabatino, P.; Barone, C.; Pagano, S.; Gombos, M.

    2016-01-01

    Vortices are topological defects accounting for many important effects in superconductivity, superfluidity, and magnetism. Here we address the stability of a small number of such excitations driven by strong external forces. We focus on Abrikosov-Josephson vortex that appears in lateral superconducting S/S’/S weak links with suppressed superconductivity in S’. In such a system the vortex is nucleated and confined in the narrow S’ region by means of a small magnetic field and moves under the effect of a force proportional to an applied electrical current with a velocity proportional to the measured voltage. Our numerical simulations show that when a slow moving Abrikosov-Josephson vortex is driven by a strong constant current it becomes unstable with respect to a faster moving excitation: the Josephon-like vortex. Such a current-driven transition explains the structured dissipative branches that we observe in the voltage-current curve of the weak link. When vortex matter is strongly confined phenomena as magnetoresistance oscillations and reentrance of superconductivity can possibly occur. We experimentally observe these phenomena in our weak links. PMID:27752137

  10. Magnetically-driven colossal supercurrent enhancement in InAs nanowire Josephson junctions

    PubMed Central

    Tiira, J.; Strambini, E.; Amado, M.; Roddaro, S.; San-Jose, P.; Aguado, R.; Bergeret, F. S.; Ercolani, D.; Sorba, L.; Giazotto, F.

    2017-01-01

    The Josephson effect is a fundamental quantum phenomenon where a dissipationless supercurrent is introduced in a weak link between two superconducting electrodes by Andreev reflections. The physical details and topology of the junction drastically modify the properties of the supercurrent and a strong enhancement of the critical supercurrent is expected to occur when the topology of the junction allows an emergence of Majorana bound states. Here we report charge transport measurements in mesoscopic Josephson junctions formed by InAs nanowires and Ti/Al superconducting leads. Our main observation is a colossal enhancement of the critical supercurrent induced by an external magnetic field applied perpendicular to the substrate. This striking and anomalous supercurrent enhancement cannot be described by any known conventional phenomenon of Josephson junctions. We consider these results in the context of topological superconductivity, and show that the observed critical supercurrent enhancement is compatible with a magnetic field-induced topological transition. PMID:28401951

  11. Josephson Parametric Reflection Amplifier with Integrated Directionality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Westig, M. P.; Klapwijk, T. M.

    2018-06-01

    A directional superconducting parametric amplifier in the GHz frequency range is designed and analyzed, suitable for low-power read-out of microwave kinetic inductance detectors employed in astrophysics and when combined with a nonreciprocal device at its input also for circuit quantum electrodynamics. It consists of a one-wavelength-long nondegenerate Josephson parametric reflection amplifier circuit. The device has two Josephson-junction oscillators, connected via a tailored impedance to an on-chip passive circuit which directs the in- to the output port. The amplifier provides a gain of 20 dB over a bandwidth of 220 MHz on the signal as well as on the idler portion of the amplified input and the total photon shot noise referred to the input corresponds to maximally approximately 1.3 photons per second per Hertz of bandwidth. We predict a factor of 4 increase in dynamic range compared to conventional Josephson parametric amplifiers.

  12. Solitonic Josephson-based meminductive systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guarcello, Claudio; Solinas, Paolo; di Ventra, Massimiliano; Giazotto, Francesco

    2017-04-01

    Memristors, memcapacitors, and meminductors represent an innovative generation of circuit elements whose properties depend on the state and history of the system. The hysteretic behavior of one of their constituent variables, is their distinctive fingerprint. This feature endows them with the ability to store and process information on the same physical location, a property that is expected to benefit many applications ranging from unconventional computing to adaptive electronics to robotics. Therefore, it is important to find appropriate memory elements that combine a wide range of memory states, long memory retention times, and protection against unavoidable noise. Although several physical systems belong to the general class of memelements, few of them combine these important physical features in a single component. Here, we demonstrate theoretically a superconducting memory based on solitonic long Josephson junctions. Moreover, since solitons are at the core of its operation, this system provides an intrinsic topological protection against external perturbations. We show that the Josephson critical current behaves hysteretically as an external magnetic field is properly swept. Accordingly, long Josephson junctions can be used as multi-state memories, with a controllable number of available states, and in other emerging areas such as memcomputing, i.e., computing directly in/by the memory.

  13. Solitonic Josephson-based meminductive systems

    DOE PAGES

    Guarcello, Claudio; Solinas, Paolo; Di Ventra, Massimiliano; ...

    2017-04-24

    Memristors, memcapacitors, and meminductors represent an innovative generation of circuit elements whose properties depend on the state and history of the system. The hysteretic behavior of one of their constituent variables, is their distinctive fingerprint. This feature endows them with the ability to store and process information on the same physical location, a property that is expected to benefit many applications ranging from unconventional computing to adaptive electronics to robotics. Therefore, it is important to find appropriate memory elements that combine a wide range of memory states, long memory retention times, and protection against unavoidable noise. Although several physical systemsmore » belong to the general class of memelements, few of them combine these important physical features in a single component. Here in this paper, we demonstrate theoretically a superconducting memory based on solitonic long Josephson junctions. Moreover, since solitons are at the core of its operation, this system provides an intrinsic topological protection against external perturbations. We show that the Josephson critical current behaves hysteretically as an external magnetic field is properly swept. Accordingly, long Josephson junctions can be used as multi-state memories, with a controllable number of available states, and in other emerging areas such as memcomputing, i.e., computing directly in/by the memory.« less

  14. Solitonic Josephson-based meminductive systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Guarcello, Claudio; Solinas, Paolo; Di Ventra, Massimiliano

    Memristors, memcapacitors, and meminductors represent an innovative generation of circuit elements whose properties depend on the state and history of the system. The hysteretic behavior of one of their constituent variables, is their distinctive fingerprint. This feature endows them with the ability to store and process information on the same physical location, a property that is expected to benefit many applications ranging from unconventional computing to adaptive electronics to robotics. Therefore, it is important to find appropriate memory elements that combine a wide range of memory states, long memory retention times, and protection against unavoidable noise. Although several physical systemsmore » belong to the general class of memelements, few of them combine these important physical features in a single component. Here in this paper, we demonstrate theoretically a superconducting memory based on solitonic long Josephson junctions. Moreover, since solitons are at the core of its operation, this system provides an intrinsic topological protection against external perturbations. We show that the Josephson critical current behaves hysteretically as an external magnetic field is properly swept. Accordingly, long Josephson junctions can be used as multi-state memories, with a controllable number of available states, and in other emerging areas such as memcomputing, i.e., computing directly in/by the memory.« less

  15. Phase transition in nonuniform Josephson arrays: Monte Carlo simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lozovik, Yu. E.; Pomirchy, L. M.

    1994-01-01

    Disordered 2D system with Josephson interactions is considered. Disordered XY-model describes the granular films, Josephson arrays etc. Two types of disorder are analyzed: (1) randomly diluted system: Josephson coupling constants J ij are equal to J with probability p or zero (bond percolation problem); (2) coupling constants J ij are positive and distributed randomly and uniformly in some interval either including the vicinity of zero or apart from it. These systems are simulated by Monte Carlo method. Behaviour of potential energy, specific heat, phase correlation function and helicity modulus are analyzed. The phase diagram of the diluted system in T c-p plane is obtained.

  16. Multifluxon dynamics in driven Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawrence, Albert; Kim, Nung Soo; McDaniel, James; Jack, Michael

    1985-06-01

    The dynamics of fluxons in a long Josephson junction driven by time-varying nonuniform bias currents are described by a generalization of the sine-Gordon equation. This equation has solitary wave solutions which correspond to current vortices or quantized packets of magnetic flux in the junction. As with the sine-Gordon equation, multifluxon solutions may be demonstrated for the long Josephson junction. Our numerical calculations show that several fluxons may be launched or annihilated at the end of a junction. We also show multiple steady state conditions which correspond to one or more flux quanta trapped in the junction.

  17. Josephson junctions of multiple superconducting wires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deb, Oindrila; Sengupta, K.; Sen, Diptiman

    2018-05-01

    We study the spectrum of Andreev bound states and Josephson currents across a junction of N superconducting wires which may have s - or p -wave pairing symmetries and develop a scattering matrix based formalism which allows us to address transport across such junctions. For N ≥3 , it is well known that Berry curvature terms contribute to the Josephson currents; we chart out situations where such terms can have relatively large effects. For a system of three s -wave or three p -wave superconductors, we provide analytic expressions for the Andreev bound-state energies and study the Josephson currents in response to a constant voltage applied across one of the wires; we find that the integrated transconductance at zero temperature is quantized to integer multiples of 4 e2/h , where e is the electron charge and h =2 π ℏ is Planck's constant. For a sinusoidal current with frequency ω applied across one of the wires in the junction, we find that Shapiro plateaus appear in the time-averaged voltage across that wire for any rational fractional multiple (in contrast to only integer multiples in junctions of two wires) of 2 e /(ℏ ω ) . We also use our formalism to study junctions of two p -wave and one s -wave wires. We find that the corresponding Andreev bound-state energies depend on the spin of the Bogoliubov quasiparticles; this produces a net magnetic moment in such junctions. The time variation of these magnetic moments may be controlled by an external voltage applied across the junction. We discuss experiments which may test our theory.

  18. Radiation comb generation with extended Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Solinas, P., E-mail: paolo.solinas@spin.cnr.it; Bosisio, R., E-mail: riccardo.bosisio@nano.cnr.it; NEST, Instituto Nanoscienze-CNR and Scuola Normale Superiore, I-56127 Pisa

    2015-09-21

    We propose the implementation of a Josephson radiation comb generator based on an extended Josephson junction subject to a time dependent magnetic field. The junction critical current shows known diffraction patterns and determines the position of the critical nodes when it vanishes. When the magnetic flux passes through one of such critical nodes, the superconducting phase must undergo a π-jump to minimize the Josephson energy. Correspondingly, a voltage pulse is generated at the extremes of the junction. Under periodic driving, this allows us to produce a comb-like voltage pulses sequence. In the frequency domain, it is possible to generate upmore » to hundreds of harmonics of the fundamental driving frequency, thus mimicking the frequency comb used in optics and metrology. We discuss several implementations through a rectangular, cylindrical, and annular junction geometries, allowing us to generate different radiation spectra and to produce an output power up to 10 pW at 50 GHz for a driving frequency of 100 MHz.« less

  19. Josephson Radiation from Gapless Andreev Bound States in HgTe-Based Topological Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deacon, R. S.; Wiedenmann, J.; Bocquillon, E.; Domínguez, F.; Klapwijk, T. M.; Leubner, P.; Brüne, C.; Hankiewicz, E. M.; Tarucha, S.; Ishibashi, K.; Buhmann, H.; Molenkamp, L. W.

    2017-04-01

    Frequency analysis of the rf emission of oscillating Josephson supercurrent is a powerful passive way of probing properties of topological Josephson junctions. In particular, measurements of the Josephson emission enable the detection of topological gapless Andreev bound states that give rise to emission at half the Josephson frequency fJ rather than conventional emission at fJ. Here, we report direct measurement of rf emission spectra on Josephson junctions made of HgTe-based gate-tunable topological weak links. The emission spectra exhibit a clear signal at half the Josephson frequency fJ/2 . The linewidths of emission lines indicate a coherence time of 0.3-4 ns for the fJ/2 line, much shorter than for the fJ line (3-4 ns). These observations strongly point towards the presence of topological gapless Andreev bound states and pave the way for a future HgTe-based platform for topological quantum computation.

  20. Superconducting nanoribbon with a constriction: A quantum-confined Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flammia, L.; Zhang, L.-F.; Covaci, L.; Perali, A.; Milošević, M. V.

    2018-04-01

    Extended defects are known to strongly affect nanoscale superconductors. Here, we report the properties of superconducting nanoribbons with a constriction formed between two adjacent step edges by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations self-consistently in the regime where quantum confinement is important. Since the quantum resonances of the superconducting gap in the constricted area are different from the rest of the nanoribbon, such constriction forms a quantum-confined S-S'-S Josephson junction, with a broadly tunable performance depending on the length and width of the constriction with respect to the nanoribbon, and possible gating. These findings provide an intriguing approach to further tailor superconducting quantum devices where Josephson effect is of use.

  1. Phase transition in one Josephson junction with a side-coupled magnetic impurity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhi, Li-Ming; Wang, Xiao-Qi; Jiang, Cui; Yi, Guang-Yu; Gong, Wei-Jiang

    2018-04-01

    This work focuses on one Josephson junction with a side-coupled magnetic impurity. And then, the Josephson phase transition is theoretically investigated, with the help of the exact diagonalization approach. It is found that even in the absence of intradot Coulomb interaction, the magnetic impurity can efficiently induce the phenomenon of Josephson phase transition, which is tightly related to the spin correlation manners (i.e., ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic) between the impurity and the junction. Moreover, the impurity plays different roles when it couples to the dot and superconductor, respectively. This work can be helpful in describing the influence of one magnetic impurity on the supercurrent through the Josephson junction.

  2. A programmable quantum current standard from the Josephson and the quantum Hall effects

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poirier, W., E-mail: wilfrid.poirier@lne.fr; Lafont, F.; Djordjevic, S.

    We propose a way to realize a programmable quantum current standard (PQCS) from the Josephson voltage standard and the quantum Hall resistance standard (QHR) exploiting the multiple connection technique provided by the quantum Hall effect (QHE) and the exactness of the cryogenic current comparator. The PQCS could lead to breakthroughs in electrical metrology like the realization of a programmable quantum current source, a quantum ampere-meter, and a simplified closure of the quantum metrological triangle. Moreover, very accurate universality tests of the QHE could be performed by comparing PQCS based on different QHRs.

  3. Josephson coupling between superconducting islands on single- and bi-layer graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mancarella, Francesco; Fransson, Jonas; Balatsky, Alexander

    2016-05-01

    We study the Josephson coupling of superconducting (SC) islands through the surface of single-layer graphene (SLG) and bilayer graphene (BLG) in the long-junction regime, as a function of the distance between the grains, temperature, chemical potential and external (transverse) gate-voltage. For SLG, we provide a comparison with existing literature. The proximity effect is analyzed through a Matsubara Green’s function approach. This represents the first step in a discussion of the conditions for the onset of a granular superconductivity within the film, made possible by Josephson currents flowing between superconductors. To ensure phase coherence over the 2D sample, a random spatial distribution can be assumed for the SC islands on the SLG sheet (or intercalating the BLG sheets). The tunable gate-voltage-induced band gap of BLG affects the asymptotic decay of the Josephson coupling-distance characteristic for each pair of SC islands in the sample, which results in a qualitatively strong field dependence of the relation between Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition critical temperature and gate voltage.

  4. Majorana splitting from critical currents in Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cayao, Jorge; San-Jose, Pablo; Black-Schaffer, Annica M.; Aguado, Ramón; Prada, Elsa

    2017-11-01

    A semiconducting nanowire with strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling and coupled to a superconductor can be tuned by an external Zeeman field into a topological phase with Majorana zero modes. Here we theoretically investigate how this exotic topological superconductor phase manifests in Josephson junctions based on such proximitized nanowires. In particular, we focus on critical currents in the short junction limit (LN≪ξ , where LN is the junction length and ξ is the superconducting coherence length) and show that they contain important information about nontrivial topology and Majoranas. This includes signatures of the gap inversion at the topological transition and a unique oscillatory pattern that originates from Majorana interference. Interestingly, this pattern can be modified by tuning the transmission across the junction, thus providing complementary evidence of Majoranas and their energy splittings beyond standard tunnel spectroscopy experiments, while offering further tunability by virtue of the Josephson effect.

  5. Speeding up adiabatic population transfer in a Josephson qutrit via counter-diabatic driving

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Zhi-Bo; Lu, Xiao-Jing; Li, M.; Yan, Run-Ying; Zhou, Yun-Qing

    2017-12-01

    We propose a theoretical scheme to speed up adiabatic population transfer in a Josephson artificial qutrit by transitionless quantum driving. At a magic working point, an effective three-level subsystem can be chosen to constitute our qutrit. With Stokes and pump driving, adiabatic population transfer can be achieved in the qutrit by means of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. Assisted by a counter-diabatic driving, the adiabatic population transfer can be sped up drastically with accessible parameters. Moreover, the accelerated operation is flexibly reversible and highly robust against decoherence effects. Thanks to these distinctive advantages, the present protocol could offer a promising avenue for optimal coherent operations in Josephson quantum circuits.

  6. Classical analogs for Rabi-oscillations, Ramsey-fringes, and spin-echo in Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marchese, J. E.; Cirillo, M.; Grønbech-Jensen, N.

    2007-08-01

    We investigate the results of recently published experiments on the quantum behavior of Josephson circuits in terms of the classical modeling based on the resistively and capacitively-shunted (RCSJ) junction model. Our analysis shows evidence for a close analogy between the nonlinear behavior of a pulsed microwave-driven Josephson junction at low temperature and low dissipation and the experimental observations reported for the Josephson circuits. Specifically, we demonstrate that Rabi-oscillations, Ramsey-fringes, and spin-echo observations are not phenomena with a unique quantum interpretation. In fact, they are natural consequences of transients to phase-locking in classical nonlinear dynamics and can be observed in a purely classical model of a Josephson junction when the experimental recipe for the application of microwaves is followed and the experimental detection scheme followed. We therefore conclude that classical nonlinear dynamics can contribute to the understanding of relevant experimental observations of Josephson response to various microwave perturbations at very low temperature and low dissipation.

  7. Interaction between fractional Josephson vortices in multi-gap superconductor tunnel junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Ju H.

    In a long Josephson junction (LJJ) with two-band superconductors, fractionalization of Josephson vortices (fluxons) can occur in the broken time reversal symmetry state when spatial phase textures (i-solitons) are excited. Excitation of i-solitons in each superconductor layer of the junction, arising due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Josephson effect, leads to spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in fractional fluxons with large and small fraction of flux quantum. Similar to fluxons in one-band superconductor LJJ, these fractional fluxons are found to interact with each other. The interaction between large and small fractional fluxons determines the size of a fluxon which includes two (one large and one small) fractional fluxons. We discuss the nature of interaction between fractional fluxons and suggest that i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs may be probed by using magnetic flux measurements.

  8. The persistent current and energy spectrum on a driven mesoscopic LC-circuit with Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pahlavanias, Hassan

    2018-03-01

    The quantum theory for a mesoscopic electric circuit including a Josephson junction with charge discreteness is studied. By considering coupling energy of the mesoscopic capacitor in Josephson junction device, a Hamiltonian describing the dynamics of a quantum mesoscopic electric LC-circuit with charge discreteness is introduced. We first calculate the persistent current on a quantum driven ring including Josephson junction. Then we obtain the persistent current and energy spectrum of a quantum mesoscopic electrical circuit which includes capacitor, inductor, time-dependent external source and Josephson junction.

  9. Asymmetry of the velocity-matching steps in YBCO long Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Revin, L. S.; Pankratov, A. L.; Chiginev, A. V.; Masterov, D. V.; Parafin, A. E.; Pavlov, S. A.

    2018-04-01

    We carry out experimental and theoretical investigations into the effect of the vortex chain propagation on the current-voltage characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) long Josephson junctions. Samples of YBCO Josephson junctions, fabricated on 24° [001]-tilt bicrystal substrates, have been measured. The improved technology has allowed us to observe and study the asymmetry of the current-voltage characteristics with opposite magnetic fields (Revin et al 2012 J. Appl. Phys. 114 243903), which we believe occurs due to anisotropy of bicrystal substrates (Kupriyanov et al (2013 JETP Lett. 95 289)). Specifically, we examine the flux-flow resonant steps versus the external magnetic field, and study the differential resistance and its relation to oscillation power for opposite directions of vortex propagation.

  10. Measure synchronization in a spin-orbit-coupled bosonic Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wen-Yuan; Liu, Jie; Fu, Li-Bin

    2015-11-01

    We present measure synchronization (MS) in a bosonic Josephson junction with spin-orbit coupling. The two atomic hyperfine states are coupled by a Raman dressing scheme, and they are regarded as two orientations of a pseudo-spin-1 /2 system. A feature specific to a spin-orbit-coupled (SOC) bosonic Josephson junction is that the transition from non-MS to MS dynamics can be modulated by Raman laser intensity, even in the absence of interspin atomic interaction. A phase diagram of non-MS and MS dynamics as functions of Raman laser intensity and Josephson tunneling amplitude is presented. Taking into account interspin atomic interactions, the system exhibits MS breaking dynamics resulting from the competition between intraspin and interspin atomic interactions. When interspin atomic interactions dominate in the competition, the system always exhibits MS dynamics. For interspin interaction weaker than intraspin interaction, a window for non-MS dynamics is present. Since SOC Bose-Einstein condensates provide a powerful platform for studies on physical problems in various fields, the study of MS dynamics is valuable in researching the collective coherent dynamical behavior in a spin-orbit-coupled bosonic Josephson junction.

  11. Bond and flux-disorder effects on the superconductor-insulator transition of a honeycomb array of Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Granato, Enzo

    2018-05-01

    We study the effects of disorder on the zero-temperature quantum phase transition of a honeycomb array of Josephson junctions in a magnetic field with an average of fo flux quantum per plaquette. Bond disorder due to spatial variations in the Josephson couplings and magnetic flux disorder due to variations in the plaquette areas are considered. The model can describe the superconductor-insulator transition in ultra-thin films with a triangular pattern of nanoholes. Path integral Monte Carlo simulations of the equivalent (2 + 1)-dimensional classical model are used to study the critical behavior and estimate the universal resistivity at the transition. The results show that bond disorder leads to a rounding of the first-order phase transition for fo = 1 / 3 to a continuous transition. For integer fo, the decrease of the critical coupling parameter with flux disorder is significantly different from that of the same model defined on a square lattice. The results are compared with recent experimental observations on nanohole thin films with geometrical disorder and external magnetic field.

  12. Solitonic Josephson Thermal Transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guarcello, Claudio; Solinas, Paolo; Braggio, Alessandro; Giazotto, Francesco

    2018-03-01

    We explore the coherent thermal transport sustained by solitons through a long Josephson junction as a thermal gradient across the system is established. We observe that a soliton causes the heat current through the system to increase. Correspondingly, the junction warms up in conjunction with the soliton, with temperature peaks up to, e.g., approximately 56 mK for a realistic Nb-based proposed setup at a bath temperature Tbath=4.2 K . The thermal effects on the dynamics of the soliton are also discussed. Markedly, this system inherits the topological robustness of the solitons. In view of these results, the proposed device can effectively find an application as a superconducting thermal router in which the thermal transport can be locally mastered through solitonic excitations, whose positions can be externally controlled through a magnetic field and a bias current.

  13. Nonadiabatic Josephson current pumping by chiral microwave irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venitucci, B.; Feinberg, D.; Mélin, R.; Douçot, B.

    2018-05-01

    Irradiating a Josephson junction with microwaves can operate not only on the amplitude but also on the phase of the Josephson current. This requires breaking time-inversion symmetry, which is achieved by introducing a phase lapse between the microwave components acting on the two sides of the junction. General symmetry arguments and the solution of a specific single-level quantum dot model show that this induces chirality in the Cooper pair dynamics due to the topology of the Andreev bound-state wave function. Another essential condition is to break electron-hole symmetry within the junction. A shift of the current-phase relation is obtained, which is controllable in sign and amplitude with the microwave phase and an electrostatic gate, thus producing a "chiral" Josephson transistor. The dot model is solved in the infinite-gap limit by Floquet theory and in the general case with Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's functions. The chiral current is nonadiabatic: it is extremal and changes sign close to resonant chiral transitions between the Andreev bound states.

  14. Bistability in Josephson Junction array resonator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muppalla, Phani Raja; Alexandre Blais Collaboration; Christian Kraglund Andersen Collaboration; Ioan Pop, Lukas Gruenhaupt Collaboration; Michel Devoret Collaboration; Oscar Garguilo, Gerhard Kirchmair Team

    ``We present an experimental analysis of the Kerr effect of extended plasma resonances in a 1000 Josephson junction (JJ) chain resonator inside a rectangular waveguide. The Kerr effect manifests itself as a frequency shift that depends linearly on the number of photons in a resonant mode. We study the bistable behavior, using a pump probe scheme on two modes of the JJ array, exploiting the Cross-Kerr effect in our system. In order to understand the behavior of the bi-stability we perform continuous time measurements to observe the switching between the two metastable states. We observe a strong dependence of the switching rates on the photon number and the drive frequency.''

  15. High-Tc SNS Junctions: A New Generation of Proximity-Coupled Josephson Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kleinsasser, A. W.

    1997-01-01

    This paper reviews this evolution of proximity - coupled Josephson jucntion from the early investigations on low temperature superconductor-normal -superconductor junctions through the introduction of hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices and the resulting interest in mesoscopic Josephson junctions, to the recent development of high temperature devices.

  16. Alternating current (AC) iontophoretic transport across human epidermal membrane: effects of AC frequency and amplitude.

    PubMed

    Yan, Guang; Xu, Qingfang; Anissimov, Yuri G; Hao, Jinsong; Higuchi, William I; Li, S Kevin

    2008-03-01

    As a continuing effort to understand the mechanisms of alternating current (AC) transdermal iontophoresis and the iontophoretic transport pathways in the stratum corneum (SC), the objectives of the present study were to determine the interplay of AC frequency, AC voltage, and iontophoretic transport of ionic and neutral permeants across human epidermal membrane (HEM) and use AC as a means to characterize the transport pathways. Constant AC voltage iontophoresis experiments were conducted with HEM in 0.10 M tetraethyl ammonium pivalate (TEAP). AC frequencies ranging from 0.0001 to 25 Hz and AC applied voltages of 0.5 and 2.5 V were investigated. Tetraethyl ammonium (TEA) and arabinose (ARA) were the ionic and neutral model permeants, respectively. In data analysis, the logarithm of the permeability coefficients of HEM for the model permeants was plotted against the logarithm of the HEM electrical resistance for each AC condition. As expected, linear correlations between the logarithms of permeability coefficients and the logarithms of resistances of HEM were observed, and the permeability data were first normalized and then compared at the same HEM electrical resistance using these correlations. Transport enhancement of the ionic permeant was significantly larger than that of the neutral permeant during AC iontophoresis. The fluxes of the ionic permeant during AC iontophoresis of 2.5 V in the frequency range from 5 to 1,000 Hz were relatively constant and were approximately 4 times over those of passive transport. When the AC frequency decreased from 5 to 0.001 Hz at 2.5 V, flux enhancement increased to around 50 times over passive transport. While the AC frequency for achieving the full effect of iontophoretic enhancement at low AC frequency was lower than anticipated, the frequency for approaching passive diffusion transport at high frequency was higher than expected from the HEM morphology. These observations are consistent with a transport model of multiple

  17. Coincidence of features of emitted THz electromagnetic wave power form a single Josephson junction and different current components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamdipour, Mohammad

    2017-12-01

    By applying a voltage to a Josephson junction, the charge in superconducting layers (S-layers) will oscillate. Wavelength of the charge oscillations in S-layers is related to external current in junction, by increasing the external current, the wavelength will decrease which cause in some currents the wavelength be incommensurate with width of junction, so the CVC shows Fiske like steps. External current throwing along junction has some components, resistive, capacitive and superconducting current, beside these currents there is a current in lateral direction of junction, (x direction). On the other hand, the emitted electromagnetic wave power in THz region is related to AC component of electric field in junction, which itself is related to charge density in S-layers, which is related to currents in the system. So we expect that features of variation of current components reflect the features of emitted THz power form junction. Here we study in detail the superconductive current in a long Josephson junction (JJ), the current voltage characteristics (CVC) of junction and emitted THz power from the system. Then we compare the results. Comparing the results we see that there is a good qualitative coincidence in features of emitted THz power and supercurrent in junction.

  18. Intrinsically shunted Josephson junctions for electronics applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belogolovskii, M.; Zhitlukhina, E.; Lacquaniti, V.; De Leo, N.; Fretto, M.; Sosso, A.

    2017-07-01

    Conventional Josephson metal-insulator-metal devices are inherently underdamped and exhibit hysteretic current-voltage response due to a very high subgap resistance compared to that in the normal state. At the same time, overdamped junctions with single-valued characteristics are needed for most superconducting digital applications. The usual way to overcome the hysteretic behavior is to place an external low-resistance normal-metal shunt in parallel with each junction. Unfortunately, such solution results in a considerable complication of the circuitry design and introduces parasitic inductance through the junction. This paper provides a concise overview of some generic approaches that have been proposed in order to realize internal shunting in Josephson heterostructures with a barrier that itself contains the desired resistive component. The main attention is paid to self-shunted devices with local weak-link transmission probabilities that are so strongly disordered in the interface plane that transmission probabilities are tiny for the main part of the transition region between two super-conducting electrodes, while a small part of the interface is well transparent. We discuss the possibility of realizing a universal bimodal distribution function and emphasize advantages of such junctions that can be considered as a new class of self-shunted Josephson devices promising for practical applications in superconducting electronics operating at 4.2 K.

  19. Fragmentation of fast Josephson vortices and breakdown of ordered states by moving topological defects

    DOE PAGES

    Sheikhzada, Ahmad; Gurevich, Alex

    2015-12-07

    Topological defects such as vortices, dislocations or domain walls define many important effects in superconductivity, superfluidity, magnetism, liquid crystals, and plasticity of solids. Here we address the breakdown of the topologically-protected stability of such defects driven by strong external forces. We focus on Josephson vortices that appear at planar weak links of suppressed superconductivity which have attracted much attention for electronic applications, new sources of THz radiation, and low-dissipative computing. Our numerical simulations show that a rapidly moving vortex driven by a constant current becomes unstable with respect to generation of vortex-antivortex pairs caused by Cherenkov radiation. As a result,more » vortices and antivortices become spatially separated and accumulate continuously on the opposite sides of an expanding dissipative domain. This effect is most pronounced in thin film edge Josephson junctions at low temperatures where a single vortex can switch the whole junction into a resistive state at currents well below the Josephson critical current. In conclusion, our work gives a new insight into instability of a moving topological defect which destroys global long-range order in a way that is remarkably similar to the crack propagation in solids.« less

  20. Engineering double-well potentials with variable-width annular Josephson tunnel junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monaco, Roberto

    2016-11-01

    Long Josephson tunnel junctions are non-linear transmission lines that allow propagation of current vortices (fluxons) and electromagnetic waves and are used in various applications within superconductive electronics. Recently, the Josephson vortex has been proposed as a new superconducting qubit. We describe a simple method to create a double-well potential for an individual fluxon trapped in a long elliptic annular Josephson tunnel junction characterized by an intrinsic non-uniform width. The distance between the potential wells and the height of the inter-well potential barrier are controlled by the strength of an in-plane magnetic field. The manipulation of the vortex states can be achieved by applying a proper current ramp across the junction. The read-out of the state is accomplished by measuring the vortex depinning current in a small magnetic field. An accurate one-dimensional sine-Gordon model for this strongly non-linear system is presented, from which we calculate the position-dependent fluxon rest-mass, its Hamiltonian density and the corresponding trajectories in the phase space. We examine the dependence of the potential properties on the annulus eccentricity and its electrical parameters and address the requirements for observing quantum-mechanical effects, as discrete energy levels and tunneling, in this two-state system.

  1. Deep sub-micron low-Tc Josephson technology - The opportunities and the challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ketchen, M. B.

    1993-03-01

    It is suggested that the possibility now exists of highly leveraging existing semiconductor technology to explore submicrometer Josephson technology. Some of the opportunities and challenges of such an undertaking are discussed in the context of SQUIDs and digital applications. In the area of digital Josephson, a 50-100-ps cycle-time 64-b reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor is proposed as a long-term goal. While it is unlikely that one will see a sub-100-ps system like this in the near term, research results supporting its feasibility may ultimately help build the case for the resources needed to produce it. Fabrication has been and will probably continue to be an impediment to the exploration of sub- and deep sub-micrometer Josephson technology. Coupling to existing semiconductor fabrication capability should help considerably in this area and should help to lay the groundwork for eventual manufacturing of sub-micrometer Josephson products.

  2. Josephson Circuits as Vector Quantum Spins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samach, Gabriel; Kerman, Andrew J.

    While superconducting circuits based on Josephson junction technology can be engineered to represent spins in the quantum transverse-field Ising model, no circuit architecture to date has succeeded in emulating the vector quantum spin models of interest for next-generation quantum annealers and quantum simulators. Here, we present novel Josephson circuits which may provide these capabilities. We discuss our rigorous quantum-mechanical simulations of these circuits, as well as the larger architectures they may enable. This research was funded by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) under Air Force Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0002. The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of ODNI, IARPA, or the US Government.

  3. Josephson junction in the quantum mesoscopic electric circuits with charge discreteness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pahlavani, H.

    2018-04-01

    A quantum mesoscopic electrical LC-circuit with charge discreteness including a Josephson junction is considered and a nonlinear Hamiltonian that describing the dynamic of such circuit is introduced. The quantum dynamical behavior (persistent current probability) is studied in the charge and phase regimes by numerical solution approaches. The time evolution of charge and current, number-difference and the bosonic phase and also the energy spectrum of a quantum mesoscopic electric LC-circuit with charge discreteness that coupled with a Josephson junction device are investigated. We show the role of the coupling energy and the electrostatic Coulomb energy of the Josephson junction in description of the quantum behavior and the spectral properties of a quantum mesoscopic electrical LC-circuits with charge discreteness.

  4. Proposed differential-frequency-readout system by hysteretic Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, L.Z.; Duncan, R.V.

    1992-10-01

    The Josephson relation {ital V}={ital nh}{nu}/2{ital e} has been verified experimentally to 3 parts in 10{sup 19} (A. K. Jain, J. E. Lukens, and J.-S. Tsai, Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1165 (1987)). Motivated by this result, we propose a differential-frequency-readout system by two sets of hysteretic Josephson junctions rf biased at millimeter wavelengths. Because of the Josephson relation, the proposed differential-frequency-readout system is not limited by photon fluctuation, which limits most photon-detection schemes. In the context of the Stewart-McCumber model (W. C. Stewart, Appl. Phys. Lett. 12, 277 (1968); D. E. McCumber, J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3113 (1968)) of Josephsonmore » junctions, we show theoretically that the differential frequency of the two milliwave biases can be read out by the proposed system to unprecedented accuracy. The stability of the readout scheme is also discussed. The measurement uncertainty of the readout system resulting from the intrinsic thermal noise in the hysteretic junctions is shown to be insignificant. The study of two single junctions can be extended to two sets of Josephson junctions connected in series (series array) in this measurement scheme provided that junctions are separated by at least 10 {mu}m (D. W. Jillie, J. E. Lukens, and Y. H. Kao, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 915 (1977)). The sensitivity for the differential frequency detection may be increased by biasing both series arrays to a higher constant-voltage step.« less

  5. Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher effects for local and nonlocal Cooper pairs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomaszewski, Damian; Busz, Piotr; López, Rosa; Žitko, Rok; Lee, Minchul; Martinek, Jan

    2018-06-01

    We study combined interference effects due to the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) and Aharonov-Casher (AC) phases in a Josephson supercurrent of local and nonlocal (split) Cooper pairs. We analyze a junction between two superconductors interconnected through a normal-state nanostructure with either (i) a ring, where single-electron interference is possible, or (ii) two parallel nanowires, where the single-electron interference can be absent, but the cross Andreev reflection can occur. In the low-transmission regime in both geometries the AB and AC effects can be related to only local or nonlocal Cooper pair transport, respectively.

  6. Edge currents in frustrated Josephson junction ladders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marques, A. M.; Santos, F. D. R.; Dias, R. G.

    2016-09-01

    We present a numerical study of quasi-1D frustrated Josephson junction ladders with diagonal couplings and open boundary conditions, in the large capacitance limit. We derive a correspondence between the energy of this Josephson junction ladder and the expectation value of the Hamiltonian of an analogous tight-binding model, and show how the overall superconducting state of the chain is equivalent to the minimum energy state of the tight-binding model in the subspace of one-particle states with uniform density. To satisfy the constraint of uniform density, the superconducting state of the ladder is written as a linear combination of the allowed k-states of the tight-binding model with open boundaries. Above a critical value of the parameter t (ratio between the intra-rung and inter-rung Josephson couplings) the ladder spontaneously develops currents at the edges, which spread to the bulk as t is increased until complete coverage is reached. Above a certain value of t, which varies with ladder size (t = 1 for an infinite-sized ladder), the edge currents are destroyed. The value t = 1 corresponds, in the tight-binding model, to the opening of a gap between two bands. We argue that the disappearance of the edge currents with this gap opening is not coincidental, and that this points to a topological origin for these edge current states.

  7. Tunable ohmic environment using Josephson junction chains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rastelli, Gianluca; Pop, Ioan M.

    2018-05-01

    We propose a scheme to implement a tunable, wide frequency-band dissipative environment using a double chain of Josephson junctions. The two parallel chains consist of identical superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), with magnetic-flux tunable inductance, coupled to each other at each node via a capacitance much larger than the junction capacitance. Thanks to this capacitive coupling, the system sustains electromagnetic modes with a wide frequency dispersion. The internal quality factor of the modes is maintained as high as possible, and the damping is introduced by a uniform coupling of the modes to a transmission line, itself connected to an amplification and readout circuit. For sufficiently long chains, containing several thousands of junctions, the resulting admittance is a smooth function versus frequency in the microwave domain, and its effective dissipation can be continuously monitored by recording the emitted radiation in the transmission line. We show that by varying in situ the SQUIDs' inductance, the double chain can operate as a tunable ohmic resistor in a frequency band spanning up to 1 GHz, with a resistance that can be swept through values comparable to the resistance quantum Rq=h /(4 e2) ≃6.5 kΩ . We argue that the circuit complexity is within reach using current Josephson junction technology.

  8. Charge creation and nucleation of the longitudinal plasma wave in coupled Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Hamdipour, M.

    2010-11-01

    We study the phase dynamics in coupled Josephson junctions described by a system of nonlinear differential equations. Results of detailed numerical simulations of charge creation in the superconducting layers and the longitudinal plasma wave (LPW) nucleation are presented. We demonstrate the different time stages in the development of the LPW and present the results of FFT analysis at different values of bias current. The correspondence between the breakpoint position on the outermost branch of current voltage characteristics (CVC) and the growing region in time dependence of the electric charge in the superconducting layer is established. The effects of noise in the bias current and the external microwave radiation on the charge dynamics of the coupled Josephson junctions are found. These effects introduce a way to regulate the process of LPW nucleation in the stack of IJJ.

  9. Dissipation in microwave quantum circuits with hybrid nanowire Josephson elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mugnai, D.; Ranfagni, A.; Agresti, A.

    2017-04-01

    Recent experiments on hybrid Josephson junctions have made the argument a topical subject. However, a quantity which remains still unknown is the tunneling (or response) time, which is strictly connected to the role that dissipation plays in the dynamics of the complete system. A simple way for evaluating dissipation in microwave circuits, previously developed for describing the dynamics of conventional Josephson junctions, is now presented as suitable for application even to non-conventional junctions. The method is based on a stochastic model, as derived from the telegrapher's equation, and is particularly devoted to the case of junctions loaded by real transmission lines. When the load is constituted by lumped-constant circuits, a connection with the stochastic model is also maintained. The theoretical model demonstrated its ability to analyze both classically-allowed and forbidden processes, and has found a wide field of applicability, namely in all cases in which dissipative effects cannot be ignored.

  10. High temperature superconductor step-edge Josephson junctions using Ti-Ca-Ba-Cu-O

    DOEpatents

    Ginley, David S.; Hietala, Vincent M.; Hohenwarter, Gert K. G.; Martens, Jon S.; Plut, Thomas A.; Tigges, Chris P.; Vawter, Gregory A.; Zipperian, Thomas E.

    1994-10-25

    A process for formulating non-hysteretic and hysteretic Josephson junctions using HTS materials which results in junctions having the ability to operate at high temperatures while maintaining high uniformity and quality. The non-hysteretic Josephson junction is formed by step-etching a LaAlO.sub.3 crystal substrate and then depositing a thin film of TlCaBaCuO on the substrate, covering the step, and forming a grain boundary at the step and a subsequent Josephson junction. Once the non-hysteretic junction is formed the next step to form the hysteretic Josephson junction is to add capacitance to the system. In the current embodiment, this is accomplished by adding a thin dielectric layer, LaA1O.sub.3, followed by a cap layer of a normal metal where the cap layer is formed by first depositing a thin layer of titanium (Ti) followed by a layer of gold (Au). The dielectric layer and the normal metal cap are patterned to the desired geometry.

  11. Tunable 0-π transition by interband coupling in iron-based superconductor Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tao, Y. C.; Liu, S. Y.; Bu, N.; Wang, J.; Di, Y. S.

    2016-01-01

    An extended four-component Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation is applied to study the Josephson effect in ballistic limit between either two iron-based superconductors (SCs) or an iron-based SC and a conventional s-wave SC, separated by a normal metal. A 0-π transition as a function of interband coupling strength α is always exhibited, arising from the tuning of mixing between the two trajectories with opposite phases. The novel property can be experimentally used to discriminate the {s}+/- -wave pairing symmetry in the iron-based SCs from the {s}++-wave one in MgB2. The effect of interface transparency on the 0-π transition is also presented. The 0-π transition as a function of α is wholly distinct from that as a function of barrier strength or temperature in recent theories (Linder et al 2009 Phys. Rev. B 80 020503(R)). The possible experimental probe of the phase-shift effect in iron-based SC Josephson junctions is commented on as well.

  12. Tunable Nitride Josephson Junctions.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Missert, Nancy A.; Henry, Michael David; Lewis, Rupert M.

    We have developed an ambient temperature, SiO 2/Si wafer - scale process for Josephson junctions based on Nb electrodes and Ta x N barriers with tunable electronic properties. The films are fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The electronic properties of the Ta xN barriers are controlled by adjusting the nitrogen flow during sputtering. This technology offers a scalable alternative to the more traditional junctions based on AlO x barriers for low - power, high - performance computing.

  13. Relaxation to a Phase-Locked Equilibrium State in a One-Dimensional Bosonic Josephson Junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pigneur, Marine; Berrada, Tarik; Bonneau, Marie; Schumm, Thorsten; Demler, Eugene; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

    2018-04-01

    We present an experimental study on the nonequilibrium tunnel dynamics of two coupled one-dimensional Bose-Einstein quasicondensates deep in the Josephson regime. Josephson oscillations are initiated by splitting a single one-dimensional condensate and imprinting a relative phase between the superfluids. Regardless of the initial state and experimental parameters, the dynamics of the relative phase and atom number imbalance shows a relaxation to a phase-locked steady state. The latter is characterized by a high phase coherence and reduced fluctuations with respect to the initial state. We propose an empirical model based on the analogy with the anharmonic oscillator to describe the effect of various experimental parameters. A microscopic theory compatible with our observations is still missing.

  14. Supercurrent and multiple Andreev reflections in micrometer-long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Mengjian; Ben Shalom, Moshe; Mishchsenko, Artem; Fal'ko, Vladimir; Novoselov, Kostya; Geim, Andre

    2018-02-08

    Ballistic Josephson junctions are predicted to support a number of exotic physics processess, providing an ideal system to inject the supercurrent in the quantum Hall regime. Herein, we demonstrate electrical transport measurements on ballistic superconductor-graphene-superconductor junctions by contacting graphene to niobium with a junction length up to 1.5 μm. Hexagonal boron nitride encapsulation and one-dimensional edge contacts guarantee high-quality graphene Josephson junctions with a mean free path of several micrometers and record-low contact resistance. Transports in normal states including the observation of Fabry-Pérot oscillations and Sharvin resistance conclusively witness the ballistic propagation in the junctions. The critical current density J C is over one order of magnitude larger than that of the previously reported junctions. Away from the charge neutrality point, the I C R N product (I C is the critical current and R N the normal state resistance of junction) is nearly a constant, independent of carrier density n, which agrees well with the theory for ballistic Josephson junctions. Multiple Andreev reflections up to the third order are observed for the first time by measuring the differential resistance in the micrometer-long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions.

  15. Modeling the Effects of Varying the Capacitance, Resistance, Temperature, and Frequency Dependence for HTS Josephson Junctions, DC SQUIDs and DC bi-SQUIDS

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    junction is a thin layer of insulating material sep- arating two superconductors that is thin enough for electrons to tunnel through. Two Josephson...can sense minute magnetic fields approaching 1015 Tesla. These SQUIDs can be arranged in arrays with different coupling schemes and parameter values to...different material and/or method on the bisecting Josephson junction for high temperature superconductor (HTS) YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) bi-SQUIDs. This

  16. High temperature superconductor step-edge Josephson junctions using Ti-Ca-Ba-Cu-O

    DOEpatents

    Ginley, D.S.; Hietala, V.M.; Hohenwarter, G.K.G.; Martens, J.S.; Plut, T.A.; Tigges, C.P.; Vawter, G.A.; Zipperian, T.E.

    1994-10-25

    A process is disclosed for formulating non-hysteretic and hysteretic Josephson junctions using HTS materials which results in junctions having the ability to operate at high temperatures while maintaining high uniformity and quality. The non-hysteretic Josephson junction is formed by step-etching a LaAlO[sub 3] crystal substrate and then depositing a thin film of TlCaBaCuO on the substrate, covering the step, and forming a grain boundary at the step and a subsequent Josephson junction. Once the non-hysteretic junction is formed the next step to form the hysteretic Josephson junction is to add capacitance to the system. In the current embodiment, this is accomplished by adding a thin dielectric layer, LaA1O[sub 3], followed by a cap layer of a normal metal where the cap layer is formed by first depositing a thin layer of titanium (Ti) followed by a layer of gold (Au). The dielectric layer and the normal metal cap are patterned to the desired geometry. 8 figs.

  17. Terahertz emission from thermally-managed square intrinsic Josephson junction microstrip antennas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klemm, Richard; Davis, Andrew; Wang, Qing

    We show for thin square microstrip antennas that the transverse magnetic electromagnetic cavity modes are greatly restricted in number due to the point group symmetry of a square. For the ten lowest frequency emissions, we present plots of the orthonormal wave functions and of the angular distributions of the emission power obtained from the uniform Josephson current source and from the excitation of an electromagnetic cavity mode excited in the intrinsic Josephson junctions between the layers of a highly anisotropic layered superconductor.

  18. High Density Planar High Temperature Superconducting Josephson Junctions Arrays

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-01

    focusing effects in magnetic field measurements and are more comparable with classical sandwich type Josephson junctions. Low temper- ature (100TC...The result is shown in Figure 4.1(b). The noise temperature calculated from the fit was 71.9 K, which is close to the measurement temperature of 63 K...The additional noise temperature is attributed to the measurement system. Both of the fits produce similar IcR,, 35 WV, and 31 MV for the RSJ and

  19. Precise Heater Controller with rf-Biased Josephson Junctions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Green, Colin J.; Sergatskov, Dmitri A.; Duncan, R. V.

    2003-01-01

    Paramagnetic susceptibility thermometers used in fundamental physics experiments are capable of measuring temperature changes with a precision of a part in 2 x 10(exp 10). However, heater controllers are only able to control open-loop power dissipation to about a part in 10(exp 5). We used an array of rf-biased Josephson junctions to precisely control the electrical power dissipation in a heater resistor mounted on a thermally isolated cryogenic platform. Theoretically, this method is capable of controlling the electrical power dissipation to better than a part in 10(exp 12). However, this level has not yet been demonstrated experimentally. The experiment consists of a liquid helium cell that also functions as a high-resolution PdMn thermometer, with a heater resistor mounted on it. The cell is thermally connected to a temperature-controlled cooling stage via a weak thermal link. The heater resistor is electrically connected to the array of Josephson junctions using superconducting wire. An rf-biased array of capacitively shunted Josephson junctions drives the voltage across the heater. The quantized voltage across the resistor is Vn = nf(h/2e), where h is Planck's constant, f is the array biasing frequency, e is the charge of an electron, and n is the integer quantum state of the Josephson array. This results in an electrical power dissipation on the cell of Pn = (Vn)(sup 2/R), where R is the heater resistance. The change of the quantum state of the array changes the power dissipated in the heater, which in turn, results in the change of the cell temperature. This temperature change is compared to the expected values based on the known thermal standoff resistance of the cell from the cooling stage. We will present our initial experimental results and discuss future improvements. This work has been funded by the Fundamental Physics Discipline of the Microgravity Science Office of NASA, and supported by a no-cost equipment loan from Sandia National Laboratories.

  20. Experimental studies on hybrid superconductor-topological insulator nanoribbon Josephson devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kayyalha, Morteza; Jauregui, Luis; Kazakov, Aleksander; Miotkowski, Ireneusz; Rokhinson, Leonid; Chen, Yong

    The spin-helical topological surface states (TSS) of topological insulators in proximity with an s-wave superconductor are predicted to demonstrate signatures of topological superconductivity and host Majorana fermions. Here, we report on the observation of gate-tunable proximity-induced superconductivity in an intrinsic BiSbTeSe2 topological insulator nanoribbon (TINR) based Josephson junction (JJ) with Nb contacts. We observe a gate-tunable critical current (IC) with an anomalous behavior in the temperature (T) dependence of IC. We discuss various possible scenarios that could be relevant to this anomalous behavior, such as (i) the different temperature dependence of supercurrent generated by in-gap, where phase slip plays an important role, and out-of-gap Andreev bound states or (ii) the different critical temperatures associated with the top and bottom topological surface states. Our modeling of IC vs. T suggests the possible existence of one pair of in-gap Andreev bound states in our TINR. We have also studied the effects of magnetic fields on the critical current in our TINR Josephson junctions.

  1. Anisotropic Josephson-vortex dynamics in layered organic superconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yasuzuka, S.; Uji, S.; Satsukawa, H.; Kimata, M.; Terashima, T.; Koga, H.; Yamamura, Y.; Saito, K.; Akutsu, H.; Yamada, J.

    2010-06-01

    To study the anisotropic Josephson-vortex dynamics in the d-wave superconductors, the interplane resistance has been measured on layered organic superconductors κ-(ET)2Cu(NCS)2 and β-(BDA-TTP)2SbF6 under magnetic fields precisely parallel to the conducting planes. For κ-(ET)2Cu(NCS)2, in-plane angular dependence of the Josephson-vortex flow resistance is mainly described by the fourfold symmetry and dip structures appear when the magnetic field is applied parallel to the b- and c-axes. The obtained results have a relation to the d-wave superconducting gap symmetry. However, the absence of in-plane fourfold anisotropy was found for β-(BDA-TTP)2SbF6. The different anisotropic behavior is discussed in terms of the interlayer coupling strength.

  2. Is there a relationship between curvature and inductance in the Josephson junction?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobrowolski, T.; Jarmoliński, A.

    2018-03-01

    A Josephson junction is a device made of two superconducting electrodes separated by a very thin layer of isolator or normal metal. This relatively simple device has found a variety of technical applications in the form of Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) and Single Electron Transistors (SETs). One can expect that in the near future the Josephson junction will find applications in digital electronics technology RSFQ (Rapid Single Flux Quantum) and in the more distant future in construction of quantum computers. Here we concentrate on the relation of the curvature of the Josephson junction with its inductance. We apply a simple Capacitively Shunted Junction (CSJ) model in order to find condition which guarantees consistency of this model with prediction based on the Maxwell and London equations with Landau-Ginzburg current of Cooper pairs. This condition can find direct experimental verification.

  3. Vortex motion and dynamical states in Josephson arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trias, Enrique

    Underdamped Josephson junction arrays are used as model systems to study novel nonlinear effects. A combination of experiments, numerical simulations, and analytical analysis is used to probe different nonlinear behavior such as intrinsic localized modes, resonances in fully frustrated arrays, Meissner-like states, and vortex ratchets. Circuit models of Josephson networks are also developed, and applied to the design and measurement of parallel array oscillators. Ladder arrays have been used for an experimental study of intrinsic localized modes, or discrete breathers. Measurements of breather stability indicate that the maximum allowable bias current is proportional to the array depinning current while the minimum current is related to a junction retrapping mechanism. This retrapping instability usually leads to the formation of multi-site breathers. Collisions between the two nonlinear excitations in ladder arrays, discrete breathers and vortices, have also been numerically investigated. Discrete breathers act as pinning centers to vortex motion and the collisions can be modeled by an energy barrier activation process. When vortices are thermally induced over this barrier, a two-site breather is created. Experiments also reveal remarkable similarities among the do current-voltage characteristics of several kinds of square and triangular arrays, where two resonant voltages are observed. Simulations indicate that at full frustration a dynamical checkerboard state underlies these similarities. For such a traveling solution, the governing equations of the arrays are reduced to three coupled pendulum equations that have two characteristic resonant frequencies. Finally, a kink ratchet potential has been designed using a parallel array of Josephson junctions with alternating cell inductances and junctions areas. Experiments show that the depinning current depends on the direction of the applied current. Other properties of the depinning current versus applied field

  4. Modeling Bloch oscillations in nanoscale Josephson junctions.

    PubMed

    Vora, Heli; Kautz, R L; Nam, S W; Aumentado, J

    2017-08-01

    Bloch oscillations in nanoscale Josephson junctions with a Coulomb charging energy comparable to the Josephson coupling energy are explored within the context of a model previously considered by Geigenmüller and Schön that includes Zener tunneling and treats quasiparticle tunneling as an explicit shot-noise process. The dynamics of the junction quasicharge are investigated numerically using both Monte Carlo and ensemble approaches to calculate voltage-current characteristics in the presence of microwaves. We examine in detail the origin of harmonic and subharmonic Bloch steps at dc biases I = ( n/m )2 ef induced by microwaves of frequency f and consider the optimum parameters for the observation of harmonic ( m = 1) steps. We also demonstrate that the GS model allows a detailed semiquantitative fit to experimental voltage-current characteristics previously obtained at the Chalmers University of Technology, confirming and strengthening the interpretation of the observed microwave-induced steps in terms of Bloch oscillations.

  5. Modeling Bloch oscillations in nanoscale Josephson junctions

    PubMed Central

    Vora, Heli; Kautz, R. L.; Nam, S. W.; Aumentado, J.

    2018-01-01

    Bloch oscillations in nanoscale Josephson junctions with a Coulomb charging energy comparable to the Josephson coupling energy are explored within the context of a model previously considered by Geigenmüller and Schön that includes Zener tunneling and treats quasiparticle tunneling as an explicit shot-noise process. The dynamics of the junction quasicharge are investigated numerically using both Monte Carlo and ensemble approaches to calculate voltage-current characteristics in the presence of microwaves. We examine in detail the origin of harmonic and subharmonic Bloch steps at dc biases I = (n/m)2ef induced by microwaves of frequency f and consider the optimum parameters for the observation of harmonic (m = 1) steps. We also demonstrate that the GS model allows a detailed semiquantitative fit to experimental voltage-current characteristics previously obtained at the Chalmers University of Technology, confirming and strengthening the interpretation of the observed microwave-induced steps in terms of Bloch oscillations. PMID:29577106

  6. Dissipation and traversal time in Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cacciari, Ilaria; Ranfagni, Anedio; Moretti, Paolo

    2010-05-01

    The various ways of evaluating dissipative effects in macroscopic quantum tunneling are re-examined. The results obtained by using functional integration, while confirming those of previously given treatments, enable a comparison with available experimental results relative to Josephson junctions. A criterion based on the shortening of the semiclassical traversal time tau of the barrier with regard to dissipation can be established, according to which DELTAtau/tau > or approx. N/Q, where Q is the quality factor of the junction and N is a numerical constant of order unity. The best agreement with the experiments is obtained for N=1.11, as it results frommore » a semiempirical analysis based on an increase in the potential barrier caused by dissipative effects.« less

  7. Development of a Josephson vortex two-state system based on a confocal annular Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monaco, Roberto; Mygind, Jesper; Koshelets, Valery P.

    2018-07-01

    We report theoretical and experimental work on the development of a Josephson vortex two-state system based on a confocal annular Josephson tunnel junction (CAJTJ). The key ingredient of this geometrical configuration is a periodically variable width that generates a spatial vortex potential with bistable states. This intrinsic vortex potential can be tuned by an externally applied magnetic field and tilted by a bias current. The two-state system is accurately modeled by a one-dimensional sine-Gordon like equation by means of which one can numerically calculate both the magnetic field needed to set the vortex in a given state as well as the vortex-depinning currents. Experimental data taken at 4.2 {{K}} on high-quality Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb CAJTJs with an individual trapped fluxon advocate the presence of a robust and finely tunable double-well potential for which reliable manipulation of the vortex state has been classically demonstrated. The vortex is prepared in a given potential by means of an externally applied magnetic field, while the state readout is accomplished by measuring the vortex-depinning current in a small magnetic field. Our proof of principle experiment convincingly demonstrates that the proposed vortex two-state system based on CAJTJs is robust and workable.

  8. Analytical theory and possible detection of the ac quantum spin Hall effect

    DOE PAGES

    Deng, W. Y.; Ren, Y. J.; Lin, Z. X.; ...

    2017-07-11

    Here, we develop an analytical theory of the low-frequency ac quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect based upon the scattering matrix formalism. It is shown that the ac QSH effect can be interpreted as a bulk quantum pumping effect. When the electron spin is conserved, the integer-quantized ac spin Hall conductivity can be linked to the winding numbers of the reflection matrices in the electrodes, which also equal to the bulk spin Chern numbers of the QSH material. Furthermore, a possible experimental scheme by using ferromagnetic metals as electrodes is proposed to detect the topological ac spin current by electrical means.

  9. Synchronization of Large Josephson-Junction Arrays by Traveling Electromagnetic Waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galin, M. A.; Borodianskyi, E. A.; Kurin, V. V.; Shereshevskiy, I. A.; Vdovicheva, N. K.; Krasnov, V. M.; Klushin, A. M.

    2018-05-01

    Mutual synchronization of many Josephson junctions is required for superradiant enhancement of the emission power. However, the larger the junction array is, the more difficult is the synchronization, especially when the array size becomes much larger than the emitted wavelength. Here, we study experimentally Josephson emission from such larger-than-the-wavelength Nb /NbSi /Nb junction arrays. For one of the arrays we observe a clear superradiant enhancement of emission above a threshold number of active junctions. The arrays exhibit strong geometrical resonances, seen as steps in current-voltage characteristics. However, radiation patterns of the arrays have forward-backward asymmetry, which is inconsistent with the solely geometrical resonance (standing-wave) mechanism of synchronization. We argue that the asymmetry provides evidence for an alternative mechanism of synchronization mediated by unidirectional traveling-wave propagation along the array (such as a surface plasmon). In this case, emission occurs predominantly in the direction of propagation of the traveling wave. Our conclusions are supported by numerical modeling of Josephson traveling-wave antenna. We argue that such a nonresonant mechanism of synchronization opens a possibility for phase locking of very large arrays of oscillators.

  10. Exact analytical solution of a classical Josephson tunnel junction problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuplevakhsky, S. V.; Glukhov, A. M.

    2010-10-01

    We give an exact and complete analytical solution of the classical problem of a Josephson tunnel junction of arbitrary length W ɛ(0,∞) in the presence of external magnetic fields and transport currents. Contrary to a wide-spread belief, the exact analytical solution unambiguously proves that there is no qualitative difference between so-called "small" (W≪1) and "large" junctions (W≫1). Another unexpected physical implication of the exact analytical solution is the existence (in the current-carrying state) of unquantized Josephson vortices carrying fractional flux and located near one of the edges of the junction. We also refine the mathematical definition of critical transport current.

  11. Identifying the chiral d-wave superconductivity by Josephson φ0-states.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jun-Feng; Xu, Yong; Wang, Jun

    2017-03-07

    We propose the Josephson junctions linked by a normal metal between a d + id superconductor and another d + id superconductor, a d-wave superconductor, or a s-wave superconductor for identifying the chiral d + id superconductivity. The time-reversal breaking in the chiral d-wave superconducting state is shown to result in a Josephson φ 0 -junction state where the current-phase relation is shifted by a phase φ 0 from the sinusoidal relation, other than 0 and π. The ground-state phase difference φ 0 and the critical current can be used to definitely confirm and read the information about the d + id superconductivity. A smooth evolution from conventional 0-π transitions to tunable φ 0 -states can be observed by changing the relative magnitude of two types of d-wave components in the d + id pairing. On the other hand, the Josephson junction involving the d + id superconductor is also the simplest model to realize a φ 0 - junction, which is useful in superconducting electronics and superconducting quantum computation.

  12. Identifying the chiral d-wave superconductivity by Josephson φ0-states

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Jun-Feng; Xu, Yong; Wang, Jun

    2017-01-01

    We propose the Josephson junctions linked by a normal metal between a d + id superconductor and another d + id superconductor, a d-wave superconductor, or a s-wave superconductor for identifying the chiral d + id superconductivity. The time-reversal breaking in the chiral d-wave superconducting state is shown to result in a Josephson φ0-junction state where the current-phase relation is shifted by a phase φ0 from the sinusoidal relation, other than 0 and π. The ground-state phase difference φ0 and the critical current can be used to definitely confirm and read the information about the d + id superconductivity. A smooth evolution from conventional 0-π transitions to tunable φ0-states can be observed by changing the relative magnitude of two types of d-wave components in the d + id pairing. On the other hand, the Josephson junction involving the d + id superconductor is also the simplest model to realize a φ0- junction, which is useful in superconducting electronics and superconducting quantum computation. PMID:28266582

  13. Little-Parks oscillations in superconducting ring with Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharon, Omri J.; Sharoni, Amos; Berger, Jorge; Shaulov, Avner; Yeshurun, Yosi

    2018-03-01

    Nb nano-rings connected serially by Nb wires exhibit, at low bias currents, the typical parabolic Little-Parks magnetoresistance oscillations. As the bias current increases, these oscillations become sinusoidal. This result is ascribed to the generation of Josephson junctions caused by the combined effect of current-induced phase slips and the non-uniformity of the order parameter along each ring due to the Nb wires attached to it. This interpretation is validated by further increasing the bias current, which results in magnetoresistance oscillations typical of a SQUID.

  14. Investigation of properties of nanobridge Josephson junctions and superconducting tracks fabricated by FIB

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, B.; Godfrey, T.; Cox, D.; Li, T.; Gallop, J.; Galer, S.; Nisbet, A.; Romans, Ed; Hao, L.

    2018-02-01

    An important requirement across a range of sensitive detectors is to determine accurately the energy deposited by the impact of a particle in a small volume. The particle may be anything from a visible photon through to an X-ray or massive charged particle. We have been developing nanobridge Josephson junctions based SQUIDs and nanoSQUID devices covering the entire range of particle detection energies from 1eV to MeV. In this paper we discuss some developments in nanobridge Josephson junctions fabrication using focussed ion beam (FIB) and how these developments impact future applications. We focus on tuning of the transition temperature of a superconducting thin-film absorber, with the aim to match the absorber Tc to the working temperature range of the SQUID and also on using a new Xe FIB to improve Josephson junction and superconducting film quality.

  15. Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator.

    PubMed

    Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

    2016-03-01

    Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

  16. Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

    2016-03-01

    Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

  17. Josephson junctions in high-T/sub c/ superconductors

    DOEpatents

    Falco, C.M.; Lee, T.W.

    1981-01-14

    The invention includes a high T/sub c/ Josephson sperconducting junction as well as the method and apparatus which provides the junction by application of a closely controlled and monitored electrical discharge to a microbridge region connecting two portions of a superconducting film.

  18. Josephson supercurrent through a topological insulator surface state.

    PubMed

    Veldhorst, M; Snelder, M; Hoek, M; Gang, T; Guduru, V K; Wang, X L; Zeitler, U; van der Wiel, W G; Golubov, A A; Hilgenkamp, H; Brinkman, A

    2012-02-19

    The long-sought yet elusive Majorana fermion is predicted to arise from a combination of a superconductor and a topological insulator. An essential step in the hunt for this emergent particle is the unequivocal observation of supercurrent in a topological phase. Here, direct evidence for Josephson supercurrents in superconductor (Nb)-topological insulator (Bi(2)Te(3))-superconductor electron-beam fabricated junctions is provided by the observation of clear Shapiro steps under microwave irradiation, and a Fraunhofer-type dependence of the critical current on magnetic field. Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in magnetic fields up to 30 T reveal a topologically non-trivial two-dimensional surface state. This surface state is attributed to mediate the ballistic Josephson current despite the fact that the normal state transport is dominated by diffusive bulk conductivity. The lateral Nb-Bi(2)Te(3)-Nb junctions hence provide prospects for the realization of devices supporting Majorana fermions.

  19. Overdamped Nb/Al-AlO{sub x}/Nb Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lacquaniti, V.; Cagliero, C.; Maggi, S.

    2005-01-24

    We report the fabrication and characterization of overdamped Nb/Al-AlO{sub x}/Nb superconductor-insulator-superconductor Josephson junction whose fabrication process derives from that of the well-known hysteretic junctions. These junctions are an intermediate state between the superconductor-normal metal-superconductor and the superconductor-insulator-superconductor Josephson junctions. Stable and reproducible nonhysteretic current-voltage characteristics are obtained with a proper choice of the fabrication parameters. We have measured critical current densities J{sub C} from 10{sup 3} up to 2x10{sup 4} A/cm{sup 2}, with characteristic voltages from 80 to nearly 450 {mu}V. The junctions are stable against time and repeated thermal cycling.

  20. The in-phase states of Josephson junctions stacks as attractors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hristov, I.; Dimova, S.; Hristova, R.

    2014-11-12

    The aim of this investigation is to show that the coherent, in-phase states of intrinsic Josephson junctions stacks are attractors of the stacks' states when the applied external magnetic field h{sub e} and the external current γ vary within certain domains. Mathematically the problem is to find the solutions of the system of perturbed sine-Gordon equations for fixed other parameters and zero or random initial conditions. We determine the region in the plane (h{sub e}, γ), where the in-phase states are attractors of the stack's states for arbitrary initial perturbations. This is important, because the in-phase states are required formore » achieving terahertz radiation from the Josephson stacks.« less

  1. Josephson current in ballistic graphene Corbino disk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdollahipour, Babak; Mohammadkhani, Ramin; Khalilzadeh, Mina

    2018-06-01

    We solve Dirac-Bogoliubov-De-Gennes (DBdG) equation in a superconductor-normal graphene-superconductor (SGS) junction with Corbino disk structure to investigate the Josephson current through this junction. We find that the critical current Ic has a nonzero value at Dirac point in which the concentration of the carriers is zero. We show this nonzero critical current depends on the system geometry and it decreases monotonically to zero by decreasing the ratio of the inner to outer radii of the Corbino disk (R1 /R2), while in the limit of R1 /R2 → 1 it scales like a diffusive Corbino disk. The product of the critical current and the normal-state resistance IcRN increases by increasing R1 /R2 and attains the same value for the wide and short rectangular structure at the limit of R1 /R2 → 1 at zero doping. These results reveals the pseudodiffusive behavior of the graphene Corbino Josephson junction similar to the rectangular structure at the zero doping.

  2. Simulation and measurement of a Ka-band HTS MMIC Josephson junction mixer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Ting; Pegrum, Colin; Du, Jia; Guo, Yingjie Jay

    2017-01-01

    We report modeling and simulation results for a Ka band high-temperature superconducting (HTS) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) Josephson junction mixer. A Verilog-A model of a Josephson junction is established and imported into the system simulator to realize a full HTS MMIC circuit simulation containing the HTS passive circuit models. Impedance matching optimization between the junction and passive devices is investigated. Junction DC I-V characteristics, current and local oscillator bias conditions and mixing performance are simulated and compared with the experimental results. Good agreement is obtained between the simulation and measurement results.

  3. Thin-film metal coated insulation barrier in a Josephson tunnel junction. [Patent application

    DOEpatents

    Hawkins, G.A.; Clarke, J.

    1975-10-31

    A highly stable, durable, and reproducible Josephson tunnel junction consists of a thin-film electrode of a hard superconductor, a thin oxide insulation layer over the electrode constituting a Josephson tunnel junction barrier, a thin-film layer of stabilizing metal over the barrier, and a second thin-film hard superconductive electrode over the stabilizing film. The thin stabilizing metal film is made only thick enough to limit penetration of the electrode material through the insulation layer so as to prevent a superconductive short.

  4. Low-noise current amplifier based on mesoscopic Josephson junction.

    PubMed

    Delahaye, J; Hassel, J; Lindell, R; Sillanpää, M; Paalanen, M; Seppä, H; Hakonen, P

    2003-02-14

    We used the band structure of a mesoscopic Josephson junction to construct low-noise amplifiers. By taking advantage of the quantum dynamics of a Josephson junction, i.e., the interplay of interlevel transitions and the Coulomb blockade of Cooper pairs, we created transistor-like devices, Bloch oscillating transistors, with considerable current gain and high-input impedance. In these transistors, the correlated supercurrent of Cooper pairs is controlled by a small base current made up of single electrons. Our devices reached current and power gains on the order of 30 and 5, respectively. The noise temperature was estimated to be around 1 kelvin, but noise temperatures of less than 0.1 kelvin can be realistically achieved. These devices provide quantum-electronic building blocks that will be useful at low temperatures in low-noise circuit applications with an intermediate impedance level.

  5. Processing of Superconductor-Normal-Superconductor Josephson Edge Junctions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kleinsasser, A. W.; Barner, J. B.

    1997-01-01

    The electrical behavior of epitaxial superconductor-normal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson edge junctions is strongly affected by processing conditions. Ex-situ processes, utilizing photoresist and polyimide/photoresist mask layers, are employed for ion milling edges for junctions with Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxide (YBCO) electrodes and primarily Co-doped YBCO interlayers.

  6. Characterization and Modeling of Superconducting Josephson Junction Arrays at Low Voltage and Liquid Helium Temperatures

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    to the characteristics and extract the non-ideality. These capabilities and calibration results will assist in the characterization of advanced...superconductor-ionic quantum memory and computation devices. iv CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...Josephson effect makes these measurements useful for characterization and calibration of superconducting quantum memory and computational devices

  7. dc Arc Fault Effect on Hybrid ac/dc Microgrid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fatima, Zahra

    The advent of distributed energy resources (DER) and reliability and stability problems of the conventional grid system has given rise to the wide spread deployment of microgrids. Microgrids provide many advantages by incorporating renewable energy sources and increasing the reliability of the grid by isolating from the main grid in case of an outage. AC microgrids have been installed all over the world, but dc microgrids have been gaining interest due to the advantages they provide over ac microgrids. However the entire power network backbone is still ac and dc microgrids require expensive converters to connect to the ac power network. As a result hybrid ac/dc microgrids are gaining more attention as it combines the advantages of both ac and dc microgrids such as direct integration of ac and dc systems with minimum number of conversions which increases the efficiency by reducing energy losses. Although dc electric systems offer many advantages such as no synchronization and no reactive power, successful implementation of dc systems requires appropriate protection strategies. One unique protection challenge brought by the dc systems is dc arc faults. A dc arc fault is generated when there is a gap in the conductor due to insulation degradation and current is used to bridge the gap, resulting in an arc with very high temperature. Such a fault if it goes undetected and is not extinguished can cause damage to the entire system and cause fires. The purpose of the research is to study the effect of the dc arc fault at different locations in the hybrid ac/dc microgrid and provide insight on the reliability of the grid components when it is impacted by arc faults at various locations in the grid. The impact of dc arc fault at different locations on the performance of the PV array, wind generation, and constant power loads (CPL) interfaced with dc/dc converters is studied. MATLAB/Simulink is used to model the hybrid ac/dc microgrid and arc fault.

  8. Current–phase relations of few-mode InAs nanowire Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spanton, Eric M.; Deng, Mingtang; Vaitiekėnas, Saulius

    Gate-tunable semiconductor nanowires with superconducting leads have great potential for quantum computation and as model systems for mesoscopic Josephson junctions. The supercurrent, I, versus the phase, Φ, across the junction is called the current–phase relation (CPR). It can reveal not only the amplitude of the critical current, but also the number of modes and their transmission. Here, we measured the CPR of many individual InAs nanowire Josephson junctions, one junction at a time. Both the amplitude and shape of the CPR varied between junctions, with small critical currents and skewed CPRs indicating few-mode junctions with high transmissions. In a gate-tunablemore » junction, we found that the CPR varied with gate voltage: near the onset of supercurrent, we observed behaviour consistent with resonant tunnelling through a single, highly transmitting mode. The gate dependence is consistent with modelled subband structure that includes an effective tunnelling barrier due to an abrupt change in the Fermi level at the boundary of the gate-tuned region. These measurements of skewed, tunable, few-mode CPRs are promising both for applications that require anharmonic junctions and for Majorana readout proposals.« less

  9. Current–phase relations of few-mode InAs nanowire Josephson junctions

    DOE PAGES

    Spanton, Eric M.; Deng, Mingtang; Vaitiekėnas, Saulius; ...

    2017-08-14

    Gate-tunable semiconductor nanowires with superconducting leads have great potential for quantum computation and as model systems for mesoscopic Josephson junctions. The supercurrent, I, versus the phase, Φ, across the junction is called the current–phase relation (CPR). It can reveal not only the amplitude of the critical current, but also the number of modes and their transmission. Here, we measured the CPR of many individual InAs nanowire Josephson junctions, one junction at a time. Both the amplitude and shape of the CPR varied between junctions, with small critical currents and skewed CPRs indicating few-mode junctions with high transmissions. In a gate-tunablemore » junction, we found that the CPR varied with gate voltage: near the onset of supercurrent, we observed behaviour consistent with resonant tunnelling through a single, highly transmitting mode. The gate dependence is consistent with modelled subband structure that includes an effective tunnelling barrier due to an abrupt change in the Fermi level at the boundary of the gate-tuned region. These measurements of skewed, tunable, few-mode CPRs are promising both for applications that require anharmonic junctions and for Majorana readout proposals.« less

  10. Time-dependent photon heat transport through a mesoscopic Josephson device

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lu, Wen-Ting; Zhao, Hong-Kang, E-mail: zhaohonk@bit.edu.cn

    The time-oscillating photon heat current through a dc voltage biased mesoscopic Josephson Junction (MJJ) has been investigated by employing the nonequilibrium Green’s function approach. The Landauer-like formula of photon heat current has been derived in both of the Fourier space and its time-oscillating versions, where Coulomb interaction, self inductance, and magnetic flux take effective roles. Nonlinear behaviors are exhibited in the photon heat current due to the quantum nature of MJJ and applied external dc voltage. The magnitude of heat current decreases with increasing the external bias voltage, and subtle oscillation structures appear as the superposition of different photon heatmore » branches. The overall period of heat current with respect to time is not affected by Coulomb interaction, however, the magnitude and phase of it vary considerably by changing the Coulomb interaction. - Highlights: • The time-oscillating photon heat current through a mesoscopic Josephson Junction has been investigated. • The Landauer-like formula of photon heat current has been derived by the nonequilibrium Green’s function approach. • Nonlinear behaviors are exhibited in the photon heat current resulting from the self inductance and Coulomb interaction. • The oscillation structure of heat current is composed of the superposition of oscillations with different periods.« less

  11. Manifestation of resonance-related chaos in coupled Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Hamdipour, M.; Kolahchi, M. R.; Botha, A. E.; Suzuki, M.

    2012-11-01

    Manifestation of chaos in the temporal dependence of the electric charge is demonstrated through the calculation of the maximal Lyapunov exponent, phase-charge and charge-charge Lissajous diagrams and correlation functions. It is found that the number of junctions in the stack strongly influences the fine structure in the current-voltage characteristics and a strong proximity effect results from the nonperiodic boundary conditions. The observed resonance-related chaos exhibits intermittency. The criteria for a breakpoint region with no chaos are obtained. Such criteria could clarify recent experimental observations of variations in the power output from intrinsic Josephson junctions in high temperature superconductors.

  12. The Effects of Theta and Gamma tACS on Working Memory and Electrophysiology

    PubMed Central

    Pahor, Anja; Jaušovec, Norbert

    2018-01-01

    A single blind sham-controlled study was conducted to explore the effects of theta and gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on offline performance on working memory tasks. In order to systematically investigate how specific parameters of tACS affect working memory, we manipulated the frequency of stimulation (theta frequency vs. gamma frequency), the type of task (n-back vs. change detection task) and the content of the tasks (verbal vs. figural stimuli). A repeated measures design was used that consisted of three sessions: theta tACS, gamma tACS and sham tACS. In total, four experiments were conducted which differed only with respect to placement of tACS electrodes (bilateral frontal, bilateral parietal, left fronto-parietal and right-fronto parietal). Healthy female students (N = 72) were randomly assigned to one of these groups, hence we were able to assess the efficacy of theta and gamma tACS applied over different brain areas, contrasted against sham stimulation. The pre-post/sham resting electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis showed that theta tACS significantly affected theta amplitude, whereas gamma tACS had no significant effect on EEG amplitude in any of the frequency bands of interest. Gamma tACS did not significantly affect working memory performance compared to sham, and theta tACS led to inconsistent changes in performance on the n-back tasks. Active theta tACS significantly affected P3 amplitude and latency during performance on the n-back tasks in the bilateral parietal and right-fronto parietal protocols. PMID:29375347

  13. A semiconductor nanowire Josephson junction microwave laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cassidy, Maja; Uilhoorn, Willemijn; Kroll, James; de Jong, Damaz; van Woerkom, David; Nygard, Jesper; Krogstrup, Peter; Kouwenhoven, Leo

    We present measurements of microwave lasing from a single Al/InAs/Al nanowire Josephson junction strongly coupled to a high quality factor superconducting cavity. Application of a DC bias voltage to the Josephson junction results in photon emission into the cavity when the bias voltage is equal to a multiple of the cavity frequency. At large voltage biases, the strong non-linearity of the circuit allows for efficient down conversion of high frequency microwave photons down to multiple photons at the fundamental frequency of the cavity. In this regime, the emission linewidth narrows significantly below the bare cavity linewidth to < 10 kHz and real time analysis of the emission statistics shows above threshold lasing with a power conversion efficiency > 50%. The junction-cavity coupling and laser emission can be tuned rapidly via an external gate, making it suitable to be integrated into a scalable qubit architecture as a versatile source of coherent microwave radiation. This work has been supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO/OCW), Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), European Research Council (ERC), and Microsoft Corporation Station Q.

  14. Underdamped long Josephson junction coupled to overdamped single-flux-quantum circuits

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Y.M.; Borzenets, V.; Kaplunenko, V.K.

    1997-09-01

    We report a circuit that integrates an underdamped long Josephson junction with overdamped single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuits. We confirm that the resonant soliton modes in the long junction are not affected by SFQ cells coupled to the junction, and demonstrate that the radiation frequency and linewidth of the soliton resonances can be measured with SFQ T-flip-flops. Our experimental results also show that a 4{pi} quantum mechanical phase leap at the end of the long junction, which is due to the reflection of a soliton, creates two single flux quanta propagating in the overdamped Josephson transmission line. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institutemore » of Physics.}« less

  15. Josephson junction microwave amplifier in self-organized noise compression mode

    PubMed Central

    Lähteenmäki, Pasi; Vesterinen, Visa; Hassel, Juha; Seppä, Heikki; Hakonen, Pertti

    2012-01-01

    The fundamental noise limit of a phase-preserving amplifier at frequency is the standard quantum limit . In the microwave range, the best candidates have been amplifiers based on superconducting quantum interference devices (reaching the noise temperature at 700 MHz), and non-degenerate parametric amplifiers (reaching noise levels close to the quantum limit at 8 GHz). We introduce a new type of an amplifier based on the negative resistance of a selectively damped Josephson junction. Noise performance of our amplifier is limited by mixing of quantum noise from Josephson oscillation regime down to the signal frequency. Measurements yield nearly quantum-limited operation, at 2.8 GHz, owing to self-organization of the working point. Simulations describe the characteristics of our device well and indicate potential for wide bandwidth operation. PMID:22355788

  16. Tunable-φ Josephson junction with a quantum anomalous Hall insulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakurai, Keimei; Ikegaya, Satoshi; Asano, Yasuhiro

    2017-12-01

    We theoretically study the Josephson current in a superconductor/quantum anomalous Hall insulator/superconductor junction by using the lattice Green function technique. When an in-plane external Zeeman field is applied to the quantum anomalous Hall insulator, the Josephson current J flows without a phase difference across the junction θ . The phase shift φ appearing in the current-phase relationship J ∝sin(θ -φ ) is proportional to the amplitude of Zeeman fields and depends on the direction of Zeeman fields. A phenomenological analysis of the Andreev reflection processes explains the physical origin of φ . In a quantum anomalous Hall insulator, time-reversal symmetry and mirror-reflection symmetry are broken simultaneously. However, magnetic mirror-reflection symmetry is preserved. Such characteristic symmetry properties enable us to have a tunable φ junction with a quantum Hall insulator.

  17. The present status of high-T c superconducting terahertz emitters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kashiwagi, T.; Kubo, H.; Sakamoto, K.; Yuasa, T.; Tanabe, Y.; Watanabe, C.; Tanaka, T.; Komori, Y.; Ota, R.; Kuwano, G.; Nakamura, K.; Katsuragawa, T.; Tsujimoto, M.; Yamamoto, T.; Yoshizaki, R.; Minami, H.; Kadowaki, K.; Klemm, R. A.

    2017-07-01

    A terahertz (THz) wave emitter using the stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions present in the high-T c superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) has been developed. By applying a dc voltage V across the stack, the ac-Josephson effect converts this to an ac-current that emits photons at the Josephson frequency proportional to V. The Bi2212 device also behaves as and electromagnetic (EM) cavity, so depending upon the shape of the Bi2212 crystal, when the Josephson frequency matches that of a cavity resonance, the emission power is enhanced. However, the EM radiation characteristics also strongly depend upon the effects of Joule self heating of the device. In order to alleviate this Joule heating problem, we fabricated three distinct stand-alone Bi2212 sandwich device shapes, each crystal being first covered with Au on its top and bottom, and then sandwiched between sapphire plates. From our comparative studies of the three devices, we obtained important clues that could help to increase the emission power up to ∼mW and the frequency range up to several THz, as necessary for many applications such as security screening, high speed communications, medical and biological sensing, and astronomical detection, etc.

  18. Fast generation of spin-squeezed states in bosonic Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juliá-Díaz, B.; Torrontegui, E.; Martorell, J.; Muga, J. G.; Polls, A.

    2012-12-01

    We describe methods for the fast production of highly coherent-spin-squeezed many-body states in bosonic Josephson junctions. We start from the known mapping of the two-site Bose-Hubbard (BH) Hamiltonian to that of a single effective particle evolving according to a Schrödinger-like equation in Fock space. Since, for repulsive interactions, the effective potential in Fock space is nearly parabolic, we extend recently derived protocols for shortcuts to adiabatic evolution in harmonic potentials to the many-body BH Hamiltonian. A comparison with current experiments shows that our methods allow for an important reduction in the preparation times of highly squeezed spin states.

  19. Origin of intrinsic Josephson coupling in the cuprates and its relation to order parameter symmetry: An incoherent hopping model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radtke, R. J.; Levin, K.

    1995-02-01

    Experiments on the cuprate superconductors demonstrate that these materials may be viewed as a stack of Josephson junctions along the direction normal to the CuO 2 planes (the c-axis). In this paper, we present a model which describes this intrinsic Josephson coupling in terms of incherent quasiparticle hopping along the c-axis arising from wave-function overlap, impurity-assisted hopping, and boson-assised hopping. We use this model to compute the magnitude and temperature T dependence of the resulting Josephson critical current jc( T) for s- and d-wave superconductors. Contrary to other approaches, d-wave pairing in this model is compatible with an intrinsic Josephson effect at all hole concentrations and leads to jc( T) αT at low T. By parameterizing our theory with c-axis resistivity data from YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ (YBCO), we estimate jc( T) for optimally doped and underdoped members of this family. jc( T) can be measured either directly or indirectly through microwave penetration depth experiments, and current measurements on Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8 and La 2- xSr xCuO 4 are found to be consistent with s-wave pairing and the dominance of assisted hopping processes. The situation in YBCO is still unclear, but our estimates suggest that further experiments on this compound would be of great help in elucidating the validity of our model in general and the pairing symmetry in particular.

  20. Surface Josephson plasma waves in layered superconductors above the plasma frequency: evidence for a negative index of refraction.

    PubMed

    Golick, V A; Kadygrob, D V; Yampol'skii, V A; Rakhmanov, A L; Ivanov, B A; Nori, Franco

    2010-05-07

    We predict a new branch of surface Josephson plasma waves (SJPWs) in layered superconductors for frequencies higher than the Josephson plasma frequency. In this frequency range, the permittivity tensor components along and transverse to the layers have different signs, which is usually associated with negative refraction. However, for these frequencies, the bulk Josephson plasma waves cannot be matched with the incident and reflected waves in the vacuum, and, instead of the negative-refractive properties, abnormal surface modes appear within the frequency band expected for bulk modes. We also discuss the excitation of high-frequency SJPWs by means of the attenuated-total-reflection method.

  1. Majorana zero modes in Dirac semimetal Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Chuan; de Boer, Jorrit; de Ronde, Bob; Huang, Yingkai; Golden, Mark; Brinkman, Alexander

    We have realized proximity-induced superconductivity in a Dirac semimetal and revealed the topological nature of the superconductivity by the observation of Majorana zero modes. As a Dirac semimetal, Bi0.97Sb0.03 is used, where a three-dimensional Dirac cone exists in the bulk due to an accidental touching between conduction and valence bands. Electronic transport measurements on Hall-bars fabricated out of Bi0.97Sb0.03 flakes consistently show negative magnetoresistance for magnetic fields parallel to the current, which is associated with the chiral anomaly. In perpendicular magnetic fields, we see Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations that indicate very low carrier densities. The low Fermi energy and protection against backscattering in our Dirac semimetal Josephson junctions provide favorable conditions for a large contribution of Majorana zero modes to the supercurrent. In radiofrequency irradiation experiments, we indeed observe these Majorana zero modes in Nb-Bi0.97Sb0.03-Nb Josephson junctions as a 4 π periodic contribution to the current-phase relation.

  2. Long Josephson tunnel junctions with doubly connected electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monaco, R.; Mygind, J.; Koshelets, V. P.

    2012-03-01

    In order to mimic the phase changes in the primordial Big Bang, several cosmological solid-state experiments have been conceived, during the last decade, to investigate the spontaneous symmetry breaking in superconductors and superfluids cooled through their transition temperature. In one of such experiments, the number of magnetic flux quanta spontaneously trapped in a superconducting loop was measured by means of a long Josephson tunnel junction built on top of the loop itself. We have analyzed this system and found a number of interesting features not occurring in the conventional case with simply connected electrodes. In particular, the fluxoid quantization results in a frustration of the Josephson phase, which, in turn, reduces the junction critical current. Further, the possible stable states of the system are obtained by a self-consistent application of the principle of minimum energy. The theoretical findings are supported by measurements on a number of samples having different geometrical configuration. The experiments demonstrate that a very large signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved in the flux quanta detection.

  3. Josephson 4 K-bit cache memory design for a prototype signal processor. I - General overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henkels, W. H.; Geppert, L. M.; Kadlec, J.; Epperlein, P. W.; Beha, H.

    1985-09-01

    In the early stages of thg Josephson computer project conducted at an American computer company, it was recognized that a very fast cache memory was needed to complement Josephson logic. A subnanosecond access time memory was implemented experimentally on the basis of a 2.5-micron Pb-alloy technology. It was then decided to switch over to a Nb-base-electrode technology with the objective to alleviate problems with the long-term reliability and aging of Pb-based junctions. The present paper provides a general overview of the status of a 4 x 1 K-bit Josephson cache design employing a 2.5-micron Nb-edge-junction technology. Attention is given to the fabrication process and its implications, aspects of circuit design methodology, an overview of system environment and chip components, design changes and status, and various difficulties and uncertainties.

  4. Topological superconductivity and the fractional Josephson effect in quasi-one dimensional wires on a plane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakhmedov, E.; Mammadova, S.; Alekperov, O.

    2016-01-01

    A time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity is suggested to be realized in a quasi-one-dimensional structure on a plane, which is fabricated by filling the superconducting materials into the periodic channel of dielectric matrices like zeolite and asbestos under high pressure. The topological superconducting phase sets up in the presence of large spin-orbit interactions when intra-wire s-wave and inter-wire d-wave pairings take place. Kramers pairs of Majorana bound states emerge at the edges of each wire. We analyze effects of the Zeeman magnetic field on Majorana zero-energy states. In-plane magnetic field was shown to make asymmetric the energy dispersion, nevertheless Majorana fermions survive due to protection of a particle-hole symmetry. Tunneling of Majorana quasiparticle from the end of one wire to the nearest-neighboring one yields edge fractional Josephson current with 4π-periodicity.

  5. Quantum nondemolition readout using a Josephson bifurcation amplifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boulant, N.; Ithier, G.; Meeson, P.; Nguyen, F.; Vion, D.; Esteve, D.; Siddiqi, I.; Vijay, R.; Rigetti, C.; Pierre, F.; Devoret, M.

    2007-07-01

    We report an experiment on the determination of the quantum nondemolition (QND) nature of a readout scheme of a quantum electrical circuit. The circuit is a superconducting quantum bit measured by microwave reflectometry using a Josephson bifurcation amplifier. We perform a series of two subsequent measurements, record their values and correlation, and quantify the QND character of this readout.

  6. Josephson junction microwave modulators for qubit control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naaman, O.; Strong, J. A.; Ferguson, D. G.; Egan, J.; Bailey, N.; Hinkey, R. T.

    2017-02-01

    We demonstrate Josephson junction based double-balanced mixer and phase shifter circuits operating at 6-10 GHz and integrate these components to implement both a monolithic amplitude/phase vector modulator and an I/Q quadrature mixer. The devices are actuated by flux signals, dissipate no power on chip, exhibit input saturation powers in excess of 1 nW, and provide cryogenic microwave modulation solutions for integrated control of superconducting qubits.

  7. RF assisted switching in magnetic Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caruso, R.; Massarotti, D.; Bolginov, V. V.; Ben Hamida, A.; Karelina, L. N.; Miano, A.; Vernik, I. V.; Tafuri, F.; Ryazanov, V. V.; Mukhanov, O. A.; Pepe, G. P.

    2018-04-01

    We test the effect of an external RF field on the switching processes of magnetic Josephson junctions (MJJs) suitable for the realization of fast, scalable cryogenic memories compatible with Single Flux Quantum logic. We show that the combined application of microwaves and magnetic field pulses can improve the performances of the device, increasing the separation between the critical current levels corresponding to logical "0" and "1." The enhancement of the current level separation can be as high as 80% using an optimal set of parameters. We demonstrate that external RF fields can be used as an additional tool to manipulate the memory states, and we expect that this approach may lead to the development of new methods of selecting MJJs and manipulating their states in memory arrays for various applications.

  8. The c-axis charge traveling wave in a coupled system of Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Hamdipour, M.

    2012-05-01

    We demonstrate a manifestation of the charge traveling wave along the c axis (TW) in current voltage characteristics of coupled Josephson junctions in high- T c superconductors. The branches related to the TW with different wavelengths are found for the stacks with different number of Josephson junctions at different values of system's parameters. Transitions between the TW branches and the outermost branch are observed. The electric charge in the superconducting layers and charge-charge correlation functions for TW and outermost branches show different behavior with bias current. We propose an experimental testing of the TW branching by microwave irradiation.

  9. Solitonic excitations in collisions of superfluid nuclei a qualitatively new phenomenon distinct from the Josephson effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekizawa, Kazuyuki; Wlazłowski, Gabriel; Magierski, Piotr

    2017-11-01

    Recently, we have reported a novel role of pairing in low-energy heavy ion reactions at energies above the Coulomb barrier, which may have a detectable impact on reaction outcomes, such as the kinetic energy of fragments and the fusion cross section [arXiv:1611.10261, arXiv:1702.00069]. The phenomenon mimics the one studied experimentally with ultracold atomic gases, where two clouds of fermionic superfluids with different phases of the pairing fields are forced to merge, inducing various excitation modes of the pairing field. Although it originates from the phase difference of the pairing fields, the physics behind it is markedly different from the so-called Josephson effect. In this short contribution, we will briefly outline the results discussed in our recent papers and explain relations with the field of ultracold atomic gases.

  10. Antiferromagnetic THz-frequency Josephson-like Oscillator Driven by Spin Current.

    PubMed

    Khymyn, Roman; Lisenkov, Ivan; Tiberkevich, Vasyl; Ivanov, Boris A; Slavin, Andrei

    2017-03-06

    The development of compact and tunable room temperature sources of coherent THz-frequency signals would open a way for numerous new applications. The existing approaches to THz-frequency generation based on superconductor Josephson junctions (JJ), free electron lasers, and quantum cascades require cryogenic temperatures or/and complex setups, preventing the miniaturization and wide use of these devices. We demonstrate theoretically that a bi-layer of a heavy metal (Pt) and a bi-axial antiferromagnetic (AFM) dielectric (NiO) can be a source of a coherent THz signal. A spin-current flowing from a DC-current-driven Pt layer and polarized along the hard AFM anisotropy axis excites a non-uniform in time precession of magnetizations sublattices in the AFM, due to the presence of a weak easy-plane AFM anisotropy. The frequency of the AFM oscillations varies in the range of 0.1-2.0 THz with the driving current in the Pt layer from 10 8  A/cm 2 to 10 9  A/cm 2 . The THz-frequency signal from the AFM with the amplitude exceeding 1 V/cm is picked up by the inverse spin-Hall effect in Pt. The operation of a room-temperature AFM THz-frequency oscillator is similar to that of a cryogenic JJ oscillator, with the energy of the easy-plane magnetic anisotropy playing the role of the Josephson energy.

  11. Antiferromagnetic THz-frequency Josephson-like Oscillator Driven by Spin Current

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khymyn, Roman; Lisenkov, Ivan; Tiberkevich, Vasyl; Ivanov, Boris A.; Slavin, Andrei

    2017-03-01

    The development of compact and tunable room temperature sources of coherent THz-frequency signals would open a way for numerous new applications. The existing approaches to THz-frequency generation based on superconductor Josephson junctions (JJ), free electron lasers, and quantum cascades require cryogenic temperatures or/and complex setups, preventing the miniaturization and wide use of these devices. We demonstrate theoretically that a bi-layer of a heavy metal (Pt) and a bi-axial antiferromagnetic (AFM) dielectric (NiO) can be a source of a coherent THz signal. A spin-current flowing from a DC-current-driven Pt layer and polarized along the hard AFM anisotropy axis excites a non-uniform in time precession of magnetizations sublattices in the AFM, due to the presence of a weak easy-plane AFM anisotropy. The frequency of the AFM oscillations varies in the range of 0.1-2.0 THz with the driving current in the Pt layer from 108 A/cm2 to 109 A/cm2. The THz-frequency signal from the AFM with the amplitude exceeding 1 V/cm is picked up by the inverse spin-Hall effect in Pt. The operation of a room-temperature AFM THz-frequency oscillator is similar to that of a cryogenic JJ oscillator, with the energy of the easy-plane magnetic anisotropy playing the role of the Josephson energy.

  12. Fabrication of a Tantalum-Based Josephson Junction for an X-Ray Detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morohashi, Shin'ichi; Gotoh, Kohtaroh; Yokoyama, Naoki

    2000-06-01

    We have fabricated a tantalum-based Josephson junction for an X-ray detector. The tantalum layer was selected for the junction electrode because of its long quasiparticle lifetime, large X-ray absorption efficiency and stability against thermal cycling. We have developed a buffer layer to fabricate the tantalum layer with a body-centered cubic structure. Based on careful consideration of their superconductivity, we have selected a niobium thin layer as the buffer layer for fabricating the tantalum base electrode, and a tungsten thin layer for the tantalum counter electrode. Fabricated Nb/AlOx-Al/Ta/Nb and Nb/Ta/W/AlOx-Al/Ta/Nb Josephson junctions exhibited current-voltage characteristics with a low subgap leakage current.

  13. Applying the Network Simulation Method for testing chaos in a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junction model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bellver, Fernando Gimeno; Garratón, Manuel Caravaca; Soto Meca, Antonio; López, Juan Antonio Vera; Guirao, Juan L. G.; Fernández-Martínez, Manuel

    In this paper, we explore the chaotic behavior of resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions via the so-called Network Simulation Method. Such a numerical approach establishes a formal equivalence among physical transport processes and electrical networks, and hence, it can be applied to efficiently deal with a wide range of differential systems. The generality underlying that electrical equivalence allows to apply the circuit theory to several scientific and technological problems. In this work, the Fast Fourier Transform has been applied for chaos detection purposes and the calculations have been carried out in PSpice, an electrical circuit software. Overall, it holds that such a numerical approach leads to quickly computationally solve Josephson differential models. An empirical application regarding the study of the Josephson model completes the paper.

  14. Josephson-like spin current in junctions composed of antiferromagnets and ferromagnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moor, A.; Volkov, A. F.; Efetov, K. B.

    2012-01-01

    We study Josephson-like junctions formed by materials with antiferromagnetic (AF) order parameters. As an antiferromagnet, we consider a two-band material in which a spin density wave (SDW) arises. This could be Fe-based pnictides in the temperature interval Tc≤T≤TN, where Tc and TN are the critical temperatures for the superconducting and antiferromagnetic transitions, respectively. The spin current jSp in AF/F/AF junctions with a ballistic ferromagnetic layer and in tunnel AF/I/AF junctions is calculated. It depends on the angle between the magnetization vectors in the AF leads in the same way as the Josephson current depends on the phase difference of the superconducting order parameters in S/I/S tunnel junctions. It turns out that in AF/F/AF junctions, two components of the SDW order parameter are induced in the F layer. One of them oscillates in space with a short period ξF,b˜ℏv/H, while the other decays monotonously from the interfaces over a long distance of the order ξN,b=ℏv/2πT (where v, H, and T are the Fermi velocity, the exchange energy, and the temperature, respectively; the subindex “b” denotes the ballistic case). This is a clear analogy with the case of Josephson S/F/S junctions with a nonhomogeneous magnetization where short- and long-range condensate components are induced in the F layer. However, in contrast to the charge Josephson current in S/F/S junctions, the spin current in AF/F/AF junctions is not constant in space, but oscillates in the ballistic F layer. We also calculate the dependence of jSp on the deviation from the ideal nesting in the AF/I/AF junctions. The spin current is maximal in the insulating phase of the AF and decreases in the metallic phase. It turns to zero at the Neel point when the amplitude of the SDW is zero and changes sign for certain values of the detuning parameter.

  15. Long-range Kitaev chains via planar Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Dillon T.; Shabani, Javad; Mitra, Aditi

    2018-06-01

    We show how a recently proposed solid-state Majorana platform comprising a planar Josephson junction proximitized to a 2D electron gas (2DEG) with Rashba spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman field can be viewed as an effectively one-dimensional (1D) Kitaev chain with long-range pairing and hopping terms. We highlight how the couplings of the 1D system may be tuned by changing experimentally realistic parameters. We also show that the mapping is robust to disorder by computing the Clifford pseudospectrum index in real space for the long-range Kitaev chain across several topological phases. This mapping opens up the possibility of using current experimental setups to explore 1D topological superconductors with nonstandard and tunable couplings.

  16. Supercurrent in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions with heavy metal interlayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Satchell, Nathan; Birge, Norman O.

    2018-06-01

    The length scale over which supercurrent from conventional BCS, s -wave superconductors (S ) can penetrate an adjacent ferromagnetic (F ) layer depends on the ability to convert singlet Cooper pairs into triplet Cooper pairs. Spin-aligned triplet Cooper pairs are not dephased by the ferromagnetic exchange interaction and can thus penetrate an F layer over much longer distances than singlet Cooper pairs. These triplet Cooper pairs carry a dissipationless spin current and are the fundamental building block for the fledgling field of superspintronics. Singlet-triplet conversion by inhomogeneous magnetism is well established. Here, we describe an attempt to use spin-orbit coupling as an alternative mechanism to mediate singlet-triplet conversion in S-F-S Josephson junctions. We report that the addition of thin Pt spin-orbit-coupling layers in our Josephson junctions significantly increases supercurrent transmission, however the decay length of the supercurrent is not found to increase. We attribute the increased supercurrent transmission to Pt acting as a buffer layer to improve the growth of the Co F layer.

  17. Array of Josephson junctions with a nonsinusoidal current-phase relation as a model of the resistive transition of unconventional superconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carbone, Anna; Gilli, Marco; Mazzetti, Piero; Ponta, Linda

    2010-12-01

    An array of resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions with nonsinusoidal current-phase relation is considered for modeling the transition in high-Tc superconductors. The emergence of higher harmonics, besides the simple sinusoid Ic sin ϕ, is expected for dominant d-wave symmetry of the Cooper pairs, random distribution of potential drops, dirty grains, or nonstationary conditions. We show that additional cosine and sine terms act, respectively, by modulating the global resistance and by changing the Josephson coupling of the mixed superconductive-normal states. First, the approach is applied to simulate the transition in disordered granular superconductors with the weak-links characterized by nonsinusoidal current-phase relation. In granular superconductors, the emergence of higher-order harmonics affects the slope of the transition. Then, arrays of intrinsic Josephson junctions, naturally formed by the CuO2 planes in cuprates, are considered. The critical temperature suppression, observed at values of hole doping close to p =1/8, is investigated. Such suppression, related to the sign change and modulation of the Josephson coupling across the array, is quantified in terms of the intensities of the first and second sinusoids of the current-phase relation. Applications are envisaged for the design and control of quantum devices based on stacks of intrinsic Josephson junctions.

  18. Generation of squeezed microwave states by a dc-pumped degenerate parametric Josephson junction oscillator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaertner, Franz X.; Russer, Peter

    1990-11-01

    The master equation for a dc-pumped degenerate Josephson parametric amplifier is derived. It is shown that the Wigner distribution representation of this master equation can be approximated by a Fokker-Planck equation. By using this equation, the dynamical behavior of this degenerate Josephson amplifier with respect to squeezing of the radiation field is investigated. It is shown that below threshold of parametric oscillation, a squeezed vacuum state can be generated, and above threshold a second bifurcation point exists, where the device generates amplitude squeezed radiation. Basic relations between the achievable amplitude squeezing, the output power, and the operation frequency are derived.

  19. Radiation power and linewidth of a semifluxon-based Josephson oscillator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paramonov, M.; Fominsky, M. Yu.; Koshelets, V. P.

    We demonstrate a high-frequency generator operating at ∼200 GHz based on flipping a semifluxon in a Josephson junction of moderate normalized length. The semifluxon spontaneously appears at the π discontinuity of the Josephson phase artificially created by means of two tiny current injectors. The radiation is detected by an on-chip detector (tunnel junction). The estimated radiation power (at the detector) is ∼8 nW and should be compared with the dc power of ∼100 nW consumed by the generator. The measured radiation linewidth, as low as 1.1 MHz, is typical for geometrical (Fiske) resonances, although we tried to suppress such resonances by placing well-matched microwavemore » transformers at its both ends. Making use of a phase-locking feedback loop, we are able to reduce the radiation linewidth to less than 1 Hz measured relative to the reference oscillator and defined just by the resolution of our measurement setup.« less

  20. What happens in Josephson junctions at high critical current densities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Massarotti, D.; Stornaiuolo, D.; Lucignano, P.; Caruso, R.; Galletti, L.; Montemurro, D.; Jouault, B.; Campagnano, G.; Arani, H. F.; Longobardi, L.; Parlato, L.; Pepe, G. P.; Rotoli, G.; Tagliacozzo, A.; Lombardi, F.; Tafuri, F.

    2017-07-01

    The impressive advances in material science and nanotechnology are more and more promoting the use of exotic barriers and/or superconductors, thus paving the way to new families of Josephson junctions. Semiconducting, ferromagnetic, topological insulator and graphene barriers are leading to unconventional and anomalous aspects of the Josephson coupling, which might be useful to respond to some issues on key problems of solid state physics. However, the complexity of the layout and of the competing physical processes occurring in the junctions is posing novel questions on the interpretation of their phenomenology. We classify some significant behaviors of hybrid and unconventional junctions in terms of their first imprinting, i.e., current-voltage curves, and propose a phenomenological approach to describe some features of junctions characterized by relatively high critical current densities Jc. Accurate arguments on the distribution of switching currents will provide quantitative criteria to understand physical processes occurring in high-Jc junctions. These notions are universal and apply to all kinds of junctions.

  1. Phase Sensitive Measurements of Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niedzielski, Bethany Maria

    A Josephson junction is made up of two superconducting layers separated by a barrier. The original Josephson junctions, studied in the early 1960's, contained an insulating barrier. Soon thereafter, junctions with normal-metal barriers were also studied. Ferromagnetic materials were not even theoretically considered as a barrier layer until around 1980, due to the competing order between ferromagnetic and superconducting systems. However, many exciting physical phenomena arise in hybrid superconductor/ferromagnetic devices, including devices where the ground state phase difference between the two superconductors is shifted by pi. Since their experimental debut in 2001, so-called pi junctions have been demonstrated by many groups, including my own, in systems with a single ferromagnetic layer. In this type of system, the phase of the junction can be set to either 0 or pi depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer. Of interest, however, is the ability to control the phase of a single junction between the 0 and pi states. This was theoretically shown to be possible in a system containing two ferromagnetic layers (spin-valve junctions). If the materials and their thicknesses are properly chosen to manipulate the electron pair correlation function, then the phase state of a spin-valve Josephson junction should be capable of switching between the 0 and ? phase states when the magnetization directions of the two ferromagnetic layers are oriented in the antiparallel and parallel configurations, respectively. Such a phase-controllable junction would have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, which is a necessary component to an ultra-low power superconducting computer. A fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. The goal of this work was to experimentally verify this prediction for a phase-controllable ferromagnetic Josephson junction. To address this

  2. Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Gingrich, Eric C.; Khasawneh, Mazin A.; Loloee, Reza; Pratt, William P., Jr.; Birge, Norman O.

    2015-03-01

    Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic materials are of interest for both scientific and technological purposes. In principle, either the amplitude of the critical current or superconducting phase shift across the junction can be controlled by the relative magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers in the junction. Our approach concentrates on phase control utilizing two junctions in a SQUID geometry. We will report on efforts to control the phase of junctions carrying either spin-singlet or spin-triplet supercurrent for cryogenic memory applications. Supported by Northorp Grumman Corporation and by IARPA under SPAWAR Contract N66001-12-C-2017.

  3. Phase dynamics of single long Josephson junction in MgB2 superconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chimouriya, Shanker Pd.; Ghimire, Bal Ram; Kim, Ju H.

    2018-05-01

    A system of perturbed sine Gordon equations is derived to a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) long Joseph-son junction as an extension of the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation, following the long route of path integral formalism. A computer simulation is performed by discretizing the equations using finite difference approximation and applied to the MgB2 superconductor with SiO2 as the junction material. The solution of unperturbed sG equation is taken as the initial profile for the simulation and observed how the perturbation terms play the role to modify it. It is found initial profile deformed as time goes on. The variation of total Josephson current has also been observed. It is found that, the perturbation terms play the role for phase frustration. The phase frustration achieves quicker for high tunneling current.

  4. Traveling wave parametric amplifier with Josephson junctions using minimal resonator phase matching

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, T. C.; Mutus, J. Y.; Hoi, I.-C.

    Josephson parametric amplifiers have become a critical tool in superconducting device physics due to their high gain and quantum-limited noise. Traveling wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs) promise similar noise performance, while allowing for significant increases in both bandwidth and dynamic range. We present a TWPA device based on an LC-ladder transmission line of Josephson junctions and parallel plate capacitors using low-loss amorphous silicon dielectric. Crucially, we have inserted λ/4 resonators at regular intervals along the transmission line in order to maintain the phase matching condition between pump, signal, and idler and increase gain. We achieve an average gain of 12 dB acrossmore » a 4 GHz span, along with an average saturation power of −92 dBm with noise approaching the quantum limit.« less

  5. Preliminary investigation of the effects of γ-tACS on working memory in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Hoy, Kate E; Whitty, Dean; Bailey, Neil; Fitzgerald, Paul B

    2016-10-01

    Working memory impairment in schizophrenia has been strongly associated with abnormalities in gamma oscillations within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC). We recently published the first ever study showing that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left DLPFC was able to significantly improve working memory in schizophrenia and did so seemingly via restoring normal gamma oscillatory function. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a form of electrical brain stimulation that delivers stimulation at a specific frequency and has been shown to entrain endogenous cortical oscillations. Therefore, gamma (γ) tACS may be even more effective than tDCS in improving working memory in schizophrenia. In a randomized repeated-measures study we compared the effects of γ-tACS, tDCS and sham stimulation on the performance of the two back working memory tasks in ten patients with schizophrenia. There was a significant time by stimulation interaction, with tDCS and sham showing trend-level improvements in working memory, while γ-tACS, contrary to our hypothesis, showed no change. The results are discussed in light of posited divergent effects of tACS and tDCS on the pathophysiology of working memory impairment in schizophrenia.

  6. Frequency Combs in a Lumped-Element Josephson-Junction Circuit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Saeed; Türeci, Hakan E.

    2018-04-01

    We investigate the dynamics of a microwave-driven Josephson junction capacitively coupled to a lumped-element L C oscillator. In the regime of driving where the Josephson junction can be approximated as a Kerr oscillator, this minimal nonlinear system has been previously shown to exhibit a bistability in phase and amplitude. In the present study, we characterize the full phase diagram and show that besides a parameter regime exhibiting bistability, there is also a regime of self-oscillations characterized by a frequency comb in its spectrum. We discuss the mechanism of comb generation which appears to be different from those studied in microcavity frequency combs and mode-locked lasers. We then address the fate of the comblike spectrum in the regime of strong quantum fluctuations, reached when nonlinearity becomes the dominant scale with respect to dissipation. We find that the nonlinearity responsible for the emergence of the frequency combs also leads to its dephasing, leading to broadening and ultimate disappearance of sharp spectral peaks. Our study explores the fundamental question of the impact of quantum fluctuations for quantum systems which do not possess a stable fixed point in the classical limit.

  7. Spin-valve Josephson junctions for cryogenic memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Bertus, T. J.; Glick, Joseph A.; Loloee, R.; Pratt, W. P.; Birge, Norman O.

    2018-01-01

    Josephson junctions containing two ferromagnetic layers are being considered for use in cryogenic memory. Our group recently demonstrated that the ground-state phase difference across such a junction with carefully chosen layer thicknesses could be controllably toggled between zero and π by switching the relative magnetization directions of the two layers between the antiparallel and parallel configurations. However, several technological issues must be addressed before those junctions can be used in a large-scale memory. Many of these issues can be more easily studied in single junctions, rather than in the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) used for phase-sensitive measurements. In this work, we report a comprehensive study of spin-valve junctions containing a Ni layer with a fixed thickness of 2.0 nm and a NiFe layer of thickness varying between 1.1 and 1.8 nm in steps of 0.1 nm. We extract the field shift of the Fraunhofer patterns and the critical currents of the junctions in the parallel and antiparallel magnetic states, as well as the switching fields of both magnetic layers. We also report a partial study of similar junctions containing a slightly thinner Ni layer of 1.6 nm and the same range of NiFe thicknesses. These results represent the first step toward mapping out a "phase diagram" for phase-controllable spin-valve Josephson junctions as a function of the two magnetic layer thicknesses.

  8. A Josephson Junction based SPDT switch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Helin; Earnest, Nathan; Lu, Yao; Ma, Ruichao; Chakram, Srivatsan; Schuster, David

    RF microwave switches are useful tools in cryogenic experiments, allowing for multiple experiments to be connected to a single cryogenic measurement chain. However, these switches dissipate a substantial amount of heat, preventing fast switching. Josephson junction (JJ) are a promising avenue for realizing millikelvin microwave switching. We present a JJ based single-pole-double throw (SPDT) switch that has fast switching time, no heat dissipation, large on/off contrast, and works over a wide bandwidth. The switch can be used for real-time switching between experiments, routing single photons, or even generating entanglement. We will describe the design of the switch and present experimental characterization of its performance.

  9. Mark E Josephson: Characteristics of Leadership

    PubMed Central

    Callans, David J

    2017-01-01

    Mark Josephson is without a doubt the most fascinating person I have ever met. I am proud to have had a close friendship with him and I miss him immensely. I have written in the past about his amazing academic contributions, but in a way I am relieved that this is not my topic today. I will instead talk about the unique aspects of his personality that allowed him to be a great leader in the field of electrophysiology and a powerful influence on the personal development of those of us who had the great good fortune of interacting with him closely. PMID:28507737

  10. Testing the kibble-zurek scenario with annular josephson tunnel junctions

    PubMed

    Kavoussanaki; Monaco; Rivers

    2000-10-16

    In parallel with Kibble's description of the onset of phase transitions in the early Universe, Zurek has provided a simple picture for the onset of phase transitions in condensed matter systems, supported by agreement with experiments in 3He and superconductors. We show how experiments with annular Josephson tunnel junctions can, and do, provide further support for this scenario.

  11. Quantum resonances in a single plaquette of Josephson junctions: excitations of Rabi oscillations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fistul, M. V.

    2002-03-01

    We present a theoretical study of a quantum regime of the resistive (whirling) state of dc driven anisotropic single plaquette containing small Josephson junctions. The current-voltage characteristics of such systems display resonant steps that are due to the resonant interaction between the time dependent Josephson current and the excited electromagnetic oscillations (EOs). The voltage positions of the resonances are determined by the quantum interband transitions of EOs. We show that in the quantum regime as the system is driven on the resonance, coherent Rabi oscillations between the quantum levels of EOs occur. At variance with the classical regime the magnitude and the width of resonances are determined by the frequency of Rabi oscillations that in turn, depends in a peculiar manner on an externally applied magnetic field and the parameters of the system.

  12. Josephson junctions of candidate topological crystalline insulator Pb1-xSnxTe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Snyder, Rodney; Trimble, Christie; Taylor, Patrick; Williams, James

    Incorporating superconducting ordering through proximity effects in topological states of matter offers potential routes to novel excitations with properties beyond that of simple electrons. Topological crystalline insulators TCI offer alternative routes to topological states of matter with surface states of distinct character to those in more common 3d topological insulators. We report on the fabrication Josephson junctions using MBE-grown candidate TCI material Pb-doped SnTe as weak links and characterize the departures from conventional junctions using combined DC and RF techniques. Opportunities to create junction weak links from materials possessing electronic interactions will be discussed.

  13. Josephson current through a quantum dot molecule with a Majorana zero mode and Andreev bound states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Han-Zhao; Zhang, Ying-Tao; Liu, Jian-Jun

    2018-04-01

    Based on the Green's function method, we investigate the interplay between Majorana zero mode (MZM) and Andreev bound states (ABSs) in a quantum dot molecule side coupled to a topological superconducting nanowire with a pair of MZMs forming a Josephson junction. Since the strong electron-hole asymmetry induced by the nanowire with a topologically non-trivial phase, the MZM suppress the ABSs. The suppression induced by the MZM is robust against the Coulomb repulsion. The interplay between the MZM and the ABSs in Josephson junction presents a feasible experimental means for distinguish between the presence of MZM and ABSs.

  14. Pb/InAs nanowire josephson junction with high critical current and magnetic flux focusing.

    PubMed

    Paajaste, J; Amado, M; Roddaro, S; Bergeret, F S; Ercolani, D; Sorba, L; Giazotto, F

    2015-03-11

    We have studied mesoscopic Josephson junctions formed by highly n-doped InAs nanowires and superconducting Ti/Pb source and drain leads. The current-voltage properties of the system are investigated by varying temperature and external out-of-plane magnetic field. Superconductivity in the Pb electrodes persists up to ∼7 K and with magnetic field values up to 0.4 T. Josephson coupling at zero backgate voltage is observed up to 4.5 K and the critical current is measured to be as high as 615 nA. The supercurrent suppression as a function of the magnetic field reveals a diffraction pattern that is explained by a strong magnetic flux focusing provided by the superconducting electrodes forming the junction.

  15. High-performance passive microwave survey on Josephson Junctions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Denisov, A. G.; Radzikhovsky, V. N.; Kudeliya, A. M.

    1995-01-01

    The quasi-optical generations of images of objects with their internal structure in millimeter (MM) and submillimeter (SMM) bands is one of prime problems of modern radioelectronics. The main advantage of passive MM imaging systems in comparison with visible and infrared (IR) systems is small attenuation of signals in fog, cloud, smoke, dust and other obscurants. However, at a panoramic scanning of space the observation time lengthens and thereby the information processing rate becomes restricted so that single-channel system cannot image in real time. Therefore we must use many radiometers in parallel to reduce the observation time. Such system must contain receiving sensors as pixels in multibeam antenna. The use of Josephson Junctions (JJ) for this purpose together with the cryoelectronic devices like GaAs FET (field effect transistors) or SQUIDS for signal amplifications after JJ is of particular interest in this case.

  16. Readout for phase qubits without Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steffen, Matthias; Kumar, Shwetank; DiVincenzo, David; Keefe, George; Ketchen, Mark; Rothwell, Mary Beth; Rozen, Jim

    2010-03-01

    We present a readout scheme for phase qubits which eliminates the read-out superconducting quantum interference device so that the entire qubit and measurement circuitry only require a single Josephson junction. Our scheme capacitively couples the phase qubit directly to a transmission line and detects its state after the measurement pulse by determining a frequency shift observable in the forward scattering parameter of the readout microwaves. This readout is extendable to multiple phase qubits coupled to a common readout line and can in principle be used for other flux biased qubits having two quasistable readout configurations.

  17. Fluoride barriers in Nb/Pb Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asano, H.; Tanabe, K.; Michikami, O.; Igarashi, M.; Beasley, M. R.

    1985-03-01

    Josephson tunnel junctions are fabricated using a new class of artificial barriers, metal fluorides (Al fluoride and Zr fluoride). These fluoride barriers are deposited on the surface of a Nb base electrode, which are previously cleaned using a CF4 cleaning process, and covered by a Pb counterelectrode. The junctions with both Al fluoride and Zr fluoride barriers exhibit good tunneling characteristics and have low specific capacitance. In the case of Zr fluoride, it is observed that reasonable resistances are obtained even at thickness greater than 100 A. This phenomenon might be explained by tunneling via localized states in Zr fluoride.

  18. ac-driven vortices and the Hall effect in a superconductor with a tilted washboard pinning potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shklovskij, Valerij A.; Dobrovolskiy, Oleksandr V.

    2008-09-01

    The Langevin equation for a two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear guided vortex motion in a tilted cosine pinning potential in the presence of an ac is exactly solved in terms of a matrix continued fraction at arbitrary value of the Hall effect. The influence of an ac of arbitrary amplitude and frequency on the dc and ac magnetoresistivity tensors is analyzed. The ac density and frequency dependence of the overall shape and the number and position of the Shapiro steps on the anisotropic current-voltage characteristics are considered. The influence of a subcritical or overcritical dc on the time-dependent stationary ac longitudinal and transverse resistive vortex responses (on the frequency of an ac drive Ω ) in terms of the nonlinear impedance tensor Ẑ and the nonlinear ac response at Ω harmonics are studied. Analytical formulas for 2D temperature-dependent linear impedance tensor ẐL in the presence of a dc which depend on the angle α between the current-density vector and the guiding direction of the washboard planar pinning potential are derived and analyzed. Influence of α anisotropy and the Hall effect on the nonlinear power absorption by vortices is discussed.

  19. Assessing the allelotypic effect of two aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid synthase-encoding genes MdACS1 and MdACS3a on fruit ethylene production and softening in Malus

    PubMed Central

    Dougherty, Laura; Zhu, Yuandi; Xu, Kenong

    2016-01-01

    Phytohormone ethylene largely determines apple fruit shelf life and storability. Previous studies demonstrated that MdACS1 and MdACS3a, which encode 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthases (ACS), are crucial in apple fruit ethylene production. MdACS1 is well-known to be intimately involved in the climacteric ethylene burst in fruit ripening, while MdACS3a has been regarded a main regulator for ethylene production transition from system 1 (during fruit development) to system 2 (during fruit ripening). However, MdACS3a was also shown to have limited roles in initiating the ripening process lately. To better assess their roles, fruit ethylene production and softening were evaluated at five time points during a 20-day post-harvest period in 97 Malus accessions and in 34 progeny from 2 controlled crosses. Allelotyping was accomplished using an existing marker (ACS1) for MdACS1 and two markers (CAPS866 and CAPS870) developed here to specifically detect the two null alleles (ACS3a-G289V and Mdacs3a) of MdACS3a. In total, 952 Malus accessions were allelotyped with the three markers. The major findings included: The effect of MdACS1 was significant on fruit ethylene production and softening while that of MdACS3a was less detectable; allele MdACS1–2 was significantly associated with low ethylene and slow softening; under the same background of the MdACS1 allelotypes, null allele Mdacs3a (not ACS3a-G289V) could confer a significant delay of ethylene peak; alleles MdACS1–2 and Mdacs3a (excluding ACS3a-G289V) were highly enriched in M. domestica and M. hybrid when compared with those in M. sieversii. These findings are of practical implications in developing apples of low and delayed ethylene profiles by utilizing the beneficial alleles MdACS1-2 and Mdacs3a. PMID:27231553

  20. Determination of the dissipation in superconducting Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mugnai, D., E-mail: d.mugnai@ifac.cnr.it; Ranfagni, A.; Cacciari, I.

    2015-02-07

    The results relative to macroscopic quantum tunneling rate, out of the metastable state of Josephson junctions, are examined in view of determining the effect of dissipation. We adopt a simple criterion in accordance to which the effect of dissipation can be evaluated by analyzing the shortening of the semiclassical traversal time of the barrier. In almost all the considered cases, especially those with relatively large capacitance values, the relative time shortening turns out to be about 20% and with a corresponding quality factor Q ≃ 5.5. However, beyond the specific cases here considered, still in the regime of moderate dissipation,more » the method is applicable also to different situations with different values of the quality factor. The method allows, within the error limits, for a reliable determination of the load resistance R{sub L}, the less accessible quantity in the framework of the resistively and capacitively shunted junction model, provided that the characteristics of the junction (intrinsic capacitance, critical current, and the ratio of the bias current to the critical one) are known with sufficient accuracy.« less

  1. Nonreciprocal Microwave Signal Processing with a Field-Programmable Josephson Amplifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lecocq, F.; Ranzani, L.; Peterson, G. A.; Cicak, K.; Simmonds, R. W.; Teufel, J. D.; Aumentado, J.

    2017-02-01

    We report on the design and implementation of a field-programmable Josephson amplifier (FPJA)—a compact and lossless superconducting circuit that can be programmed in situ by a set of microwave drives to perform reciprocal and nonreciprocal frequency conversion and amplification. In this work, we demonstrate four modes of operation: frequency conversion (transmission of -0.5 dB, reflection of -30 dB), circulation (transmission of -0.5 dB, reflection of -30 dB, isolation of 30 dB), phase-preserving amplification (gain >20 dB , one photon of added noise) and directional phase-preserving amplification (reflection of -10 dB, forward gain of 18 dB, reverse isolation of 8 dB, one photon of added noise). The system exhibits quantitative agreement with the theoretical prediction. Based on a gradiometric superconducting quantum-interference device with Nb /Al -Al Ox/Nb Josephson junctions, the FPJA is first-order insensitive to flux noise and can be operated without magnetic shielding at low temperature. Owing to its flexible design and compatibility with existing superconducting fabrication techniques, the FPJA offers a straightforward route toward on-chip integration with superconducting quantum circuits such as qubits and microwave optomechanical systems.

  2. Non-Abelian holonomies, charge pumping, and quantum computation with Josephson junctions.

    PubMed

    Faoro, Lara; Siewert, Jens; Fazio, Rosario

    2003-01-17

    Non-Abelian holonomies can be generated and detected in certain superconducting nanocircuits. Here we consider an example where the non-Abelian operations are related to the adiabatic charge dynamics of the Josephson network. We demonstrate that such a device can be applied both for adiabatic charge pumping and as an implementation of a quantum computer.

  3. Negative effect of the 5'-untranslated leader sequence on Ac transposon promoter expression.

    PubMed

    Scortecci, K C; Raina, R; Fedoroff, N V; Van Sluys, M A

    1999-08-01

    Transposable elements are used in heterologous plant hosts to clone genes by insertional mutagenesis. The Activator (Ac) transposable element has been cloned from maize, and introduced into a variety of plants. However, differences in regulation and transposition frequency have been observed between different host plants. The cause of this variability is still unknown. To better understand the activity of the Ac element, we analyzed the Ac promoter region and its 5'-untranslated leader sequence (5' UTL). Transient assays in tobacco NT1 suspension cells showed that the Ac promoter is a weak promoter and its activity was localized by deletion analyses. The data presented here indicate that the core of the Ac promoter is contained within 153 bp fragment upstream to transcription start sites. An important inhibitory effect (80%) due to the presence of the 5' UTL was found on the expression of LUC reporter gene. Here we demonstrate that the presence of the 5' UTL in the constructs reduces the expression driven by either strong or weak promoters.

  4. Connecting Dissipation and Phase Slips in a Josephson Junction between Fermionic Superfluids.

    PubMed

    Burchianti, A; Scazza, F; Amico, A; Valtolina, G; Seman, J A; Fort, C; Zaccanti, M; Inguscio, M; Roati, G

    2018-01-12

    We study the emergence of dissipation in an atomic Josephson junction between weakly coupled superfluid Fermi gases. We find that vortex-induced phase slippage is the dominant microscopic source of dissipation across the Bose-Einstein condensate-Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer crossover. We explore different dynamical regimes by tuning the bias chemical potential between the two superfluid reservoirs. For small excitations, we observe dissipation and phase coherence to coexist, with a resistive current followed by well-defined Josephson oscillations. We link the junction transport properties to the phase-slippage mechanism, finding that vortex nucleation is primarily responsible for the observed trends of conductance and critical current. For large excitations, we observe the irreversible loss of coherence between the two superfluids, and transport cannot be described only within an uncorrelated phase-slip picture. Our findings open new directions for investigating the interplay between dissipative and superfluid transport in strongly correlated Fermi systems, and general concepts in out-of-equilibrium quantum systems.

  5. Connecting Dissipation and Phase Slips in a Josephson Junction between Fermionic Superfluids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burchianti, A.; Scazza, F.; Amico, A.; Valtolina, G.; Seman, J. A.; Fort, C.; Zaccanti, M.; Inguscio, M.; Roati, G.

    2018-01-01

    We study the emergence of dissipation in an atomic Josephson junction between weakly coupled superfluid Fermi gases. We find that vortex-induced phase slippage is the dominant microscopic source of dissipation across the Bose-Einstein condensate-Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer crossover. We explore different dynamical regimes by tuning the bias chemical potential between the two superfluid reservoirs. For small excitations, we observe dissipation and phase coherence to coexist, with a resistive current followed by well-defined Josephson oscillations. We link the junction transport properties to the phase-slippage mechanism, finding that vortex nucleation is primarily responsible for the observed trends of conductance and critical current. For large excitations, we observe the irreversible loss of coherence between the two superfluids, and transport cannot be described only within an uncorrelated phase-slip picture. Our findings open new directions for investigating the interplay between dissipative and superfluid transport in strongly correlated Fermi systems, and general concepts in out-of-equilibrium quantum systems.

  6. Magnetic field oscillations of the critical current in long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rakyta, Péter; Kormányos, Andor; Cserti, József

    2016-06-01

    We study the Josephson current in long ballistic superconductor-monolayer graphene-superconductor junctions. As a first step, we have developed an efficient computational approach to calculate the Josephson current in tight-binding systems. This approach can be particularly useful in the long-junction limit, which has hitherto attracted less theoretical interest but has recently become experimentally relevant. We use this computational approach to study the dependence of the critical current on the junction geometry, doping level, and an applied perpendicular magnetic field B . In zero magnetic field we find a good qualitative agreement with the recent experiment of M. Ben Shalom et al. [Nat. Phys. 12, 318 (2016), 10.1038/nphys3592] for the length dependence of the critical current. For highly doped samples our numerical calculations show a broad agreement with the results of the quasiclassical formalism. In this case the critical current exhibits Fraunhofer-like oscillations as a function of B . However, for lower doping levels, where the cyclotron orbit becomes comparable to the characteristic geometrical length scales of the system, deviations from the results of the quasiclassical formalism appear. We argue that due to the exceptional tunability and long mean free path of graphene systems a new regime can be explored where geometrical and dynamical effects are equally important to understand the magnetic field dependence of the critical current.

  7. Frequency-Unspecific Effects of θ-tACS Related to a Visuospatial Working Memory Task

    PubMed Central

    Kleinert, Maria-Lisa; Szymanski, Caroline; Müller, Viktor

    2017-01-01

    Working memory (WM) is crucial for intelligent cognitive functioning, and synchronization phenomena in the fronto-parietal network have been suggested as an underlying neural mechanism. In an attempt to provide causal evidence for this assumption, we applied transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at theta frequency over fronto-parietal sites during a visuospatial match-to-sample (MtS) task. Depending on the stimulation protocol, i.e., in-phase, anti-phase or sham, we anticipated a differential impact of tACS on behavioral WM performance as well as on the EEG (electroencephalography) during resting state before and after stimulation. We hypothesized that in-phase tACS of the fronto-parietal theta network (stimulation frequency: 5 Hz; intensity: 1 mA peak-to-peak) would result in performance enhancement, whereas anti-phase tACS would cause performance impairment. Eighteen participants (nine female) received in-phase, anti-phase, and sham stimulation in balanced order. While being stimulated, subjects performed the MtS task, which varied in executive demand (two levels: low and high). EEG analysis of power peaks within the delta (0.5–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), and beta (12–30 Hz) frequency bands was carried out. No significant differences were observed between in-phase and anti-phase stimulation regarding both behavioral and EEG measurements. Yet, with regard to the alpha frequency band, we observed a statistically significant drop of peak power from pre to post in the sham condition, whereas alpha power remained on a similar level in the actively stimulated conditions. Our results indicate a frequency-unspecific modulation of neuronal oscillations by tACS. However, the closer participants’ individual theta peak frequencies were to the stimulation frequency of 5 Hz after anti-phase tACS, the faster they responded in the MtS task. This effect did not reach statistical significance during in-phase tACS and was not present during sham

  8. Switching Dynamics of an Underdamped Josephson Junction Coupled to a Microwave Cavity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oelsner, G.; Il'ichev, E.

    2018-05-01

    Current-biased Josephson junctions are promising candidates for the detection of single photons in the microwave frequency domain. With modern fabrication technologies, the switching properties of the junction can be adjusted to achieve quantum limited sensitivity. Namely, the width of the switching current distribution can be reduced well below the current amplitude produced by a single photon trapped inside a superconducting cavity. However, for an effective detection a strong junction cavity coupling is required, providing nonlinear system dynamics. We compare experimental findings for our prototype device with a theoretical analysis aimed to describe the switching dynamics of junctions under microwave irradiation. Measurements are found in qualitative agreement with our simulations.

  9. Graphene-Based Josephson-Junction Single-Photon Detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walsh, Evan D.; Efetov, Dmitri K.; Lee, Gil-Ho; Heuck, Mikkel; Crossno, Jesse; Ohki, Thomas A.; Kim, Philip; Englund, Dirk; Fong, Kin Chung

    2017-08-01

    We propose to use graphene-based Josephson junctions (GJJs) to detect single photons in a wide electromagnetic spectrum from visible to radio frequencies. Our approach takes advantage of the exceptionally low electronic heat capacity of monolayer graphene and its constricted thermal conductance to its phonon degrees of freedom. Such a system could provide high-sensitivity photon detection required for research areas including quantum information processing and radio astronomy. As an example, we present our device concepts for GJJ single-photon detectors in both the microwave and infrared regimes. The dark count rate and intrinsic quantum efficiency are computed based on parameters from a measured GJJ, demonstrating feasibility within existing technologies.

  10. Ultralow power artificial synapses using nanotextured magnetic Josephson junctions.

    PubMed

    Schneider, Michael L; Donnelly, Christine A; Russek, Stephen E; Baek, Burm; Pufall, Matthew R; Hopkins, Peter F; Dresselhaus, Paul D; Benz, Samuel P; Rippard, William H

    2018-01-01

    Neuromorphic computing promises to markedly improve the efficiency of certain computational tasks, such as perception and decision-making. Although software and specialized hardware implementations of neural networks have made tremendous accomplishments, both implementations are still many orders of magnitude less energy efficient than the human brain. We demonstrate a new form of artificial synapse based on dynamically reconfigurable superconducting Josephson junctions with magnetic nanoclusters in the barrier. The spiking energy per pulse varies with the magnetic configuration, but in our demonstration devices, the spiking energy is always less than 1 aJ. This compares very favorably with the roughly 10 fJ per synaptic event in the human brain. Each artificial synapse is composed of a Si barrier containing Mn nanoclusters with superconducting Nb electrodes. The critical current of each synapse junction, which is analogous to the synaptic weight, can be tuned using input voltage spikes that change the spin alignment of Mn nanoclusters. We demonstrate synaptic weight training with electrical pulses as small as 3 aJ. Further, the Josephson plasma frequencies of the devices, which determine the dynamical time scales, all exceed 100 GHz. These new artificial synapses provide a significant step toward a neuromorphic platform that is faster, more energy-efficient, and thus can attain far greater complexity than has been demonstrated with other technologies.

  11. Ultralow power artificial synapses using nanotextured magnetic Josephson junctions

    PubMed Central

    Schneider, Michael L.; Donnelly, Christine A.; Russek, Stephen E.; Baek, Burm; Pufall, Matthew R.; Hopkins, Peter F.; Dresselhaus, Paul D.; Benz, Samuel P.; Rippard, William H.

    2018-01-01

    Neuromorphic computing promises to markedly improve the efficiency of certain computational tasks, such as perception and decision-making. Although software and specialized hardware implementations of neural networks have made tremendous accomplishments, both implementations are still many orders of magnitude less energy efficient than the human brain. We demonstrate a new form of artificial synapse based on dynamically reconfigurable superconducting Josephson junctions with magnetic nanoclusters in the barrier. The spiking energy per pulse varies with the magnetic configuration, but in our demonstration devices, the spiking energy is always less than 1 aJ. This compares very favorably with the roughly 10 fJ per synaptic event in the human brain. Each artificial synapse is composed of a Si barrier containing Mn nanoclusters with superconducting Nb electrodes. The critical current of each synapse junction, which is analogous to the synaptic weight, can be tuned using input voltage spikes that change the spin alignment of Mn nanoclusters. We demonstrate synaptic weight training with electrical pulses as small as 3 aJ. Further, the Josephson plasma frequencies of the devices, which determine the dynamical time scales, all exceed 100 GHz. These new artificial synapses provide a significant step toward a neuromorphic platform that is faster, more energy-efficient, and thus can attain far greater complexity than has been demonstrated with other technologies. PMID:29387787

  12. Time-dependent photon heat transport through a mesoscopic Josephson device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Wen-Ting; Zhao, Hong-Kang

    2017-02-01

    The time-oscillating photon heat current through a dc voltage biased mesoscopic Josephson Junction (MJJ) has been investigated by employing the nonequilibrium Green's function approach. The Landauer-like formula of photon heat current has been derived in both of the Fourier space and its time-oscillating versions, where Coulomb interaction, self inductance, and magnetic flux take effective roles. Nonlinear behaviors are exhibited in the photon heat current due to the quantum nature of MJJ and applied external dc voltage. The magnitude of heat current decreases with increasing the external bias voltage, and subtle oscillation structures appear as the superposition of different photon heat branches. The overall period of heat current with respect to time is not affected by Coulomb interaction, however, the magnitude and phase of it vary considerably by changing the Coulomb interaction.

  13. Microwave heating of a high-Tc YBa2Cu3O6.9 superconductor through a Josephson-junction system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stankowski, J.; Czyak, B.; Martinek, J.

    1990-12-01

    An overheating of a Josephson-junction system (JJS) in ceramic YBa2Cu3O6.9 samples was induced by microwave irradiation in a microwave cavity. The amplitude of the Josephson microwave absorption (JMA) was used as a monitor of the local JJS temperature. The difference between the JJS temperature and a sample temperature depends linearly on the power of the microwave field. A thermal hysteresis of Tc for heating and cooling is proportional to the microwave power applied in the JMA experiment.

  14. Josephson-junction array in an irrational magnetic field: A superconducting glass

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Halsey, T.C.

    1985-08-26

    A model is used to show that a Josephson junction array in an irrational magnetic field undergoes a glass transition for finite cooling rate. At zero temperature the resultant glassy state possesses a nonzero critical current. The low-temperature behavior of the system can be modeled by a spin-wave theory. The relevance of these results for real experiments on arrays is discussed.

  15. Weyl nodes in Andreev spectra of multiterminal Josephson junctions: Chern numbers, conductances, and supercurrents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Hong-Yi; Vavilov, Maxim G.; Levchenko, Alex

    2018-02-01

    We consider mesoscopic four-terminal Josephson junctions and study emergent topological properties of the Andreev subgap bands. We use symmetry-constrained analysis for Wigner-Dyson classes of scattering matrices to derive band dispersions. When the scattering matrix of the normal region connecting superconducting leads is energy independent, the determinant formula for Andreev spectrum can be reduced to a palindromic equation that admits a complete analytical solution. Band topology manifests with an appearance of the Weyl nodes which serve as monopoles of finite Berry curvature. The corresponding fluxes are quantified by Chern numbers that translate into a quantized nonlocal conductance that we compute explicitly for the time-reversal-symmetric scattering matrix. The topological regime can also be identified by supercurrents as Josephson current-phase relationships exhibit pronounced nonanalytic behavior and discontinuities near Weyl points that can be controllably accessed in experiments.

  16. Transverse ac-driven and geometric ratchet effects for vortices in conformal crystal pinning arrays

    DOE PAGES

    Reichhardt, Charles; Reichhardt, Cynthia Jane Olsen

    2016-02-11

    A conformal pinning array is created by taking a conformal transformation of a uniform hexagonal lattice to create a structure in which the sixfold ordering of the original lattice is preserved but which has a spatial gradient in the pinning site density. With a series of conformal arrays it is possible to create asymmetric substrates, and it was previously shown that when an ac drive is applied parallel to the asymmetry direction, a pronounced ratchet effect occurs with a net dc flow of vortices in the same direction as the ac drive. Here, in this article, we show that whenmore » the ac drive is applied perpendicular to the substrate asymmetry direction, it is possible to realize a transverse ratchet effect where a net dc flow of vortices is generated perpendicular to the ac drive. The conformal transverse ratchet effect is distinct from previous versions of transverse ratchets in that it occurs due to the generation of non-Gaussian transverse vortex velocity fluctuations by the plastic motion of vortices, so that the system behaves as a noise correlation ratchet. The transverse ratchet effect is much more pronounced in the conformal arrays than in random gradient arrays and is absent in square gradient arrays due the different nature of the vortex flow in each geometry. We show that a series of reversals can occur in the transverse ratchet effect due to changes in the vortex flow across the pinning gradient as a function of vortex filling, pinning strength, and ac amplitude. We also consider the case where a dc drive applied perpendicular to the substrate asymmetry direction generates a net flow of vortices perpendicular to the dc drive, producing what is known as a geometric or drift ratchet that again arises due to non-Gaussian dynamically generated fluctuations. The drift ratchet is more efficient than the ac driven ratchet and also exhibits a series of reversals for varied parameters. Lastly, our results should be general to a wide class of systems

  17. Absorption and Attenuation Coefficients Using the WET Labs ac-s in the Mid-Atlantic Bight: Field Measurements and Data Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ohi, Nobuaki; Makinen, Carla P.; Mitchell, Richard; Moisan, Tiffany A.

    2008-01-01

    Ocean color algorithms are based on the parameterization of apparent optical properties as a function of inherent optical properties. WET Labs underwater absorption and attenuation meters (ac-9 and ac-s) measure both the spectral beam attenuation [c (lambda)] and absorption coefficient [a (lambda)]. The ac-s reports in a continuous range of 390-750 nm with a band pass of 4 nm, totaling approximately 83 distinct wavelengths, while the ac-9 reports at 9 wavelengths. We performed the ac-s field measurements at nine stations in the Mid-Atlantic Bight from water calibrations to data analysis. Onboard the ship, the ac-s was calibrated daily using Milli Q-water. Corrections for the in situ temperature and salinity effects on optical properties of water were applied. Corrections for incomplete recovery of the scattered light in the ac-s absorption tube were performed. The fine scale of spectral and vertical distributions of c (lambda) and a (lambda) were described from the ac-s. The significant relationships between a (674) and that of spectrophotometric analysis and chlorophyll a concentration of discrete water samples were observed.

  18. Amplitude control of the spin-triplet supercurrent in S / F / S Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martinez, William M.; Pratt, Jr., W. P.; Birge, Norman O.

    Josephson junctions made with conventional s-wave superconductors and containing multiple layers of ferromagnetic materials can carry spin-triplet supercurrent in the presence of certain types of magnetic inhomogeneity. In junctions containing three ferromagnetic layers, the triplet supercurrent is predicted to be maximal when the magnetizations of the adjacent layers are orthogonal, and zero when the magnetizations of any two adjacent layers are parallel. Here we demonstrate on-off control of the spin-triplet supercurrent in such junctions, achieved by rotating the magnetization direction of one of the three layers by 90°. We obtain “on-off” ratios of 5, 7, and 19 for the supercurrentmore » in the three samples that have been studied so far. In conclusion, these observations directly confirm one of the most salient predictions of the theory, and they pave the way for applications of spin-triplet Josephson junctions in the nascent area of “superconducting spintronics”.« less

  19. Amplitude control of the spin-triplet supercurrent in S / F / S Josephson junctions

    DOE PAGES

    Martinez, William M.; Pratt, Jr., W. P.; Birge, Norman O.

    2016-02-17

    Josephson junctions made with conventional s-wave superconductors and containing multiple layers of ferromagnetic materials can carry spin-triplet supercurrent in the presence of certain types of magnetic inhomogeneity. In junctions containing three ferromagnetic layers, the triplet supercurrent is predicted to be maximal when the magnetizations of the adjacent layers are orthogonal, and zero when the magnetizations of any two adjacent layers are parallel. Here we demonstrate on-off control of the spin-triplet supercurrent in such junctions, achieved by rotating the magnetization direction of one of the three layers by 90°. We obtain “on-off” ratios of 5, 7, and 19 for the supercurrentmore » in the three samples that have been studied so far. In conclusion, these observations directly confirm one of the most salient predictions of the theory, and they pave the way for applications of spin-triplet Josephson junctions in the nascent area of “superconducting spintronics”.« less

  20. Controllable 0–π Josephson junctions containing a ferromagnetic spin valve

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gingrich, E. C.; Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Glick, Joseph A.

    Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are antagonistic forms of order, and rarely coexist. Many interesting new phenomena occur, however, in hybrid superconducting/ferromagnetic systems. For example, a Josephson junction containing a ferromagnetic material can exhibit an intrinsic phase shift of π in its ground state for certain thicknesses of the material. Such ‘π-junctions’ were first realized experimentally in 2001, and have been proposed as circuit elements for both high-speed classical superconducting computing and for quantum computing. Here we demonstrate experimentally that the phase state of a Josephson junction containing two ferromagnetic layers can be toggled between 0 and pi by changing the relativemore » orientation of the two magnetizations. These controllable 0–π junctions have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, where they serve as a necessary component to an ultralow power superconducting computer. Such a fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. Here, phase-controllable junctions also open up new possibilities for superconducting circuit elements such as superconducting ‘programmable logic’, where they could function in superconducting analogues to field-programmable gate arrays.« less

  1. Controllable 0–π Josephson junctions containing a ferromagnetic spin valve

    DOE PAGES

    Gingrich, E. C.; Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Glick, Joseph A.; ...

    2016-03-14

    Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are antagonistic forms of order, and rarely coexist. Many interesting new phenomena occur, however, in hybrid superconducting/ferromagnetic systems. For example, a Josephson junction containing a ferromagnetic material can exhibit an intrinsic phase shift of π in its ground state for certain thicknesses of the material. Such ‘π-junctions’ were first realized experimentally in 2001, and have been proposed as circuit elements for both high-speed classical superconducting computing and for quantum computing. Here we demonstrate experimentally that the phase state of a Josephson junction containing two ferromagnetic layers can be toggled between 0 and pi by changing the relativemore » orientation of the two magnetizations. These controllable 0–π junctions have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, where they serve as a necessary component to an ultralow power superconducting computer. Such a fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. Here, phase-controllable junctions also open up new possibilities for superconducting circuit elements such as superconducting ‘programmable logic’, where they could function in superconducting analogues to field-programmable gate arrays.« less

  2. Vortex dynamics in two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ashrafuzzaman, Md.; Capezzali, Massimiliano; Beck, Hans

    2003-08-01

    The dynamic response of two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays close to, but above the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition temperature is described in terms of the vortex dielectric function ɛ(ω) and the flux noise spectrum Sφ(ω). They are calculated by considering both the contributions of free vortices interacting through a screened Coulomb potential and the pair motion of vortices that are closer to each other than the BKT correlation length. This procedure allows us to understand various anomalous features in ɛ(ω) and in Sφ(ω) that have been observed both experimentally and in dynamic simulations.

  3. Restraining for switching effects in an AC driving pixel circuit of the OLED-on-silicon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yan-Yan; Geng, Wei-Dong; Dai, Yong-Ping

    2010-03-01

    The AC driving scheme for OLEDs, which uses the pixel circuit with two transistors and one capacitor (2T1C), can extend the lifetime of the active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) on silicon, but there are switching effects during the switch of AC signals, which result in the voltage variation on the storage capacitor and cause the current glitch in OLED. That would decrease the gray scale of the OLED. This paper proposes a novel pixel circuit consisting of three transistors and one capacitor to realize AC driving for the OLED-on-silicon while restraining the switching effects. Simulation results indicate that the proposed circuit is less sensitive to switching effects. Also, another pixel circuit is proposed to further reduce the driving current to meet the current constraints for the OLED-on-silicon.

  4. Jonction Josephson en couche épaisse d'oxydes supraconducteurs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunther, C.; Monfort, Y.; Sing, M. Lam Chok; Bloyet, D.; Brousse, T.; Provost, J.; Raveau, B.

    1992-02-01

    Constrictions engraved in YBaCuO thick films fabricated by screen printing on YSZ substrate (J_c>3 000 A/cm^2 at 77 K) have been studied. Microwave irradiation of the devices at LN2 showed distinct Shapiro steps demonstrating the presence intrinsic Josephson junctions. The latter have an I_c(T) dependence fitting (1-T/T_c)^2 characteristic of SNS junctions. Furthermore, dc SQUID effects have also been observed with a peak-to-peak response simeq 0.2 μV and with a magnetic field periodicity extending through several hundred of φ_0. An energy resolution close to 3× 10^{-29} J/Hz is estimated for our constriction operating in the white noise frequency range (f>50 Hz) at 77 K. This sensitivity is adequate to use this flux sensor in many applications : geomagnetism, magnetocardiology, ... Nous avons étudié des constrictions gravées dans des couches épaisses d'YBaCuO déposées sur substrat de YSZ (J_c>3 000 A/cm^2 à 77 K). L'observation de marches de Shapiro lors d'irradiations des échantillons à 77 K par un champ HF met clairement en évidence la présence de jonctions Josephson intrinsèques de type SNS, leur dépendance en température du courant critique étant en (1-T/T_c)^2. De plus, nous avons obtenu des réponses en champ magnétique, caractéristiques des SQUIDs dc, d'amplitude 0,2 μVcc et dont la périodicité s'étend sur plusieurs centaines de φ_0. La résolution en énergie est de l'ordre de 3× 10^{-29} J/Hz en zone de bruit blanc (f>50 Hz) à 77 K. Cette sensibilité est suffisante pour envisager son utilisation dans des applications telles que : géomagnétisme, magnétocardiologie, ...

  5. Fabrication of Josephson Junction without shadow evaporation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xian; Ku, Hsiangsheng; Long, Junling; Pappas, David

    We developed a new method of fabricating Josephson Junction (Al/AlOX/Al) without shadow evaporation. Statistics from room temperature junction resistance and measurement of qubits are presented. Unlike the traditional ``Dolan Bridge'' technique, this method requires two individual lithographies and straight evaporations of Al. Argon RF plasma is used to remove native AlOX after the first evaporation, followed by oxidation and second Al evaporation. Junction resistance measured at room temperature shows linear dependence on Pox (oxidation pressure), √{tox} (oxidation time), and inverse proportional to junction area. We have seen 100% yield of qubits made with this method. This method is promising because it eliminates angle dependence during Junction fabrication, facilitates large scale qubits fabrication.

  6. Simplifying the circuit of Josephson parametric converters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdo, Baleegh; Brink, Markus; Chavez-Garcia, Jose; Keefe, George

    Josephson parametric converters (JPCs) are quantum-limited three-wave mixing devices that can play various important roles in quantum information processing in the microwave domain, including amplification of quantum signals, transduction of quantum information, remote entanglement of qubits, nonreciprocal amplification, and circulation of signals. However, the input-output and biasing circuit of a state-of-the-art JPC consists of bulky components, i.e. two commercial off-chip broadband 180-degree hybrids, four phase-matched short coax cables, and one superconducting magnetic coil. Such bulky hardware significantly hinders the integration of JPCs in scalable quantum computing architectures. In my talk, I will present ideas on how to simplify the JPC circuit and show preliminary experimental results

  7. AC Initiation System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    An ac initiation system is described which uses three ac transmission signals interlocked for safety by frequency, phase, and power discrimination...The ac initiation system is pre-armed by the application of two ac signals have the proper phases, and activates a load when an ac power signal of the proper frequency and power level is applied. (Author)

  8. Numerical simulation of the dielectrophoretic concentration of DNA particles and the effect of AC electroosmosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loucaides, N. G.; Georghiou, G. E.; Charalambous, C. D.

    2007-04-01

    The dielectrophoretic concentration of DNA particles suspended in a solution is investigated in a system of parallel electrodes, where the particles are attracted to the edges of the electrodes by positive dielectrophoresis. The AC electroosmotic motion of the fluid is also considered, as well as the diffusion of the particles, using the solution of the Smoluchowski equation. The results examine the effect of AC electroosmosis in steady state dielectrophoretic concentration of particles, by demonstrating that AC electroosmosis significantly reduces the dielectrophoretic concentration at the edges and moves the particles towards the electrode centres.

  9. Magnetic field penetration in niobium- and vanadium-based Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cucolo, A. M.; Pace, S.; Vaglio, R.; di Chiara, A.; Peluso, G.; Russo, M.

    1983-02-01

    Measurements on the temperature dependence of the magnetic field penetration in Nb-NbxOy-Pb and V-VxOy-Pb Josephson junctions have been performed. Results on the zero-temperature penetration depth in niobium films are far above the bulk values although consistent with other measurements on junctions reported in the literature. For vanadium junctions anomalously large penetration depth values are obtained at low temperatures. Nevertheless, the temperature dependence is in reasonable agreement with the local dirty limit model.

  10. A closed cycle cascade Joule Thomson refrigerator for cooling Josephson junction magnetometers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tward, E.; Sarwinski, R.

    1985-01-01

    A closed cycle cascade Joule Thomson refrigerator designed to cool Josephson Junction magnetometers to liquid helium temperature is being developed. The refrigerator incorporates 4 stages of cooling using the working fluids CF4 and He. The high pressure gases are provided by a small compressor designed for this purpose. The upper stages have been operated and performance will be described.

  11. 0 - π Quantum transition in a carbon nanotube Josephson junction: Universal phase dependence and orbital degeneracy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delagrange, R.; Weil, R.; Kasumov, A.; Ferrier, M.; Bouchiat, H.; Deblock, R.

    2018-05-01

    In a quantum dot hybrid superconducting junction, the behavior of the supercurrent is dominated by Coulomb blockade physics, which determines the magnetic state of the dot. In particular, in a single level quantum dot singly occupied, the sign of the supercurrent can be reversed, giving rise to a π-junction. This 0 - π transition, corresponding to a singlet-doublet transition, is then driven by the gate voltage or by the superconducting phase in the case of strong competition between the superconducting proximity effect and Kondo correlations. In a two-level quantum dot, such as a clean carbon nanotube, 0- π transitions exist as well but, because more cotunneling processes are allowed, are not necessarily associated to a magnetic state transition of the dot. In this proceeding, after a review of 0- π transitions in Josephson junctions, we present measurements of current-phase relation in a clean carbon nanotube quantum dot, in the single and two-level regimes. In the single level regime, close to orbital degeneracy and in a regime of strong competition between local electronic correlations and superconducting proximity effect, we find that the phase diagram of the phase-dependent transition is a universal characteristic of a discontinuous level-crossing quantum transition at zero temperature. In the case where the two levels are involved, the nanotube Josephson current exhibits a continuous 0 - π transition, independent of the superconducting phase, revealing a different physical mechanism of the transition.

  12. Advanced Concepts in Josephson Junction Reflection Amplifiers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lähteenmäki, Pasi; Vesterinen, Visa; Hassel, Juha; Paraoanu, G. S.; Seppä, Heikki; Hakonen, Pertti

    2014-06-01

    Low-noise amplification at microwave frequencies has become increasingly important for the research related to superconducting qubits and nanoelectromechanical systems. The fundamental limit of added noise by a phase-preserving amplifier is the standard quantum limit, often expressed as noise temperature . Towards the goal of the quantum limit, we have developed an amplifier based on intrinsic negative resistance of a selectively damped Josephson junction. Here we present measurement results on previously proposed wide-band microwave amplification and discuss the challenges for improvements on the existing designs. We have also studied flux-pumped metamaterial-based parametric amplifiers, whose operating frequency can be widely tuned by external DC-flux, and demonstrate operation at pumping, in contrast to the typical metamaterial amplifiers pumped via signal lines at.

  13. Controllable phase transitions and novel selection rules in Josephson junctions with inherent orthogonality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Qiang; Zhang, Kunhua; Ma, Hongyang

    2018-03-01

    We propose a new type of Josephson junction consisting of topologically nontrivial superconductors with inherent orthogonality and a ferromagnetic interface. It is found this type of junction can host rich ground states: 0 phase, π phase, 0 + π phase, φ0 phase and φ0 ± φ phase. Phase transitions can be controlled by changing the direction of the interfacial magnetization. Phase diagrams are presented in the orientation space. Novel selection rules for the lowest order current, sin ⁡ ϕ or cos ⁡ ϕ, of this kind of junction are derived. General conditions for the formation of various ground states are established, which possess guiding significance to the experimental design of required ground states for practical applications. We construct the succinct form of a Ginzburg-Landau type of free energy from the viewpoint of the interplay between topological superconductivity and ferromagnetism, which can immediately lead to the selection rules. The constructed terms are universally available to the topological Josephson junctions with or without inherent orthogonality reported recently. The spin supercurrent, its selection rules and their relations to the constructed energy are also investigated.

  14. Critical current oscillations of elliptical Josephson junctions with single-domain ferromagnetic layers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Glick, Joseph A.; Khasawneh, Mazin A.; Niedzielski, Bethany M.

    We report that josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic layers are of considerable interest for the development of practical cryogenic memory and superconducting qubits. Such junctions exhibit a ground-state phase shift of π for certain ranges of ferromagnetic layer thicknesses. We present studies of Nb based micron-scale elliptically shaped Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic barriers of Ni 81Fe 19 or Ni 65Fe 15Co 20. By applying an external magnetic field, the critical current of the junctions is found to follow characteristic Fraunhofer patterns and display sharp switching behavior suggestive of single-domain magnets. The high quality of the Fraunhofer patterns enables us to extractmore » the maximum value of the critical current even when the peak is shifted significantly outside the range of the data due to the magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic layer. The maximum value of the critical current oscillates as a function of the ferromagnetic barrier thickness, indicating transitions in the phase difference across the junction between values of zero and π. Lastly, we compare the data to previous work and to models of the 0-π transitions based on existing theories.« less

  15. Critical current oscillations of elliptical Josephson junctions with single-domain ferromagnetic layers

    DOE PAGES

    Glick, Joseph A.; Khasawneh, Mazin A.; Niedzielski, Bethany M.; ...

    2017-10-06

    We report that josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic layers are of considerable interest for the development of practical cryogenic memory and superconducting qubits. Such junctions exhibit a ground-state phase shift of π for certain ranges of ferromagnetic layer thicknesses. We present studies of Nb based micron-scale elliptically shaped Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic barriers of Ni 81Fe 19 or Ni 65Fe 15Co 20. By applying an external magnetic field, the critical current of the junctions is found to follow characteristic Fraunhofer patterns and display sharp switching behavior suggestive of single-domain magnets. The high quality of the Fraunhofer patterns enables us to extractmore » the maximum value of the critical current even when the peak is shifted significantly outside the range of the data due to the magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic layer. The maximum value of the critical current oscillates as a function of the ferromagnetic barrier thickness, indicating transitions in the phase difference across the junction between values of zero and π. Lastly, we compare the data to previous work and to models of the 0-π transitions based on existing theories.« less

  16. Effects of mycophenolate mofetil on proliferation and mucin-5AC expression in human conjunctival goblet cells in vitro.

    PubMed

    He, Hong; Ding, Hui; Liao, Aiping; Liu, Qiong; Yang, Jun; Zhong, Xingwu

    2010-10-01

    To investigate the effects of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on proliferation and mucin-5AC (MUC5AC) mRNA expression of normal human conjunctival goblet cells (CGCs) in vitro and to understand mechanisms of MMF in treatment of dry eye syndrome at molecular level. Purified human CGCs were treated with a series of graded concentrations of MMF after being confirmed by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Proliferation and MUC5AC mRNA expression of CGCs were measured by Cell Count Kit-8 (CCK-8) and quantitative nested real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QNRT-PCR at 24 h after treatment. The cell proliferation and MUC5AC mRNA expressiion were compared among different doses of MMF. MMF induced a dose-dependent upregulation of MUC5AC mRNA expression (F=238.851, p<0.01) but a biphase effect on proliferation of the CGCs over 24 h of co-incubation. This biphase effect manifested as a dose-dependent increase in cell numbers with MMF from 0.25 to 2.5 ng/ml, an unchanged population of the cells from 2.5 to 10 ng/ml and a reduced population of the cells from 25 to 100 ng/ml. MMF exerts biphase effects on cell regeneration and upregulates MUC5AC mRNA expression in CGCs in vitro. It appears that the use of MMF at low concentrations is attractive in dry eye (DE) treatment.

  17. Initial NIST AC QHR Measurements

    PubMed Central

    Cage, M. E.; Shields, S. H.; Jeffery, A.

    2004-01-01

    We demonstrate that dc quantized Hall resistance (dc QHR) guideline properties and dc and ac QHR values can be measured without changing sample probe lead connections at the QHR device, and report ac QHR values that converge to the dc QHR value when using four-terminal-pair ac QHR measurements. This was accomplished during one cooldown using single-series and quadruple-series connections outside the sample probe. The QHR was measured from 0 Hz to 5500 Hz in 1:1 ratio at 20 µA to ±1 part in 107 uncertainties with a poor-quality QHR device. A good device would allow an order of magnitude smaller uncertainties over this frequency range. We exchanged positions of the QHR device and reference resistor in the bridge and remeasured the resistance ratios to remove dominant ac bridge effects. PMID:27366620

  18. Imaging Josephson vortices on the surface superconductor Si(111)-(√7×√3)-In using a scanning tunneling microscope.

    PubMed

    Yoshizawa, Shunsuke; Kim, Howon; Kawakami, Takuto; Nagai, Yuki; Nakayama, Tomonobu; Hu, Xiao; Hasegawa, Yukio; Uchihashi, Takashi

    2014-12-12

    We have studied the superconducting Si(111)-(√7×√3)-In surface using a ³He-based low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. Zero-bias conductance images taken over a large surface area reveal that vortices are trapped at atomic steps after magnetic fields are applied. The crossover behavior from Pearl to Josephson vortices is clearly identified from their elongated shapes along the steps and significant recovery of superconductivity within the cores. Our numerical calculations combined with experiments clarify that these characteristic features are determined by the relative strength of the interterrace Josephson coupling at the atomic step.

  19. Pixel-based CTE Correction of ACS/WFC: Modifications To The ACS Calibration Pipeline (CALACS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Linda J.; Anderson, J.; Armstrong, A.; Avila, R.; Bedin, L.; Chiaberge, M.; Davis, M.; Ferguson, B.; Fruchter, A.; Golimowski, D.; Grogin, N.; Hack, W.; Lim, P. L.; Lucas, R.; Maybhate, A.; McMaster, M.; Ogaz, S.; Suchkov, A.; Ubeda, L.

    2012-01-01

    The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) was installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) nearly ten years ago. Over the last decade, continuous exposure to the harsh radiation environment has degraded the charge transfer efficiency (CTE) of the CCDs. The worsening CTE impacts the science that can be obtained by altering the photometric, astrometric and morphological characteristics of sources, particularly those farthest from the readout amplifiers. To ameliorate these effects, Anderson & Bedin (2010, PASP, 122, 1035) developed a pixel-based empirical approach to correcting ACS data by characterizing the CTE profiles of trails behind warm pixels in dark exposures. The success of this technique means that it is now possible to correct full-frame ACS/WFC images for CTE degradation in the standard data calibration and reduction pipeline CALACS. Over the past year, the ACS team at STScI has developed, refined and tested the new software. The details of this work are described in separate posters. The new code is more effective at low flux levels (< 50 electrons) than the original Anderson & Bedin code, and employs a more accurate time and temperature dependence for CTE. The new CALACS includes the automatic removal of low-level bias stripes (produced by the post-repair ACS electronics) and pixel-based CTE correction. In addition to the standard cosmic ray corrected, flat-fielded and drizzled data products (crj, flt and drz files) there are three new equivalent files (crc, flc and drc) which contain the CTE-corrected data products. The user community will be able to choose whether to use the standard or CTE-corrected products.

  20. AuRu/AC as an effective catalyst for hydrogenation reactions

    DOE PAGES

    Villa, Alberto; Chan-Thaw, Carine E.; Campisi, Sebastiano; ...

    2015-03-23

    AuRu bimetallic catalysts have been prepared by sequential deposition of Au on Ru or vice versa obtaining different nanostructures: when Ru has been deposited on Au, a Au core–Ru shell has been observed, whereas the deposition of Au on Ru leads to a bimetallic phase with Ru enrichment on the surface. In the latter case, the unexpected Ru enrichment could be attributed to the weak adhesion of Ru on the carbon support, thus allowing Ru particles to diffuse on Au particles. Both structures result very active in catalysing the liquid phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol and levulinic acid but the activity,more » the selectivity and the stability depend on the structure of the bimetallic nanoparticles. Ru@Au/AC core–shell structure mostly behaved as the monometallic Ru, whereas the presence of bimetallic AuRu phase in Au@Ru/AC provides a great beneficial effect on both activity and stability.« less

  1. Effect of a single injection of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) on tendon healing in equine naturally occurring tendinopathies.

    PubMed

    Geburek, Florian; Lietzau, Maren; Beineke, Andreas; Rohn, Karl; Stadler, Peter M

    2015-06-26

    Autologous blood-derived biologicals, including autologous conditioned serum (ACS), are frequently used to treat tendinopathies in horses despite limited evidence for their efficacy. The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of a single intralesional injection of ACS in naturally occurring tendinopathies of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) on clinical, ultrasonographic, and histological parameters. Fifteen horses with 17 naturally occurring tendinopathies of forelimb SDFTs were examined clinically and ultrasonographically (day 0). Injured tendons were randomly assigned to the ACS-treated group (n = 10) receiving a single intralesional ACS injection or included as controls (n = 7) which were either untreated or injected with saline on day 1. All horses participated in a gradually increasing exercise programme and were re-examined nine times at regular intervals until day 190. Needle biopsies were taken from the SDFTs on days 0, 36 and 190 and examined histologically and for the expression of collagen types I and III by immunohistochemistry. In ACS-treated limbs lameness decreased significantly until day 10 after treatment. Swelling (scores) of the SDFT region decreased within the ACS group between 50 and 78 days after treatment. Ultrasonographically, the percentage of the lesion in the tendon was significantly lower and the echogenicity of the lesion (total echo score) was significantly higher 78 and 106 days after intralesional ACS injection compared to controls. Histology revealed that, compared to controls, tenocyte nuclei were more spindle-shaped 36 days after ACS injection. Immunohistochemistry showed that collagen type I expression significantly increased between days 36 and 190 after ACS injection. Single intralesional ACS injection of equine SDFTs with clinical signs of acute tendinopathy contributes to an early significant reduction of lameness and leads to temporary improvement of ultrasonographic parameters of repair tissue

  2. Study of charge-phase diagrams for coupled system of Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamdipour, M.; Shukrinov, Y. U. M.

    2010-11-01

    Dynamics of stacked intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJ) in the high-Tc superconductors is theoretically investigated. We calculate the current-voltage characteristics (CVC) of IJJ and study the breakpoint region on the outermost branch of the CVC for the stacks with 9 IJJ. A method for investigation of the fine structure in CVC of IJJ based on the recording the "phase-charge" diagrams is suggested. It is demonstrated that this method reflects the main features of the breakpoint region.

  3. A Josephson radiation comb generator.

    PubMed

    Solinas, P; Gasparinetti, S; Golubev, D; Giazotto, F

    2015-07-20

    We propose the implementation of a Josephson Radiation Comb Generator (JRCG) based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) driven by an external magnetic field. When the magnetic flux crosses a diffraction node of the critical current interference pattern, the superconducting phase undergoes a jump of π and a voltage pulse is generated at the extremes of the SQUID. Under periodic drive this allows one to generate a sequence of sharp, evenly spaced voltage pulses. In the frequency domain, this corresponds to a comb-like structure similar to the one exploited in optics and metrology. With this device it is possible to generate up to several hundreds of harmonics of the driving frequency. For example, a chain of 50 identical high-critical-temperature SQUIDs driven at 1 GHz can deliver up to a 0.5 nW at 200 GHz. The availability of a fully solid-state radiation comb generator such as the JRCG, easily integrable on chip, may pave the way to a number of technological applications, from metrology to sub-millimeter wave generation.

  4. Devil's staircases and continued fractions in Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Medvedeva, S. Yu.; Botha, A. E.; Kolahchi, M. R.; Irie, A.

    2013-12-01

    Detailed numerical simulations of the IV characteristics of a Josephson junction under external electromagnetic radiation show the devil's staircase within different bias current intervals. We have found that the observed steps form very precisely continued fractions. Increase of the amplitude of the radiation shifts the devil's staircase to higher Shapiro steps. An algorithm for the appearance and detection of subharmonics with increasing radiation amplitude is proposed. We demonstrate that the subharmonic steps registered in the well-known experiments by Dayem and Wiegand [Phys. Rev. 155, 419 (1967), 10.1103/PhysRev.155.419] and Clarke [Phys. Rev. B 4, 2963 (1971), 10.1103/PhysRevB.4.2963] also form continued fractions.

  5. Controlling dynamical entanglement in a Josephson tunneling junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ziegler, K.

    2017-12-01

    We analyze the evolution of an entangled many-body state in a Josephson tunneling junction and its dependence on the number of bosons and interaction strength. A N00N state, which is a superposition of two complementary Fock states, appears in the evolution with sufficient probability only for a moderate many-body interaction on an intermediate time scale. This time scale is inversely proportional to the tunneling rate. Many-body interaction strongly supports entanglement: The probability for creating an entangled state decays exponentially with the number of particles without many-body interaction, whereas it decays only like the inverse square root of the number of particles in the presence of many-body interaction.

  6. AC-Induced Bias Potential Effect on Corrosion of Steels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-02-05

    induction, variable conduction Experimental Setup Super- martensitic stainless steel composition Analysis: C Mn Si Cr Ni Mo Cu N Typical 13 Cr ɘ.01 0.6... stainless steel used in pipelines. •Low carbon (ɘ.01): allows the formation of a “soft” martensite that is more resistant than standard martensitic ...Proposed AC Corrosion Models  AC Simulated Corrosion testing  Stainless steel pipe and coating  Cathodic protection  Experimental Setup  Preliminary

  7. Effects of head field and AC field on magnetization reversal for microwave assisted magnetic recording

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kase, Aina; Akagi, Fumiko; Yoshida, Kazuetsu

    2018-05-01

    Microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) is a promising recording method for achieving high recording densities in hard disk drives. In MAMR, the AC field from a spin-torque oscillator (STO) assists the head field with magnetization reversal in a medium. Therefore, the relationship between the head field and the AC field is very important. In this study, the effects of the head field and the AC field on magnetization reversal were analyzed using a micromagnetic simulator that takes the magnetic interactions between a single-pole type (SPT) write-head, an exchange coupled composite (ECC) medium, and the STO into account. As a result, the magnetization reversal was assisted not just by the y-component of the AC field (Hstoy) but also by the y-component of the head field (Hhy) in the medium. The Hhy over 100 kA/m with a frequency of about 15.5 GHz induced the magnetic resonance. The large Hhy was produced by the field from the STO to the SPT head.

  8. Current phase relation from graphs and diagrams and application to thick ferromagnetic Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Margaris, I.; Paltoglou, V.; Flytzanis, N.

    2018-05-01

    In this work we present a method of representing terms in the current-phase-relation of a ballistic Josephson junction by combinations of diagrams, used in previous work to represent an equivalent of the matching condition determinant of the junction. This is accomplished by the expansion of the logarithm of this determinant in Taylor series and keeping track of surviving terms, i.e. terms that do not annihilate each other. The types of the surviving terms are represented by connected graphs, whose points represent diagrammatic terms of the determinant expansion. Then the theory is applied to obtain approximations of the current-phase relation of relatively thick ballistic ferromagnetic Josephson junctions with non-collinear magnetizations. This demonstrates the versatility of the method in developing approximations schemes and providing physical insight into the nature of contributions to the supercurrent from the available particle excitations in the junction. We also discuss the strong second harmonic contribution to the supercurrent in junctions with three mutually orthogonal magnetization vectors and a weak intermediate ferromagnet.

  9. Third order intermodulation distortion in HTS Josephson Junction downconverter at 12GHz

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Suzuki, Katsumi; Hayashi, Kunihiko; Fujimoto, Manabu

    1994-12-31

    Here the authors first report on the microwave characteristics of the third order intermodulation distortion(IMD3) in High-Tc Superconductor (HTS) Josephson Junction (JJ) Downconverter at 12GHz. They have successfully developed high quality nonlinear YBCO microbridge Josephson junctions for such an active MMIC as a mixer with RF, LO, IF and bias filters, which have been fabricated on (100) MgO substrates with 20mm x 20mm x 0.5mm dimensions. The minimum conversion loss of the JJ mixer is 11 dB at very small local microwave input power LO= {minus}20dBm which is two order less than Schottky diode mixer. Consequently, this small optimum LOmore » power gives the small RF input power at which the output IF power of the YBCO mixer saturates. Two-tone third-order intercept point(IP3) performance is a significantly important figure of merit typically used to define linearity of devices and circuits. The RF input power = {minus}15dBm at the IP3 point is obtained for the YBCO mixer at 15K and LO = 10.935GHz with {minus}22dBm. The have successfully measured the dependence of IMD3 on temperature, bias current and LO power.« less

  10. Devil's staircase and the absence of chaos in the dc- and ac-driven overdamped Frenkel-Kontorova model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolović, I.; Mali, P.; Odavić, J.; Radošević, S.; Medvedeva, S. Yu.; Botha, A. E.; Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Tekić, J.

    2017-08-01

    The devil's staircase structure arising from the complete mode locking of an entirely nonchaotic system, the overdamped dc+ac driven Frenkel-Kontorova model with deformable substrate potential, was observed. Even though no chaos was found, a hierarchical ordering of the Shapiro steps was made possible through the use of a previously introduced continued fraction formula. The absence of chaos, deduced here from Lyapunov exponent analyses, can be attributed to the overdamped character and the Middleton no-passing rule. A comparative analysis of a one-dimensional stack of Josephson junctions confirmed the disappearance of chaos with increasing dissipation. Other common dynamic features were also identified through this comparison. A detailed analysis of the amplitude dependence of the Shapiro steps revealed that only for the case of a purely sinusoidal substrate potential did the relative sizes of the steps follow a Farey sequence. For nonsinusoidal (deformed) potentials, the symmetry of the Stern-Brocot tree, depicting all members of particular Farey sequence, was seen to be increasingly broken, with certain steps being more prominent and their relative sizes not following the Farey rule.

  11. AC-130 Employment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    1 AC -130 Employment Subject Area Aviation EWS 2006 Author Captain Robert Hornick, USMC Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704...00-2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE AC -130 Employment 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER... AC -130 gunship is an aircraft that can provide all of these needs. Regrettably, there are too few AC -130’s in the inventory to cover all the needs

  12. Dynamic current susceptibility as a probe of Majorana bound states in nanowire-based Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trif, Mircea; Dmytruk, Olesia; Bouchiat, Hélène; Aguado, Ramón; Simon, Pascal

    2018-02-01

    We theoretically study a Josephson junction based on a semiconducting nanowire subject to a time-dependent flux bias. We establish a general density-matrix approach for the dynamical response of the Majorana junction and calculate the resulting flux-dependent susceptibility using both microscopic and effective low-energy descriptions for the nanowire. We find that the diagonal component of the susceptibility, associated with the dynamics of the Majorana state populations, dominates over the standard Kubo contribution for a wide range of experimentally relevant parameters. The diagonal term, explored, in this Rapid Communication, in the context of Majorana physics, allows probing accurately the presence of Majorana bound states in the junction.

  13. Assay Methods for ACS Activity and ACS Phosphorylation by MAP Kinases In Vitro and In Vivo.

    PubMed

    Han, Xiaomin; Li, Guojing; Zhang, Shuqun

    2017-01-01

    Ethylene, a gaseous phytohormone, has profound effects on plant growth, development, and adaptation to the environment. Ethylene-regulated processes begin with the induction of ethylene biosynthesis. There are two key steps in ethylene biosynthesis. The first is the biosynthesis of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) from S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAM), a common precursor in many metabolic pathways, which is catalyzed by ACC synthase (ACS). The second is the oxidative cleavage of ACC to form ethylene under the action of ACC oxidase (ACO). ACC biosynthesis is the committing and generally the rate-limiting step in ethylene biosynthesis. As a result, characterizing the cellular ACS activity and understanding its regulation are important. In this chapter, we detail the methods used to measure, (1) the enzymatic activity of both recombinant and native ACS proteins, and (2) the phosphorylation of ACS protein by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in vivo and in vitro.

  14. A compact design for the Josephson mixer: The lumped element circuit

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pillet, J.-D.; Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris; Flurin, E.

    2015-06-01

    We present a compact and efficient design in terms of gain, bandwidth, and dynamical range for the Josephson mixer, the superconducting circuit performing three-wave mixing at microwave frequencies. In an all lumped-element based circuit with galvanically coupled ports, we demonstrate nondegenerate amplification for microwave signals over a bandwidth up to 50 MHz for a power gain of 20 dB. The quantum efficiency of the mixer is shown to be about 70%, and its saturation power reaches −112 dBm.

  15. High-performance dc SQUIDs with submicrometer niobium Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Waal, V. J.; Klapwijk, T. M.; van den Hamer, P.

    1983-11-01

    We report on the fabrication and performance of low-noise, all-niobium, thin-film planar dc SQUIDs with submicrometer Josephson junctions. The junctions are evaporated obliquely through a metal shadow evaporation mask, which is made using optical lithography with 0.5 µm tolerance. The Josephson junction barrier is formed by evaporating a thin silicon film and with a subsequent oxidation in a glow discharge. The junction parameters can be reproduced within a factor of two. Typical critical currents of the SQUIDs are about 3 µA and the resistances are about 100 Ω. With SQUIDs having an inductance of 1 nH the voltage modulation is at least 60 µV. An intrinsic energy resolution of 4×10-32 J/Hz has been reached. The SQUIDs are coupled to wire-wound input coils or with thin-film input coils. The thin-film input coil consists of a niobium spiral of 20 turns on a separate substrate. In both cases the coil is glued onto a 2-nH SQUID with a coupling efficiency of at least 0.5. Referred to the thin-film input coil, the best coupled energy resolution achieved is 1.2×10-30 J/Hz measured in a flux-locked loop at frequencies above 10 Hz. As far as we know, this is the best figure achieved with an all-refractory-metal thin-film SQUID. The fabrication technique used is suited for making circuits with SQUID and pickup coil on the same substrate. We describe a compact, planar, first-order gradiometer integrated with a SQUID on a single substrate. The gradient noise of this device is 3×10-12 T m-1. The gradiometer has a size of 12 mm×17 mm, is simple to fabricate, and is suitable for biomedical applications.

  16. Symmetry breaking, Josephson oscillation and self-trapping in a self-bound three-dimensional quantum ball.

    PubMed

    Adhikari, S K

    2017-11-22

    We study spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), Josephson oscillation, and self-trapping in a stable, mobile, three-dimensional matter-wave spherical quantum ball self-bound by attractive two-body and repulsive three-body interactions. The SSB is realized by a parity-symmetric (a) one-dimensional (1D) double-well potential or (b) a 1D Gaussian potential, both along the z axis and no potential along the x and y axes. In the presence of each of these potentials, the symmetric ground state dynamically evolves into a doubly-degenerate SSB ground state. If the SSB ground state in the double well, predominantly located in the first well (z > 0), is given a small displacement, the quantum ball oscillates with a self-trapping in the first well. For a medium displacement one encounters an asymmetric Josephson oscillation. The asymmetric oscillation is a consequence of SSB. The study is performed by a variational and a numerical solution of a non-linear mean-field model with 1D parity-symmetric perturbations.

  17. Applications of Josephson Junction SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) and Arrays.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-11-01

    Research, Cntract 7he transient respose is doinated by o NO. 00014-61-C-0615. and Wj. Figure 2 shows the time evolution of e a:d e M for owI, 0-1 and 5...connect a dc S 0UID "Shunted Josephson Tunel Junctions- if gh transmitter with another dc SQU D receiver by a Frequency, Self -Pvmd L Nise lifiers...resistive SQUID WVO incidentally to their self -puVzed Josepson perametric2 mplifier. Using a SQJID with 6 -2. ZmpHi, r-3xlO . and a in matching

  18. A millimeter wave Josephson mixer employing a high-T(c) GdBaCuO point contact

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsson, H. K.; Claeson, T.; Eriksson, S.; Johansson, L.-G.; Mcgrath, W. R.

    1987-01-01

    A Josephson effect heterodyne mixer for the millimeter wave band was investigated employing high-T(c) GdBaCuO point contacts. Mixer performance was in qualitative agreement with theory. A mixing response was observed up to 55 K, the highest operating temperature achieved for such a device to date. The voltage separation of RF-induced steps gave a value of h/2e = 2.08 x 10 to the -15th V s, which is in excellent agreement with the value expected for Cooper pairs. In addition, the temperature dependence of the I(0)R product was found to agree with Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory in the weak coupling limit.

  19. High-efficiency thermal switch based on topological Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sothmann, Björn; Giazotto, Francesco; Hankiewicz, Ewelina M.

    2017-02-01

    We propose theoretically a thermal switch operating by the magnetic-flux controlled diffraction of phase-coherent heat currents in a thermally biased Josephson junction based on a two-dimensional topological insulator. For short junctions, the system shows a sharp switching behavior while for long junctions the switching is smooth. Physically, the switching arises from the Doppler shift of the superconducting condensate due to screening currents induced by a magnetic flux. We suggest a possible experimental realization that exhibits a relative temperature change of 40% between the on and off state for realistic parameters. This is a factor of two larger than in recently realized thermal modulators based on conventional superconducting tunnel junctions.

  20. Imaging non-Gaussian output fields produced by Josephson parametric amplifiers: experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toyli, D. M.; Venkatramani, A. V.; Boutin, S.; Eddins, A.; Didier, N.; Clerk, A. A.; Blais, A.; Siddiqi, I.

    2015-03-01

    In recent years, squeezed microwave states have become the focus of intense research motivated by applications in continuous-variables quantum computation and precision qubit measurement. Despite numerous demonstrations of vacuum squeezing with superconducting parametric amplifiers such as the Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA), most experiments have also suggested that the squeezed output field becomes non-ideal at the large (> 10dB) signal gains required for low-noise qubit measurement. Here we describe a systematic experimental study of JPA squeezing performance in this regime for varying lumped-element device designs and pumping methods. We reconstruct the JPA output fields through homodyne detection of the field moments and quantify the deviations from an ideal squeezed state using maximal entropy techniques. These methods provide a powerful diagnostic tool to understand how effects such as gain compression impact JPA squeezing. Our results highlight the importance of weak device nonlinearity for generating highly squeezed states. This work is supported by ARO and ONR.

  1. Intrinsic line shape of electromagnetic radiation from a stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions synchronized by an internal cavity resonance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koshelev, Alexei

    2013-03-01

    Stacks of intrinsic Josephson-junctions are realized in mesas fabricated out of layered superconducting single crystals, such as Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (BSCCO). Synchronization of phase oscillations in different junctions can be facilitated by the coupling to the internal cavity mode leading to powerful and coherent electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz frequency range. An important characteristic of this radiation is the shape of the emission line. A finite line width appears due to different noise sources leading to phase diffusion. We investigated the intrinsic line shape caused by the thermal noise for a mesa fabricated on the top of a BSCCO single crystal. In the ideal case of fully synchronized stack the finite line width is coming from two main contributions, the quasiparticle-current noise inside the mesa and the fluctuating radiation in the base crystal. We compute both contributions and conclude that for realistic mesa's parameters the second mechanism typically dominates. The role of the cavity quality factor in the emission line spectrum is clarified. Analytical results were verified by numerical simulations. In real mesa structures part of the stack may not be synchronized and chaotic dynamics of unsynchronized junctions may determine the real line width. Work supported by UChicago Argonne, LLC, under contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

  2. High-frequency ac power distribution in Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tsai, Fu-Sheng; Lee, Fred C. Y.

    1990-01-01

    A utility-type 20-kHz ac power distribution system for the Space Station, employing resonant power-conversion techniques, is presented. The system converts raw dc voltage from photovoltaic cells or three-phase LF ac voltage from a solar dynamic generator into a regulated 20-kHz ac voltage for distribution among various loads. The results of EASY5 computer simulations of the local and global performance show that the system has fast response and good transient behavior. The ac bus voltage is effectively regulated using the phase-control scheme, which is demonstrated with both line and load variations. The feasibility of paralleling the driver-module outputs is illustrated with the driver modules synchronized and sharing a common feedback loop. An HF sinusoidal ac voltage is generated in the three-phase ac input case, when the driver modules are phased 120 deg away from one another and their outputs are connected in series.

  3. Side Effects of CV Medications Following Hospitalization for ACS Are Associated With More Frequent Health-Care Contacts.

    PubMed

    Le, Rachel J; Cullen, Michael W; Lahr, Brian D; Wright, R Scott; Kopecky, Stephen L

    2017-05-01

    Patients hospitalized for first acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are frequently discharged on multiple new medications. The short-term tolerability of these medications is unknown. This single-center cohort study assessed 30-day health-care utilization and how it may be impacted by medication prescribing trends. We included Olmsted County patients presenting with ACS and previously undiagnosed coronary artery disease in 2008 to 2009. All health-care contacts were reviewed 30 days after index hospital discharge for potential adverse medication effects including documented hypotension or bradycardia, or symptoms likely attributed to the medications. The study included 86 patients; their mean age was 63 (standard deviation: 15.5 years). Antianginal or antihypertensive cardiovascular (CV) medications were prescribed to 98% of patients at discharge; 76% were prescribed 2 or more. There were 233 health-care contacts in 30 days; 90 (39%) of these contacts were unscheduled. More CV medications tended to be prescribed to patients with unscheduled contacts, both pre-ACS ( P = .045) and upon hospital discharge ( P = .051). Hypotension and/or bradycardia at follow-up occurred in 52 patients (60%). Surprisingly, there was no association between hypotension and/or bradycardia at follow-up and increased health-care utilization ( P = .12). Potential adverse drug effects were reported in 34 (40%) patients. These patients had significantly more total health-care contacts ( P < .001) and unscheduled health-care contacts (median 0 vs 1.5; P < .001). Symptoms of adverse drug effects were associated with more frequent health-care utilization after ACS. Clinicians need to consider this while striving to increase patient compliance with post-ACS medications and optimize care transitions.

  4. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) Mechanisms and Protocols

    PubMed Central

    Tavakoli, Amir V.; Yun, Kyongsik

    2017-01-01

    Perception, cognition and consciousness can be modulated as a function of oscillating neural activity, while ongoing neuronal dynamics are influenced by synaptic activity and membrane potential. Consequently, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may be used for neurological intervention. The advantageous features of tACS include the biphasic and sinusoidal tACS currents, the ability to entrain large neuronal populations, and subtle control over somatic effects. Through neuromodulation of phasic, neural activity, tACS is a powerful tool to investigate the neural correlates of cognition. The rapid development in this area requires clarity about best practices. Here we briefly introduce tACS and review the most compelling findings in the literature to provide a starting point for using tACS. We suggest that tACS protocols be based on functional brain mechanisms and appropriate control experiments, including active sham and condition blinding. PMID:28928634

  5. Electronic decoherence of two-level systems in a Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilmes, Alexander; Zanker, Sebastian; Heimes, Andreas; Marthaler, Michael; Schön, Gerd; Weiss, Georg; Ustinov, Alexey V.; Lisenfeld, Jürgen

    2017-08-01

    The sensitivity of superconducting qubits allows for spectroscopy and coherence measurements on individual two-level systems present in the disordered tunnel barrier of an Al /AlOx /Al Josephson junction. We report experimental evidence for the decoherence of two-level systems by Bogoliubov quasiparticles leaking into the insulating AlOx barrier. We control the density of quasiparticles in the junction electrodes either by the sample temperature or by injecting them using an on-chip dc superconducting quantum interference device driven to its resistive state. The decoherence rates were measured by observing the two-level system's quantum state evolving under application of resonant microwave pulses and were found to increase linearly with quasiparticle density, in agreement with theory. This interaction with electronic states provides a noise and decoherence mechanism that is relevant for various microfabricated devices such as qubits, single-electron transistors, and field-effect transistors. The presented experiments also offer a possibility to determine the location of the probed two-level systems across the tunnel barrier, providing clues about the fabrication step in which they emerge.

  6. Frequency-dependent tACS modulation of BOLD signal during rhythmic visual stimulation.

    PubMed

    Chai, Yuhui; Sheng, Jingwei; Bandettini, Peter A; Gao, Jia-Hong

    2018-05-01

    Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has emerged as a promising tool for modulating cortical oscillations. In previous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies, tACS has been found to modulate brain oscillatory activity in a frequency-specific manner. However, the spatial distribution and hemodynamic response for this modulation remains poorly understood. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has the advantage of measuring neuronal activity in regions not only below the tACS electrodes but also across the whole brain with high spatial resolution. Here, we measured fMRI signal while applying tACS to modulate rhythmic visual activity. During fMRI acquisition, tACS at different frequencies (4, 8, 16, and 32 Hz) was applied along with visual flicker stimulation at 8 and 16 Hz. We analyzed the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal difference between tACS-ON vs tACS-OFF, and different frequency combinations (e.g., 4 Hz tACS, 8 Hz flicker vs 8 Hz tACS, 8 Hz flicker). We observed significant tACS modulation effects on BOLD responses when the tACS frequency matched the visual flicker frequency or the second harmonic frequency. The main effects were predominantly seen in regions that were activated by the visual task and targeted by the tACS current distribution. These findings bridge different scientific domains of tACS research and demonstrate that fMRI could localize the tACS effect on stimulus-induced brain rhythms, which could lead to a new approach for understanding the high-level cognitive process shaped by the ongoing oscillatory signal. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Ac electroosmotic flows above coplanar electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kweon Suh, Yong

    2009-03-01

    Interactive numerical method has been proposed to calculate the ac electroosmotic flows above a pair of coplanar electrodes. The thin electrical triple layer (ETL) has been modeled by an asymptotic theory developed by the authors. The model corresponds to a simple dynamic equation for the surface charge density representing the integrated charge over the inner layer. Interactive calculation of the dynamic equation and the Laplace equation for several periods of ac frequency then yielded steady-state distribution of potential and the potential drop across the Stern and inner layers. The Smoluchowski's slip velocity was then determined from those two set of data and used as the boundary condition for the calculation of the Stokes' flow above the electrodes. We have shown that our solutions compared well with the experimental data reported in the literature. We investigated the effect of various parameters on the slip velocity distribution, such as the ac frequency, the electrode length, the effective Stern-layer thickness and the adsorption coefficients.

  8. Optimal Operation of a Josephson Parametric Amplifier for Vacuum Squeezing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malnou, M.; Palken, D. A.; Vale, Leila R.; Hilton, Gene C.; Lehnert, K. W.

    2018-04-01

    A Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA) can create squeezed states of microwave light, lowering the noise associated with certain quantum measurements. We experimentally study how the JPA's pump influences the phase-sensitive amplification and deamplification of a coherent tone's amplitude when that amplitude is commensurate with vacuum fluctuations. We predict and demonstrate that, by operating the JPA with a single current pump whose power is greater than the value that maximizes gain, the amplifier distortion is reduced and, consequently, squeezing is improved. Optimizing the singly pumped JPA's operation in this fashion, we directly observe 3.87 ±0.03 dB of vacuum squeezing over a bandwidth of 30 MHz.

  9. External noise-induced transitions in a current-biased Josephson junction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Qiongwei; Xue, Changfeng, E-mail: cfxue@163.com; Tang, Jiashi

    We investigate noise-induced transitions in a current-biased and weakly damped Josephson junction in the presence of multiplicative noise. By using the stochastic averaging procedure, the averaged amplitude equation describing dynamic evolution near a constant phase difference is derived. Numerical results show that a stochastic Hopf bifurcation between an absorbing and an oscillatory state occurs. This means the external controllable noise triggers a transition into the non-zero junction voltage state. With the increase of noise intensity, the stationary probability distribution peak shifts and is characterised by increased width and reduced height. And the different transition rates are shown for large andmore » small bias currents.« less

  10. Unpaired Majorana modes in Josephson-Junction Arrays with gapless bulk excitations

    DOE PAGES

    Pino, M.; Tsvelik, A.; Ioffe, L. B.

    2015-11-06

    In this study, the search for Majorana bound states in solid-state physics has been limited to materials that display a gap in their bulk spectrum. We show that such unpaired states appear in certain quasi-one-dimensional Josephson-junction arrays with gapless bulk excitations. The bulk modes mediate a coupling between Majorana bound states via the Ruderman-Kittel-Yosida-Kasuya mechanism. As a consequence, the lowest energy doublet acquires a finite energy difference. For a realistic set of parameters this energy splitting remains much smaller than the energy of the bulk eigenstates even for short chains of length L~10.

  11. Symmetrical Josephson vortex interferometer as an advanced ballistic single-shot detector

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Soloviev, I. I., E-mail: isol@phys.msu.ru; Lukin Scientific Research Institute of Physical Problems, 124460 Zelenograd, Moscow; Laboratory of Cryogenic Nanoelectronics, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod

    2014-11-17

    We consider a ballistic detector formed in an interferometer manner which operational principle relies on Josephson vortex scattering at a measurement potential. We propose an approach to symmetrize the detector scheme and explore arising advantages in the signal-to-noise ratio and in the back-action on a measured object by means of recently presented numerical and analytical methods for modeling of a soliton scattering dynamics in the presence of thermal fluctuations. The obtained characteristics for experimentally relevant parameters reveal practical applicability of the considered schemes including possibility of coupling with standard digital rapid single flux quantum circuits.

  12. Low Offset AC Correlator.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    This patent describes a low offset AC correlator avoids DC offset and low frequency noise by frequency operating the correlation signal so that low...noise, low level AC amplification can be substituted for DC amplification. Subsequently, the high level AC signal is demodulated to a DC level. (Author)

  13. Chaotic Dynamics of a Josephson Junction with a Ratchet Potential and Current-Modulating Damping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Fei; Li, Wenwu; Xu, Lan

    2018-06-01

    The chaotic dynamics of a Josephson junction with a ratchet potential and current-modulating damping are studied. Under the first-order approximation, we construct the general solution of the first-order equation whose boundedness condition contains the famous Melnikov chaotic criterion. Based on the general solution, the incomputability and unpredictability of the system's chaotic behavior are discussed. For the case beyond perturbation conditions, the evolution of stroboscopic Poincaré sections shows that the system undergoes a quasi-periodic transition to chaos with an increasing intensity of the rf-current. Through a suitable feedback controlling strategy, the chaos can be effectively suppressed and the intensity of the controller can vary in a large range. It is also found that the current between the two separated superconductors increases monotonously in some specific parameter spaces.

  14. Chaotic Dynamics of a Josephson Junction with a Ratchet Potential and Current-Modulating Damping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Fei; Li, Wenwu; Xu, Lan

    2018-04-01

    The chaotic dynamics of a Josephson junction with a ratchet potential and current-modulating damping are studied. Under the first-order approximation, we construct the general solution of the first-order equation whose boundedness condition contains the famous Melnikov chaotic criterion. Based on the general solution, the incomputability and unpredictability of the system's chaotic behavior are discussed. For the case beyond perturbation conditions, the evolution of stroboscopic Poincaré sections shows that the system undergoes a quasi-periodic transition to chaos with an increasing intensity of the rf-current. Through a suitable feedback controlling strategy, the chaos can be effectively suppressed and the intensity of the controller can vary in a large range. It is also found that the current between the two separated superconductors increases monotonously in some specific parameter spaces.

  15. Nuclear structure of 231Ac

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boutami, R.; Borge, M. J. G.; Mach, H.; Kurcewicz, W.; Fraile, L. M.; Gulda, K.; Aas, A. J.; García-Raffi, L. M.; Løvhøiden, G.; Martínez, T.; Rubio, B.; Taín, J. L.; Tengblad, O.

    2008-10-01

    The low-energy structure of 231Ac has been investigated by means of γ ray spectroscopy following the β decay of 231Ra. Multipolarities of 28 transitions have been established by measuring conversion electrons with a MINI-ORANGE electron spectrometer. The decay scheme of 231Ra → 231Ac has been constructed for the first time. The Advanced Time Delayed βγγ(t) method has been used to measure the half-lives of five levels. The moderately fast B(E1) transition rates derived suggest that the octupole effects, albeit weak, are still present in this exotic nucleus.

  16. Effect of an ac Perturbation on the Electroosmotic Behavior of a Cation-Exchange Membrane. Influence of the Cation Nature.

    PubMed

    Barragán, V. M.; Bauzá, C. Ruíz

    2001-08-01

    The effect of an ac sinusoidal perturbation of known amplitude and frequency superimposed on the usual dc applied electric voltage difference on the electroosmotic flow through a typical cation-exchange membrane has been studied using different monovalent electrolytes. As a general trend, the presence of the ac perturbation increases the value of the electroosmotic flow with respect to the value in the absence of ac perturbation. A dispersion of the electroosmotic permeability on the frequency of the applied ac signal has been found for the three studied electrolytes, observing that the electroosmotic permeability reaches maximum values for some characteristic values of the frequency. This behavior may be related to the different relaxation processes in heterogeneous mediums. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

  17. Balanced double-loop mesoscopic interferometer based on Josephson proximity nanojunctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ronzani, Alberto, E-mail: alberto.ronzani@nano.cnr.it; Altimiras, Carles; Giazotto, Francesco

    We report on the fabrication and characterization of a two-terminal mesoscopic interferometer based on three V/Cu/V Josephson junctions having nanoscale cross-section. The junctions have been arranged in a double-ring geometry realized by metallic thin film deposition through a suspended mask defined by electron beam lithography. Although a significant amount of asymmetry between the critical current of each junction is observed, we show that the interferometer is able to suppress the supercurrent to a level lower than 6 parts per thousand, being here limited by measurement resolution. The present nano-device is suitable for low-temperature magnetometric and gradiometric measurements over the micrometricmore » scale.« less

  18. All-spinel oxide Josephson junctions for high-efficiency spin filtering.

    PubMed

    Mesoraca, S; Knudde, S; Leitao, D C; Cardoso, S; Blamire, M G

    2018-01-10

    Obtaining high efficiency spin filtering at room temperature using spinel ferromagnetic tunnel barriers has been hampered by the formation of antiphase boundaries due to their difference in lattice parameters between barrier and electrodes. In this work we demonstrate the use of LiTi 2 O 4 thin films as electrodes in an all-spinel oxide CoFe 2 O 4 -based spin filter devices. These structures show nearly perfect epitaxy maintained throughout the structure and so minimise the potential for APBs formation. The LiTi 2 O 4 in these devices is superconducting and so measurements at low temperature have been used to explore details of the tunnelling and Josephson junction behaviour.

  19. An investigation of the SNS Josephson junction as a three-terminal device. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meissner, H.; Prans, G. P.

    1973-01-01

    A particular phenomenon of the SNS Josephson junction was investigated; i.e., control by a current entering the normal region and leaving through one of the superconducting regions. The effect of the control current on the junction was found to be dependent upon the ration of the resistances of the two halves of the N layer. A low frequency, lumped, nonlinear model was proposed to describe the electrical characteristics of the device, and a method was developed to plot the dynamic junction resistance as a function of junction current. The effective thermal noise temperature of the sample was determined. Small signal linearized analysis of the device suggests its use as an impedance transformer, although geometric limitations must be overcome. Linear approximation indicates that it is reciprocal and no power gain is possible. It is felt that, with suitable metallurgical and geometrical improvements, the device has promise to become a superconducting transistor.

  20. Improved Tribological Performance of Amorphous Carbon (a-C) Coating by ZrO₂ Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Tang, Jinzhu; Ding, Qi; Zhang, Songwei; Wu, Guizhi; Hu, Litian

    2016-09-22

    Nanomaterials, such as Graphene, h-BN nanoparticles and MoS₂ nanotubes, have shown their ability in improving the tribological performance of amorphous carbon (a-C) coatings. In the current study, the effectiveness of ZrO₂ nanoparticles (ZrO₂-NPs) in lubricating the self-mated nonhydrogenated a-C contacts was investigated in boundary lubrication regime. The results showed that 13% less friction and 50% less wear compared to the base oil were achieved by employing ZrO₂-NPs in the base oil in self-mated a-C contacts. Via analyzing the ZrO₂-NPs and the worn a-C surface after tests, it was found that the improved lubrication by ZrO₂-NPs was based on "polishing effects", which is a new phenomenon observed between a-C and nanoparticles. Under the "polishing effect", micro-plateaus with extremely smooth surface and uniform height were produced on the analyzed a-C surface. The resulting topography of the a-C coating is suitable for ZrO₂-NPs to act as nano-bearings between rubbing surfaces. Especially, the ZrO₂-NPs exhibited excellent mechanical and chemical stability, even under the severe service condition, suggesting that the combination of nonhydrogenated a-C coating with ZrO₂-NPs is an effective, long lasting and environment-friendly lubrication solution.

  1. Graphene Josephson Junction Single Photon Detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walsh, Evan D.; Lee, Gil-Ho; Efetov, Dmitri K.; Heuck, Mikkel; Crossno, Jesse; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Ohki, Thomas A.; Kim, Philip; Englund, Dirk; Fong, Kin Chung

    Single photon detectors (SPDs) have found use across a wide array of applications depending on the wavelength to which they are sensitive. Graphene, because of its linear, gapless dispersion near the Dirac point, has a flat, wide bandwidth absorption that can be enhanced to near 100 % through the use of resonant structures making it a promising candidate for broadband SPDs. Upon absorbing a photon in the optical to mid-infrared range, a small (~10 μm2) sheet of graphene at cryogenic temperatures can experience a significant increase in electronic temperature due to its extremely low heat capacity. At 1550 nm, for example, calculations show that the temperature could rise by as much as 500 %. This temperature increase could be detected with near perfect quantum efficiency by making the graphene the weak link in a Josephson junction (JJ). We present a theoretical model demonstrating that such a graphene JJ SPD could operate at the readily achievable temperature of 3 K with near zero dark count, sub-50 ps timing jitter, and sub-5 ns dead time and report on the progress toward experimentally realizing the device.

  2. Circulation and Directional Amplification in the Josephson Parametric Converter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatridge, Michael

    Nonreciprocal transport and directional amplification of weak microwave signals are fundamental ingredients in performing efficient measurements of quantum states of flying microwave light. This challenge has been partly met, as quantum-limited amplification is now regularly achieved with parametrically-driven, Josephson-junction based superconducting circuits. However, these devices are typically non-directional, requiring external circulators to separate incoming and outgoing signals. Recently this limitation has been overcome by several proposals and experimental realizations of both directional amplifiers and circulators based on interference between several parametric processes in a single device. This new class of multi-parametrically driven devices holds the promise of achieving a variety of desirable characteristics simultaneously- directionality, reduced gain-bandwidth constraints and quantum-limited added noise, and are good candidates for on-chip integration with other superconducting circuits such as qubits.

  3. High-performance passive microwave survey on Josephson junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Denisov, A.G.; Radzikhovsky, V.N.; Kudeliya, A.M.

    1994-12-31

    The quasi-optical generations of image of objects with their internal structure in millimeter (MM) and submillimeter (SMM) bands is one of the prime problems of modern radioelectronics. The main advantage of passive MM imaging systems in comparison with visible and infrared (IR) systems is small attenuation of signals in fog, cloud, smoke, dust and other obscurants. However at a panoramic scanning of space the observation time lengthens and thereby the information processing rate becomes restricted. So that single-channel system cannot image in real time. Therefore we must use many radiometers in parallel to reduce the observation time. Such system mustmore » contain receiving sensors as pixels in multibeam antenna. The use of Josephson Junctions (JJ) for this purpose together with the cryoelectronic devices like GaAs FET or SQUIDS for signal amplifications after JJ is of particular interest in this case.« less

  4. FLUIDIC AC AMPLIFIERS.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    Several fluidic tuned AC Amplifiers were designed and tested. Interstage tuning and feedback designs are considered. Good results were obtained...corresponding Q’s as high as 12. Element designs and test results of one, two, and three stage amplifiers are presented. AC Modulated Carrier Systems

  5. Electrical quantum standards and their role in the SI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, Ian; Georgakopoulos, Dimitrios

    2012-12-01

    power of the rf irradiation, or both, do not change the voltage). The value of this quantized Josephson voltage is equal to nfh/2e, where n is the quantum step of the current-voltage characteristic curve. In this special feature there are three papers on dc Josephson voltage standards. Solve and Stock review the programme conducted by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) to perform on-site comparisons of Josephson voltage standards, and give a comprehensive analysis of the possible sources of errors of such comparisons. Behr et al summarize the developments of Josephson voltage standards at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and their applications in dc voltage and other areas of metrology. Finally, Georgakopoulos et al report a reduction, by a factor of a thousand, in the smallest voltage that can be generated by dc Josephson voltage standards. Although dc voltage standards are well established, significant challenges exist when extending this extremely precise technology to ac. There are two approaches to producing accurate ac voltages using the inverse Josephson effect: the programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) and the pulse-driven ac voltage standard. The PJVS contains an array of Josephson junctions, organized into independently biased segments. By biasing chosen, binary-related, segments on the first quantum step (positive or negative) or zero, the array can be made to behave as a quantum digital to analogue converter. The PJVS approach can produce stepwise approximated sine waves with rms values of some volts, but it suffers from parasitic capacitances and inductances distributed in the different parts of the system and, more importantly, the voltage is not quantized during the finite transition time between successive voltage levels. Hence the output frequency of PJVS-based systems is limited to a few kilohertz. In this special feature, Jeanneret et al review the Josephson locked synthesizer, a PJVS-based system where the effect

  6. Effects of Activated Carbon Surface Property on Structure and Activity of Ru/AC Catalysts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, S. K.; Li, L. M.; Guo, N. N.

    2018-05-01

    The activated carbon (AC) was modified by supercritical (SC) methanol, HNO3 oxidation, or HNO3 oxidation plus SC methanol, respectively. Then, the original and the modified AC were used as supports for Ru/AC catalysts prepared via the impregnation method. The results showed that the SC methanol modification decreased the content of surface acidic groups of AC. While HNO3 oxidation displayed the opposite behavior. Furthermore, the dispersion of ruthenium and the activity of catalysts were highly dependent on the content of surface acidic groups, and the SC methanol modified sample exhibited the highest activity for hydrogenation of glucose.

  7. Synchronization of a Josephson junction array in terms of global variables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vlasov, Vladimir; Pikovsky, Arkady

    2013-08-01

    We consider an array of Josephson junctions with a common LCR load. Application of the Watanabe-Strogatz approach [Physica DPDNPDT0167-278910.1016/0167-2789(94)90196-1 74, 197 (1994)] allows us to formulate the dynamics of the array via the global variables only. For identical junctions this is a finite set of equations, analysis of which reveals the regions of bistability of the synchronous and asynchronous states. For disordered arrays with distributed parameters of the junctions, the problem is formulated as an integro-differential equation for the global variables; here stability of the asynchronous states and the properties of the transition synchrony-asynchrony are established numerically.

  8. Particle Line Assembly/Patterning by Microfluidic AC Electroosmosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lian, Meng; Islam, Nazmul; Wu, Jie

    2006-04-01

    Recently AC electroosmosis has attracted research interests worldwide. This paper is the first to investigate particle line assembly/patterning by AC electroosmosis. Since AC electroosmotic force has no dependence on particle sizes, this technique is particularly useful for manipulating nanoscale substance, and hopefully constructs functional nanoscale devices. Two types of ACEO devices, in the configurations of planar interdigitated electrodes and parallel plate electrodes, and a biased ACEO technique are studied, which provides added flexibility in particle manipulation and line assembly. The paper also investigates the effects of electrical field distributions on generating microflows for particle assembly. The results are corroborated experimentally.

  9. Development of a hardware-based AC microgrid for AC stability assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swanson, Robert R.

    As more power electronic-based devices enable the development of high-bandwidth AC microgrids, the topic of microgrid power distribution stability has become of increased interest. Recently, researchers have proposed a relatively straightforward method to assess the stability of AC systems based upon the time-constants of sources, the net bus capacitance, and the rate limits of sources. In this research, a focus has been to develop a hardware test system to evaluate AC system stability. As a first step, a time domain model of a two converter microgrid was established in which a three phase inverter acts as a power source and an active rectifier serves as an adjustable constant power AC load. The constant power load can be utilized to create rapid power flow transients to the generating system. As a second step, the inverter and active rectifier were designed using a Smart Power Module IGBT for switching and an embedded microcontroller as a processor for algorithm implementation. The inverter and active rectifier were designed to operate simultaneously using a synchronization signal to ensure each respective local controller operates in a common reference frame. Finally, the physical system was created and initial testing performed to validate the hardware functionality as a variable amplitude and variable frequency AC system.

  10. Suppression and enhancement of decoherence in an atomic Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Japha, Yonathan; Zhou, Shuyu; Keil, Mark; Folman, Ron; Henkel, Carsten; Vardi, Amichay

    2016-05-01

    We investigate the role of interatomic interactions when a Bose gas, in a double-well potential with a finite tunneling probability (a ‘Bose-Josephson junction’), is exposed to external noise. We examine the rate of decoherence of a system initially in its ground state with equal probability amplitudes in both sites. The noise may induce two kinds of effects: firstly, random shifts in the relative phase or number difference between the two wells and secondly, loss of atoms from the trap. The effects of induced phase fluctuations are mitigated by atom-atom interactions and tunneling, such that the dephasing rate may be suppressed by half its single-atom value. Random fluctuations may also be induced in the population difference between the wells, in which case atom-atom interactions considerably enhance the decoherence rate. A similar scenario is predicted for the case of atom loss, even if the loss rates from the two sites are equal. We find that if the initial state is number-squeezed due to interactions, then the loss process induces population fluctuations that reduce the coherence across the junction. We examine the parameters relevant for these effects in a typical atom chip device, using a simple model of the trapping potential, experimental data, and the theory of magnetic field fluctuations near metallic conductors. These results provide a framework for mapping the dynamical range of barriers engineered for specific applications and set the stage for more complex atom circuits (‘atomtronics’).

  11. A Case Study of Wind-PV-Thermal-Bundled AC/DC Power Transmission from a Weak AC Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, H. W.; Du, W. J.; Wang, H. F.; Song, Y. T.; Wang, Q.; Ding, J.; Chen, D. Z.; Wei, W.

    2017-05-01

    Wind power generation and photovoltaic (PV) power generation bundled with the support by conventional thermal generation enables the generation controllable and more suitable for being sent over to remote load centre which are beneficial for the stability of weak sending end systems. Meanwhile, HVDC for long-distance power transmission is of many significant technique advantages. Hence the effects of wind-PV-thermal-bundled power transmission by AC/DC on power system have become an actively pursued research subject recently. Firstly, this paper introduces the technical merits and difficulties of wind-photovoltaic-thermal bundled power transmission by AC/DC systems in terms of meeting the requirement of large-scale renewable power transmission. Secondly, a system model which contains a weak wind-PV-thermal-bundled sending end system and a receiving end system in together with a parallel AC/DC interconnection transmission system is established. Finally, the significant impacts of several factors which includes the power transmission ratio between the DC and AC line, the distance between the sending end system and receiving end system, the penetration rate of wind power and the sending end system structure on system stability are studied.

  12. The Effect of a Shear Flow on the Uptake of LDL and Ac-LDL by Cultured Vascular Endothelial Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niwa, Koichi; Karino, Takeshi

    The effects of a shear flow on the uptake of fluorescence-labeled low-density lipoprotein (DiI-LDL), acetylated LDL (DiI-Ac-LDL), and lucifer yellow (LY; a tracer of fluid-phase endocytosis) by cultured bovine aortic ECs were studied using a rotating-disk shearing apparatus. It was found that 2hours’ exposure of ECs to a laminar shear flow that imposed ECs an area-mean shear stress of 10dynes/cm2 caused an increase in the uptake of DiI-LDL and LY. By contrast, the uptake of DiI-Ac-LDL was decreased by exposure of the ECs to a shear flow. Addition of dextran sulfate (DS), a competitive inhibitor of scavenger receptors, reversed the effect of a shear flow on the uptake of DiI-Ac-LDL, resulting in an increase by the imposition of a shear flow, while the uptake of DiI-LDL and LY remained unaffected. It was concluded that a shear flow promotes the endocytosis of DiI-LDL and LY by ECs, but suppresses the uptake of DiI-Ac-LDL by ECs by inhibiting scavenger receptor-mediated endocytosis.

  13. Effects of Kaolin Clay on the Mechanical Properties of Asphaltic Concrete AC14

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdullah, M. E.; Ramadhansyah, P. J.; Rafsanjani, M. H.; Norhidayah, A. H.; Yaacob, H.; Hainin, M. R.; Warid, M. N. Mohd; Satar, M. K. I. Mohd; Aziz, Md Maniruzzaman A.; Mashros, N.

    2018-04-01

    This study investigated the effect of kaolin clay on the mechanical properties of asphaltic concrete AC14 through Marshall Stability, resilient modulus, and dynamic creep tests. Four replacement levels of kaolin clay (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight of the binder) were considered. Kaolin clay functioned as an effective filler replacement material to increase the mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures. Asphaltic concrete with 2% to 4% kaolin clay replacement level exhibited excellent performance with good stability, resilient modulus, and creep stiffness.

  14. Effects of guaifenesin, N-acetylcysteine, and ambroxol on MUC5AC and mucociliary transport in primary differentiated human tracheal-bronchial cells.

    PubMed

    Seagrave, Jeanclare; Albrecht, Helmut H; Hill, David B; Rogers, Duncan F; Solomon, Gail

    2012-10-31

    Therapeutic intervention in the pathophysiology of airway mucus hypersecretion is clinically important. Several types of drugs are available with different possible modes of action. We examined the effects of guaifenesin (GGE), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ambroxol (Amb) on differentiated human airway epithelial cells stimulated with IL-13 to produce additional MUC5AC. After IL-13 pre-treatment (3 days), the cultures were treated with GGE, NAC or Amb (10-300 μM) in the continued presence of IL-13. Cellular and secreted MUC5AC, mucociliary transport rates (MTR), mucus rheology at several time points, and the antioxidant capacity of the drugs were assessed. IL-13 increased MUC5AC content (~25%) and secretion (~2-fold) and decreased MTR, but only slightly affected the G' (elastic) or G" (viscous) moduli of the secretions. GGE significantly inhibited MUC5AC secretion and content in the IL-13-treated cells in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50s at 24 hr ~100 and 150 μM, respectively). NAC or Amb were less effective. All drugs increased MTR and decreased G' and G" relative to IL-13 alone. Cell viability was not affected and only NAC exhibited antioxidant capacity. Thus, GGE effectively reduces cellular content and secretion of MUC5AC, increases MTR, and alters mucus rheology, and may therefore be useful in treating airway mucus hypersecretion and mucostasis in airway diseases.

  15. From Beamline to Scanner with 225Ac

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robertson, Andrew K. H.; Ramogida, Caterina F.; Kunz, Peter; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Cristina; Schaffer, Paul; Sossi, Vesna

    2016-09-01

    Due to the high linear energy transfer and short range of alpha-radiation, targeted radiation therapy using alpha-emitting pharmaceuticals that successfully target small disease clusters will kill target cells with limited harm to healthy tissue, potentially treating the most aggressive forms of cancer. As the parent of a decay chain with four alpha- and two beta-decays, 225Ac is a promising candidate for such a treatment. However, this requires retention of the entire decay chain at the target site, preventing the creation of freely circulating alpha-emitters that reduce therapeutic effect and increase toxicity to non-target tissues. Two major challenges to 225Ac pharmaceutical development exist: insufficient global supply, and the difficulty of preventing toxicity by retaining the entire decay chain at the target site. While TRIUMF works towards large-scale (C i amounts) production of 225Ac, we already use our Isotope Separation On-Line facility to provide small (< 1 mCi) quantities for in-house chemistry and imaging research that aims to improve and assess 225Ac radiopharmaceutical targeting. This presentation provides an overview of this research program and the journey of 225Ac from the beamline to the scanner. This research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

  16. [Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of recalcitrant organic compounds].

    PubMed

    Wang, Jian-Bing; Hou, Shao-Pei; Zhou, Yun-Rui; Zhu, Wan-Peng; He, Xu-Wen

    2009-09-15

    Ozonation and Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), phenols and disinfection by-products precursors were studied. It shows that Ru/AC catalyst can obviously enhance the mineralization of organic compounds. In the degradation of DMP, TOC removal was 28.84% by ozonation alone while it was 66.13% by catalytic ozonation. In the oxidation of 23 kinds of phenols, TOC removals were 9.57%-56.08% by ozonation alone while they were 41.81%-82.32% by catalytic ozonation. Compared to ozonation alone, Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation was more effective for the reduction of disinfection by-products formation potentials in source water. The reduction of haloacetic acids formation potentials was more obvious than thichlomethane formation potentials. After the treatment by catalytic ozonation, the haloacetic acids formation potentials decreased from 144.02 microg/L to 58.50 microg/L, which was below the standard value of EPA. However ozonation alone could not make it reach the standard. The treatments of source water by BAC, O3 + BAC, O3/AC + BAC and Ru/AC + O3 + BAC were also studied. In the four processes, TOC removal was 3.80%, 20.14%, 27.45% and 48.30% respectively, COD removal was 4.37%, 27.22%, 39.91% and 50.00% respectively, UV254 removal was 8.16%, 62.24%, 67.03% and 84.95% respectively. Ru/AC + O3 + BAC process is more effective than the other processes for the removal of TOC, COD and UV254 and no ruthenium leaching observed in the solution. It is a promising process for the treatment of micro polluted source water.

  17. Performance trends of rehabilitated AC pavements

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-10-01

    The General Pavement Study (GPS) 6 experiment, "AC Overlay of AC Pavements," involves pavement test sections where an asphalt concrete (AC) overlay was placed on an existing AC pavement. This TechBrief summarizes the results of a study of the GPS-6 e...

  18. Phase and vortex correlations in superconducting Josephson-junction arrays at irrational magnetic frustration.

    PubMed

    Granato, Enzo

    2008-07-11

    Phase coherence and vortex order in a Josephson-junction array at irrational frustration are studied by extensive Monte Carlo simulations using the parallel-tempering method. A scaling analysis of the correlation length of phase variables in the full equilibrated system shows that the critical temperature vanishes with a power-law divergent correlation length and critical exponent nuph, in agreement with recent results from resistivity scaling analysis. A similar scaling analysis for vortex variables reveals a different critical exponent nuv, suggesting that there are two distinct correlation lengths associated with a decoupled zero-temperature phase transition.

  19. Maximizing entanglement in bosonic Josephson junctions using shortcuts to adiabaticity and optimal control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stefanatos, Dionisis; Paspalakis, Emmanuel

    2018-05-01

    In this article we consider a bosonic Josephson junction, a model system composed by two coupled nonlinear quantum oscillators which can be implemented in various physical contexts, initially prepared in a product of weakly populated coherent states. We quantify the maximum achievable entanglement between the modes of the junction and then use shortcuts to adiabaticity, a method developed to speed up adiabatic quantum dynamics, as well as numerical optimization, to find time-dependent controls (the nonlinearity and the coupling of the junction) which bring the system to a maximally entangled state.

  20. Direct DC 10 V comparison between two programmable Josephson voltage standards made of niobium nitride (NbN)-based and niobium (Nb)-based Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solve, S.; Chayramy, R.; Maruyama, M.; Urano, C.; Kaneko, N.-H.; Rüfenacht, A.

    2018-04-01

    BIPM’s new transportable programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) has been used for an on-site comparison at the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (NMIJ/AIST, hereafter called just NMIJ unless otherwise noted). This is the first time that an array of niobium-based Josephson junctions with amorphous niobium silicon Nb x Si1-x barriers, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology4 (NIST), has been directly compared to an array of niobium nitride (NbN)-based junctions (developed by the NMIJ in collaboration with the Nanoelectronics Research Institute (NeRI), AIST). Nominally identical voltages produced by both systems agreed within 5 parts in 1012 (0.05 nV at 10 V) with a combined relative uncertainty of 7.9  ×  10-11 (0.79 nV). The low side of the NMIJ apparatus is, by design, referred to the ground potential. An analysis of the systematic errors due to the leakage current to ground was conducted for this ground configuration. The influence of a multi-stage low-pass filter installed at the output measurement leads of the NMIJ primary standard was also investigated. The number of capacitances in parallel in the filter and their insulation resistance have a direct impact on the amplitude of the systematic voltage error introduced by the leakage current, even if the current does not necessarily return to ground. The filtering of the output of the PJVS voltage leads has the positive consequence of protecting the array from external sources of noise. Current noise, when coupled to the array, reduces the width or current range of the quantized voltage steps. The voltage error induced by the leakage current in the filter is an order of magnitude larger than the voltage error in the absence of all filtering, even though the current range of steps is significantly decreased without filtering.

  1. Multi-path interferometric Josephson directional amplifier for qubit readout

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdo, Baleegh; Bronn, Nicholas T.; Jinka, Oblesh; Olivadese, Salvatore; Brink, Markus; Chow, Jerry M.

    2018-04-01

    We realize and characterize a quantum-limited, directional Josephson amplifier suitable for qubit readout. The device consists of two nondegenerate, three-wave-mixing amplifiers that are coupled together in an interferometric scheme, embedded in a printed circuit board. Nonreciprocity is generated by applying a phase gradient between the same-frequency pumps feeding the device, which plays the role of the magnetic field in a Faraday medium. Directional amplification and reflection-gain elimination are induced via wave interference between multiple paths in the system. We measure and discuss the main figures of merit of the device and show that the experimental results are in good agreement with theory. An improved version of this directional amplifier is expected to eliminate the need for bulky, off-chip isolation stages that generally separate quantum systems and preamplifiers in high-fidelity, quantum-nondemolition measurement setups.

  2. Estimating BrAC from transdermal alcohol concentration data using the BrAC estimator software program.

    PubMed

    Luczak, Susan E; Rosen, I Gary

    2014-08-01

    Transdermal alcohol sensor (TAS) devices have the potential to allow researchers and clinicians to unobtrusively collect naturalistic drinking data for weeks at a time, but the transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) data these devices produce do not consistently correspond with breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) data. We present and test the BrAC Estimator software, a program designed to produce individualized estimates of BrAC from TAC data by fitting mathematical models to a specific person wearing a specific TAS device. Two TAS devices were worn simultaneously by 1 participant for 18 days. The trial began with a laboratory alcohol session to calibrate the model and was followed by a field trial with 10 drinking episodes. Model parameter estimates and fit indices were compared across drinking episodes to examine the calibration phase of the software. Software-generated estimates of peak BrAC, time of peak BrAC, and area under the BrAC curve were compared with breath analyzer data to examine the estimation phase of the software. In this single-subject design with breath analyzer peak BrAC scores ranging from 0.013 to 0.057, the software created consistent models for the 2 TAS devices, despite differences in raw TAC data, and was able to compensate for the attenuation of peak BrAC and latency of the time of peak BrAC that are typically observed in TAC data. This software program represents an important initial step for making it possible for non mathematician researchers and clinicians to obtain estimates of BrAC from TAC data in naturalistic drinking environments. Future research with more participants and greater variation in alcohol consumption levels and patterns, as well as examination of gain scheduling calibration procedures and nonlinear models of diffusion, will help to determine how precise these software models can become. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  3. Performance of McRAS-AC in the GEOS-5 AGCM: Part 1, Aerosol-Activated Cloud Microphysics, Precipitation, Radiative Effects, and Circulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sud, Y. C.; Lee, D.; Oreopoulos, L.; Barahona, D.; Nenes, A.; Suarez, M. J.

    2012-01-01

    A revised version of the Microphysics of clouds with Relaxed Arakawa-Schubert and Aerosol-Cloud interaction (McRAS-AC), including, among others, the Barahona and Nenes ice nucleation parameterization, is implemented in the GEOS-5 AGCM. Various fields from a 10-year long integration of the AGCM with McRAS-AC were compared with their counterparts from an integration of the baseline GEOS-5 AGCM, and with satellite data as observations. Generally using McRAS-AC reduced biases in cloud fields and cloud radiative effects are much better over most of the regions of the Earth. Two weaknesses are identified in the McRAS-AC runs, namely, too few cloud particles around 40S-60S, and too high cloud water path during northern hemisphere summer over the Gulf Stream and North Pacific. Sensitivity analyses showed that these biases potentially originated from biases in the aerosol input. The first bias is largely eliminated in a sensitivity test using 50% smaller aerosol particles, while the second bias is much reduced when interactive aerosol chemistry was turned on. The main drawback of McRAS-AC is dearth of low-level marine stratus clouds, probably due to lack of dry-convection, not yet implemented into the cloud scheme. Despite these biases, McRAS-AC does simulate realistic clouds and their optical properties that can improve with better aerosol-input and thereby has the potential to be a valuable tool for climate modeling research because of its aerosol indirect effect simulation capabilities involving prediction of cloud particle number concentration and effective particle size for both convective and stratiform clouds is quite realistic.

  4. Comparison of Short-Term Effects of Diquafosol and Rebamipide on Mucin 5AC Level on the Rabbit Ocular Surface.

    PubMed

    Hori, Yuichi; Kageyama, Tomofumi; Sakamoto, Asuka; Shiba, Tomoaki; Nakamura, Masatsugu; Maeno, Takatoshi

    To investigate the short-term effects of 2 new secretagogue eye drops for dry eye, 3% diquafosol tetrasodium ophthalmic solution (diquafosol) and 2% rebamipide ophthalmic suspension (rebamipide), on the concentration of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) in rabbit tear fluid and conjunctival goblet cells. One dose of artificial tears, diquafosol or rebamipide, was instilled into 8 eyes of Japanese white rabbits. MUC5AC concentration in the tear fluid was examined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 15 min after instillation and compared with 8 untreated controls. Impression cytology was performed to measure the number of periodic acid Schiff (PAS)-positive cells and the ratio of the PAS-positive area using image analysis software. Statistical comparison was performed using ANOVA with post hoc analysis with the Tukey's test. After 15 min, only diquafosol significantly (P ≤ 0.01) increased the MUC5AC level in the tear fluid. Although no drug affected the number of PAS-positive cells, the ratio of the PAS-positive area decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.01) only in the diquafosol group. These data indicated that more PAS-positive MUC5AC was released into the tear fluid from the goblet cells by diquafosol than by rebamipide. There is a difference in the induction pattern of MUC5AC into the tears from the goblet cells between these eye drops.

  5. Comparison of the Josephson Voltage Standards of the NIMT and the BIPM (part of the ongoing BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K10.b)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solve, S.; Chayramy, R.; Stock, M.; Pimsut, S.; Rujirat, N.

    2016-01-01

    A comparison of the Josephson array voltage standards of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) and the National Institute of Metrology - (Thailand), NIMT, was carried out in November 2015 at the level of 10 V. For this exercise, options A and B of the BIPM.EM-K10.b comparison protocol were applied. Option B required the BIPM to provide a reference voltage for measurement by the NIMT using its Josephson standard with its own measuring device. Option A required the NIMT to provide a reference voltage with its Josephson voltage standard for measurement by the BIPM using an analogue nanovoltmeter and associated measurement loop. In all cases the BIPM array was kept floating from ground. The final results were in good agreement within the combined relative standard uncertainty of 2.6 parts in 1010 for the nominal voltage of 10 V. Main text To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCEM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

  6. AC/RC Force Integration

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-05-01

    ib qeocie. Thki document may not be rdeaed for open publicado. untit hu been deared by die appropriate military seavice or a veunent agency. AC /RC...A N/A N/A 11. TITLE (Include Security Classification) AC /RC Force Structure Integraticn 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Russell A. Eggers 13a. TYPE OF REPORT... AC ) and Reserve Components (RC) Force Integration is critical in today’s Total Army. The Army of soldiers, Active and Reserve, exists to play a key

  7. Macroscopic Quantum Phase-Locking Model for the Quantum Hall = Effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Te-Chun; Gou, Yih-Shun

    1997-08-01

    A macroscopic model of nonlinear dissipative phase-locking between a Josephson-like frequency and a macroscopic electron wave frequency is proposed to explain the Quantum Hall Effect. It is well known that a r.f-biased Josephson junction displays a collective phase-locking behavior which can be described by a non-autonomous second order equation or an equivalent 2+1-dimensional dynamical system. Making a direct analogy between the QHE and the Josephson system, this report proposes a computer-solving nonlinear dynamical model for the quantization of the Hall resistance. In this model, the Hall voltage is assumed to be proportional to a Josephson-like frequency and the Hall current is assumed related to a coherent electron wave frequency. The Hall resistance is shown to be quantized in units of the fine structure constant as the ratio of these two frequencies are locked into a rational winding number. To explain the sample-width dependence of the critical current, the 2DEG under large applied current is further assumed to develop a Josephson-like junction array in which all Josephson-like frequencies are synchronized. Other remarkable features of the QHE such as the resistance fluctuation and the even-denominator states are also discussed within this picture.

  8. Current-voltage scaling of a Josephson-junction array at irrational frustration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Granato, E.

    1996-10-01

    Numerical simulations of the current-voltage characteristics of an ordered two-dimensional Josephson-junction array at an irrational flux quantum per plaquette are presented. The results are consistent with a scaling analysis that assumes a zero-temperature vortex-glass transition. The thermal-correlation length exponent characterizing this transition is found to be significantly different from the corresponding value for vortex-glass models in disordered two-dimensional superconductors. This leads to a current scale where nonlinearities appear in the current-voltage characteristics decreasing with temperature {ital T} roughly as {ital T}{sup 2} in contrast with the {ital T}{sup 3} behavior expected for disordered models. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physicalmore » Society.}« less

  9. Voltage noise of current-driven vortices in disordered Josephson junction arrays.

    PubMed

    He, G L; Zhao, Z G; Liu, S; Yang, Y H; Liu, M; Xing, D Y

    2006-08-16

    Dynamical phenomena of moving vortices and voltage noise spectra are studied in disordered Josephson junction arrays (JJAs). The plastic motion of vortices, smectic flow, and moving Bragg glass phases are separated by two dynamic melting transitions driven by current. From the voltage noise spectra of moving vortices, it is found that the driving current plays an important role in the melting of pinning vortices glass and ordering of moving vortices. The features of noise spectra obtained in the disordered JJA model have been observed recently in the high-temperature superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(y) near the first-order melting transition, indicating that both of them are related to each other.

  10. Characterizing fiber-reinforced composite structures using AC-impedance spectroscopy (AC-IS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woo, Leta Y.

    Property enhancement in composites depends largely on the reinforcement. For fiber-reinforced composites, the distribution of fibers is crucial in determining the electrical and mechanical performance. Image analysis methods for characterization can be time-consuming and/or destructive. This work explores the capability of AC-impedance spectroscopy (AC-IS), an electrical measurement technique, to serve as a rapid, non-destructive tool for characterizing composite microstructure. The composite requirements include a filler that is electrically conducting or semi-conducting with higher conductivity than the matrix, and a high-impedance interface or coating between the filler and the matrix. To establish an AC-IS characterization method, cement-matrix composites with steel reinforcement were employed as both a technologically important and a model system to investigate how fibers affect the electrical response. Beginning with spherical particulates and then fibers, composites were examined using composite theory and an "intrinsic conductivity" approach. The intrinsic conductivity approach applies to composites with low volume fractions of fibers (i.e., in the dilute regime) and relates how the composite conductivity varies relative to the matrix as a function of volume fraction. A universal equivalent circuit model was created to understand the AC-IS response of composites based on the geometry and volume fraction of the filler. Deviation from predicted behavior was assessed using a developed f-function, which quantifies how fibers contribute to the overall electrical response of the composite. Using the f-function, an AC-IS method for investigating fiber dispersion was established to characterize alignment, settling/segregation, and aggregation. Alignment was investigated using measurements made in three directions. A point-probe technique characterized settling and/or large-scale inhomogeneous mixing in samples. Aggregation was quantified using a "dispersion factor

  11. Effects of guaifenesin, N-acetylcysteine, and ambroxol on MUC5AC and mucociliary transport in primary differentiated human tracheal-bronchial cells

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Therapeutic intervention in the pathophysiology of airway mucus hypersecretion is clinically important. Several types of drugs are available with different possible modes of action. We examined the effects of guaifenesin (GGE), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ambroxol (Amb) on differentiated human airway epithelial cells stimulated with IL-13 to produce additional MUC5AC. Methods After IL-13 pre-treatment (3 days), the cultures were treated with GGE, NAC or Amb (10–300 μM) in the continued presence of IL-13. Cellular and secreted MUC5AC, mucociliary transport rates (MTR), mucus rheology at several time points, and the antioxidant capacity of the drugs were assessed. Results IL-13 increased MUC5AC content (~25%) and secretion (~2-fold) and decreased MTR, but only slightly affected the G’ (elastic) or G” (viscous) moduli of the secretions. GGE significantly inhibited MUC5AC secretion and content in the IL-13-treated cells in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50s at 24 hr ~100 and 150 μM, respectively). NAC or Amb were less effective. All drugs increased MTR and decreased G’ and G” relative to IL-13 alone. Cell viability was not affected and only NAC exhibited antioxidant capacity. Conclusions Thus, GGE effectively reduces cellular content and secretion of MUC5AC, increases MTR, and alters mucus rheology, and may therefore be useful in treating airway mucus hypersecretion and mucostasis in airway diseases. PMID:23113953

  12. Modeling and Correcting the Time-Dependent ACS PSF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rhodes, Jason; Massey, Richard; Albert, Justin; Taylor, James E.; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Leauthaud, Alexie

    2006-01-01

    The ability to accurately measure the shapes of faint objects in images taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) depends upon detailed knowledge of the Point Spread Function (PSF). We show that thermal fluctuations cause the PSF of the ACS Wide Field Camera (WFC) to vary over time. We describe a modified version of the TinyTim PSF modeling software to create artificial grids of stars across the ACS field of view at a range of telescope focus values. These models closely resemble the stars in real ACS images. Using 10 bright stars in a real image, we have been able to measure HST s apparent focus at the time of the exposure. TinyTim can then be used to model the PSF at any position on the ACS field of view. This obviates the need for images of dense stellar fields at different focus values, or interpolation between the few observed stars. We show that residual differences between our TinyTim models and real data are likely due to the effects of Charge Transfer Efficiency (CTE) degradation. Furthermore, we discuss stochastic noise that is added to the shape of point sources when distortion is removed, and we present MultiDrizzle parameters that are optimal for weak lensing science. Specifically, we find that reducing the MultiDrizzle output pixel scale and choosing a Gaussian kernel significantly stabilizes the resulting PSF after image combination, while still eliminating cosmic rays/bad pixels, and correcting the large geometric distortion in the ACS. We discuss future plans, which include more detailed study of the effects of CTE degradation on object shapes and releasing our TinyTim models to the astronomical community.

  13. AC electrothermal technique in microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salari, Alinaghi; Navi, Maryam; Dalton, Colin

    2017-02-01

    Electrokinetic techniques have a wide range of applications in droplet, particle, and fluid manipulation systems. In general, they can be categorized into different subgroups including electroosmosis, electrothermal, electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis, etc. The AC electrothermal (ACET) technique has been shown to be very effective in applications which involve high conductivity fluids, such as blood, which are typically used in biomedical applications. In the past few years, the ACET effect has received considerable attention. Unlike AC electroosmosis (ACEO), the ACET effect shows plateaus in force in a wide frequency range. In other words, with electrothermal force, velocity is more steady and predictable at different frequencies, compared to ACEO and dielectrophoresis (DEP). Although electrothermal microflows form as a result of Joule heating in the fluid, due to high conduction of heat to the ambience, the temperature rise in the fluid is not so high as to threaten the nature of the biofluids. The average temperature rise resulting from the ACET effect is below 5 °K. In order to generate high strength AC electric fields, microfabricated electrode arrays are commonly used in microchannels. For pumping applications, it is essential to create asymmetry in the electric field, typically by having asymmetrical electrode pairs. There is no defined border between many electrokinetic techniques, and as such the point where electrothermal processes interferes with other electrokinetic techniques is not clear in the literature. In addition, there have been comprehensive reviews on micropumps, electrokinetics, and their subcategories, but the literature lacks a detailed up-to-date review on electrothermal microdevices. In this paper, a brief review is made specifically on electric fields in ACET devices, in order to provide an insight for the reader about the importance of this aspect of ACET devices and the improvements made to date.

  14. Variability metrics in Josephson Junction fabrication for Quantum Computing circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenblatt, Sami; Hertzberg, Jared; Brink, Markus; Chow, Jerry; Gambetta, Jay; Leng, Zhaoqi; Houck, Andrew; Nelson, J. J.; Plourde, Britton; Wu, Xian; Lake, Russell; Shainline, Jeff; Pappas, David; Patel, Umeshkumar; McDermott, Robert

    Multi-qubit gates depend on the relative frequencies of the qubits. To reliably build multi-qubit devices therefore requires careful fabrication of Josephson junctions in order to precisely set their critical currents. The Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation between tunnel conductance and critical current implies a correlation between qubit frequency spread and tunnel junction resistance spread. Here we discuss measurement of large numbers of tunnel junctions to assess these resistance spreads, which can exceed 5% of mean resistance. With the goal of minimizing these spreads, we investigate process parameters such as lithographic junction area, evaporation and masking scheme, oxidation conditions, and substrate choice, as well as test environment, design and setup. In addition, trends of junction resistance with temperature are compared with theoretical models for further insights into process and test variability.

  15. Cadmium-induced ethylene production and responses in Arabidopsis thaliana rely on ACS2 and ACS6 gene expression

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Anthropogenic activities cause metal pollution worldwide. Plants can absorb and accumulate these metals through their root system, inducing stress as a result of excess metal concentrations inside the plant. Ethylene is a regulator of multiple plant processes, and is affected by many biotic and abiotic stresses. Increased ethylene levels have been observed after exposure to excess metals but it remains unclear how the increased ethylene levels are achieved at the molecular level. In this study, the effects of cadmium (Cd) exposure on the production of ethylene and its precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and on the expression of the ACC Synthase (ACS) and ACC Oxidase (ACO) multigene families were investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana. Results Increased ethylene release after Cd exposure was directly measurable in a system using rockwool-cultivated plants; enhanced levels of the ethylene precursor ACC together with higher mRNA levels of ethylene responsive genes: ACO2, ETR2 and ERF1 also indicated increased ethylene production in hydroponic culture. Regarding underlying mechanisms, it was found that the transcript levels of ACO2 and ACO4, the most abundantly expressed members of the ACO multigene family, were increased upon Cd exposure. ACC synthesis is the rate-limiting step in ethylene biosynthesis, and transcript levels of both ACS2 and ACS6 showed the highest increase and became the most abundant isoforms after Cd exposure, suggesting their importance in the Cd-induced increase of ethylene production. Conclusions Cadmium induced the biosynthesis of ACC and ethylene in Arabidopsis thaliana plants mainly via the increased expression of ACS2 and ACS6. This was confirmed in the acs2-1acs6-1 double knockout mutants, which showed a decreased ethylene production, positively affecting leaf biomass and resulting in a delayed induction of ethylene responsive gene expressions without significant differences in Cd contents between wild-type and

  16. Penetration depth of MgB2 measured using Josephson junctions and SQUIDs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cunnane, Daniel; Zhuang, Chenggang; Chen, Ke; Xi, X. X.; Yong, Jie; Lemberger, T. R.

    2013-02-01

    The penetration depth of MgB2 was measured using two methods of different mechanisms. The first method used MgB2 Josephson junctions and the magnetic field dependence of the junction critical current. The second method deduced the penetration depth from the inductance of a MgB2 microstrip used to modulate the voltage of a MgB2 DC SQUID. The two methods showed a consistent value of the low-temperature penetration depth for MgB2 to be about 40 nm. Both the small penetration depth value and its temperature dependence are in agreement with a microscopic theory for MgB2 in the clean limit.

  17. Ballistic Graphene Josephson Junctions from the Short to the Long Junction Regimes.

    PubMed

    Borzenets, I V; Amet, F; Ke, C T; Draelos, A W; Wei, M T; Seredinski, A; Watanabe, K; Taniguchi, T; Bomze, Y; Yamamoto, M; Tarucha, S; Finkelstein, G

    2016-12-02

    We investigate the critical current I_{C} of ballistic Josephson junctions made of encapsulated graphene-boron-nitride heterostructures. We observe a crossover from the short to the long junction regimes as the length of the device increases. In long ballistic junctions, I_{C} is found to scale as ∝exp(-k_{B}T/δE). The extracted energies δE are independent of the carrier density and proportional to the level spacing of the ballistic cavity. As T→0 the critical current of a long (or short) junction saturates at a level determined by the product of δE (or Δ) and the number of the junction's transversal modes.

  18. Single-Shot Readout of a Superconducting Qubit using a Josephson Parametric Oscillator

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-11

    Gustavsson2, Vitaly Shumeiko1, W.D. Oliver2,3, C.M. Wilson4, Per Delsing1, and Jonas Bylander1 1Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of...Josephson Parametric Oscillator Philip Krantz1, Andreas Bengtsson1, Michaël Simoen1, Simon Gustavsson2, Vitaly Shumeiko1, W. D. Oliver2,3, C. M...BOX Qubit 10 mK 300 K Parametric resonator Fdc (b) 2.8 K 4-8 GHz HEMT R e so n at o r Q u b it P u m p (a) -40 dB -40 dB -20 dB-6 0 d B BPF A| | 2 B

  19. Modelling ac ripple currents in HTS coated conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Zhihan; Grilli, Francesco

    2015-10-01

    Dc transmission using high temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductors (CCs) offers a promising solution to the globally growing demand for effective, reliable and economic transmission of green energy up to the gigawatt level over very long distances. The credible estimation of the losses and thereby the heat dissipation involved, where ac ripples (introduced in rectification/ac-dc conversion) are viewed as a potential source of notable contribution, is highly essential for the rational design of practical HTS dc transmission cables and corresponding cryogenic systems to fulfil this demand. Here we report a targeted modelling study into the ac losses in a HTS CC subject to dc and ac ripple currents simultaneously, by solving Maxwell’s equations using the finite element method (FEM) in the commercial software package COMSOL. It is observed that the instantaneous loss exhibits only one peak per cycle in the HTS CC subject to sinusoidal ripples, given that the amplitude of the ac ripples is smaller than approximately 20% of that of the dc current. This is a distinct contrast to the usual observation of two peaks per cycle in a HTS CC subject to ac currents only. The unique mechanism is also revealed, which is directly associated with the finding that, around any local minima of the applied ac ripples, the critical state of -J c is never reached at the edges of the HTS CC, as it should be according to the Bean model. When running further into the longer term, it is discovered that the ac ripple loss of the HTS CC in full-wave rectification decays monotonically, at a speed which is found to be insensitive to the frequency of the applied ripples within our targeted situations, to a relatively low level of approximately 1.38 × 10-4 W m-1 in around 1.7 s. Comparison between this level and other typical loss contributions in a HTS dc cable implies that ac ripple currents in HTS CCs should only be considered as a minor source of dissipation in superconducting dc

  20. The ACS statistical analyzer

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-03-01

    This document provides guidance for using the ACS Statistical Analyzer. It is an Excel-based template for users of estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) to assess the precision of individual estimates and to compare pairs of estimates fo...

  1. The Effects of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE-I) on Human N-Acetyl-Seryl-Aspartyl-Lysyl-Proline (Ac-SDKP) Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Mnguni, Ayanda Trevor; Engel, Mark E; Borkum, Megan S; Mayosi, Bongani M

    2015-01-01

    Tuberculous pericardial effusion is a pro-fibrotic condition that is complicated by constrictive pericarditis in 4% to 8% of cases. N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) is a ubiquitous tetrapeptide with anti-fibrotic properties that is low in tuberculous pericardial effusion, thus providing a potential mechanism for the heightened fibrotic state. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), which increase Ac-SDKP levels with anti-fibrotic effects in animal models, are candidate drugs for preventing constrictive pericarditis if they can be shown to have similar effects on Ac-SDKP and fibrosis in human tissues. To systematically review the effects of ACE-Is on Ac-SDKP levels in human tissues. We searched five electronic databases (1996 to 2014) and conference abstracts with no language restrictions. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed methodological quality. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Four studies with a total of 206 participants met the inclusion criteria. Three studies (106 participants) assessed the change in plasma levels of Ac-SDKP following ACE-I administration in healthy humans. The administration of an ACE-I was associated with an increase in Ac-SDKP levels (mean difference (MD) 5.07 pmol/ml (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.64 pmol/ml to 9.51 pmol/ml)). Two studies with 100 participants further assessed the change in Ac-SDKP level in humans with renal failure using ACE-I. The administration of an ACE-I was associated with a significant increase in Ac-SDKP levels (MD 8.94 pmol/ml; 95% CI 2.55 to 15.33; I2 = 44%). ACE-I increased Ac-SDKP levels in human plasma. These findings provide the rationale for testing the impact of ACE-I on Ac-SDKP levels and fibrosis in tuberculous pericarditis.

  2. Transparent magnetic state in single crystal Nd(1.85)Ce(0.15)CuO(4-y) superconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zuo, F.

    1995-01-01

    Several experimental studies have been reported as evidence of Josephson coupling between the superconducting layers in the highly anisotropic oxide such as the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 and Tl2Ba2CuO6 systems. These include the large penetration depth of 100 mu m measured, ac and dc Josephson effects. Recently two critical temperatures corresponding to Josephson coupling in between the layers and the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in the ab-plane have been directly observed in the transport measurements. If the field is applied parallel to the superconducting layers, the magnetic excitation is not the conventional Abrikosov vortices, but the Josephson vortices which extend lambda(sub ab) in the c-axis direction and lambda(sub J) = gamma s in the plane (s is the interlayer distance, gamma is the anisotropy constant). Because of the weak screening effect associated with the Josephson vortices, there have been predictions of magnetic transparent states at magnetic field above a characteristic field H(sub J), a behavior distinctively different from that of the type-II superconductors. In this paper, we report an experimental result which illustrates a transition from the Meissner state to the magnetic transparent state in single crystal of Nd(1.85)Ce(0.15)CuO(4-y). Magnetization has been measured as a function of temperature and field in the magnetic field parallel or close to ab-plane geometry. For a fixed magnetic field, the magnetization shows a two-step transition in M(T); for a fixed temperature, the magnetization shows an abrupt change to almost zero value above a characteristic field H(sub J), an indication of magnetic transparent state. The data of magnetization as a function of field clearly deviates from the behavior predicted by the Abrikosov theory for type-II superconductors. Instead, the data fit well into the picture of Josephson decoupling between the CuO2 layers.

  3. Dephasing effects on ac-driven triple quantum dot systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maldonado, I.; Villavicencio, J.; Contreras-Pulido, L. D.; Cota, E.; Maytorena, J. A.

    2018-05-01

    We analyze the effect of environmental dephasing on the electrical current in an ac-driven triple quantum dot system in a symmetric Λ configuration. The current is explored by solving the time evolution equation of the density matrix as a function of the frequency and amplitude of the driving field. Two characteristic spectra are observed depending on the field amplitude. At the resonance condition, when the frequency matches the interdot energy difference, one spectrum shows a distinctive Fano-type peak, while the other, occurring at larger values of the field amplitude, exhibits a strong current suppression due to dynamic localization. In the former case we observe that the current maximum is reduced due to dephasing, while in the latter it is shown that dephasing partially alleviates the localization. In both cases, away from resonance, we observe current oscillations which are dephasing-enhanced for a wide range of frequencies. These effects are also discussed using Floquet theory, and analytical expressions for the electrical current are obtained within the rotating wave approximation.

  4. Josephson Photodetectors via Temperature-to-Phase Conversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Virtanen, P.; Ronzani, A.; Giazotto, F.

    2018-05-01

    We theoretically investigate the temperature-to-phase conversion (TPC) process occurring in dc superconducting quantum interferometers based on superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor (S -N -S ) mesoscopic Josephson junctions. In particular, we predict the temperature-driven rearrangement of the phase gradients in the interferometer under the fixed constraints of fluxoid quantization and supercurrent conservation. This mechanism allows sizeable phase variations across the junctions for suitable structure parameters and temperatures. We show that the TPC can be a basis for sensitive single-photon sensors or bolometers. We propose a radiation detector realizable with conventional materials and state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques. Integrated with a superconducting quantum-interference proximity transistor as a readout setup, an aluminum-based TPC calorimeter can provide a large signal-to-noise ratio >100 in the 10-GHz-10-THz frequency range and a resolving power larger than 1 02 below 50 mK for terahertz photons. In the bolometric operation, electrical noise equivalent power of approximately 10-22 W /√{Hz } is predicted at 50 mK. This device can be attractive as a cryogenic single-photon sensor operating in the giga- and terahertz regime with applications in dark-matter searches.

  5. The AC photovoltaic module is here!

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strong, Steven J.; Wohlgemuth, John H.; Wills, Robert H.

    1997-02-01

    This paper describes the design, development, and performance results of a large-area photovoltaic module whose electrical output is ac power suitable for direct connection to the utility grid. The large-area ac PV module features a dedicated, integrally mounted, high-efficiency dc-to-ac power inverter with a nominal output of 250 watts (STC) at 120 Vac, 60 H, that is fully compatible with utility power. The module's output is connected directly to the building's conventional ac distribution system without need for any dc wiring, string combiners, dc ground-fault protection or additional power-conditioning equipment. With its advantages, the ac photovoltaic module promises to become a universal building block for use in all utility-interactive PV systems. This paper discusses AC Module design aspects and utility interface issues (including islanding).

  6. AC Resistance measuring instrument

    DOEpatents

    Hof, Peter J.

    1983-01-01

    An auto-ranging AC resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an AC excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance. After the auto-ranging and auto-compensation functions are complete, the microprocessor calculates the resistance of the load from the selected range resistance, the excitation signal, and the load voltage signal, and displays of the measured resistance on a digital display of the instrument.

  7. Theory of coherent quantum phase slips in Josephson junction chains with periodic spatial modulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Svetogorov, Aleksandr E.; Taguchi, Masahiko; Tokura, Yasuhiro; Basko, Denis M.; Hekking, Frank W. J.

    2018-03-01

    We study coherent quantum phase slips which lift the ground state degeneracy in a Josephson junction ring, pierced by a magnetic flux of the magnitude equal to half of a flux quantum. The quantum phase-slip amplitude is sensitive to the normal mode structure of superconducting phase oscillations in the ring (Mooij-Schön modes). These, in turn, are affected by spatial inhomogeneities in the ring. We analyze the case of weak periodic modulations of the system parameters and calculate the corresponding modification of the quantum phase-slip amplitude.

  8. Detailed investigation of the bifurcation diagram of capacitively coupled Josephson junctions in high-Tc superconductors and its self similarity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamdipour, Mohammad

    2018-04-01

    We study an array of coupled Josephson junction of superconductor/insulator/superconductor type (SIS junction) as a model for high temperature superconductors with layered structure. In the current-voltage characteristics of this system there is a breakpoint region in which a net electric charge appear on superconducting layers, S-layers, of junctions which motivate us to study the charge dynamics in this region. In this paper first of all we show a current voltage characteristics (CVC) of Intrinsic Josephson Junctions (IJJs) with N=3 Junctions, then we show the breakpoint region in that CVC, then we try to investigate the chaos in this region. We will see that at the end of the breakpoint region, behavior of the system is chaotic and Lyapunov exponent become positive. We also study the route by which the system become chaotic and will see this route is bifurcation. Next goal of this paper is to show the self similarity in the bifurcation diagram of the system and detailed analysis of bifurcation diagram.

  9. Effects of AC/DC magnetic fields, frequency, and nanoparticle aspect ratio on cellular transfection of gene vectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ford, Kris; Mair, Lamar; Fisher, Mike; Rowshon Alam, Md.; Juliano, Rudolph; Superfine, Richard

    2008-10-01

    In order to make non-viral gene delivery a useful tool in the study and treatment of genetic disorders, it is imperative that these methodologies be further refined to yield optimal results. Transfection of magnetic nanoparticles and nanorods are used as non-viral gene vectors to transfect HeLa EGFP-654 cells that stably express a mutated enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene. We deliver antisense oligonucleotides to these cells designed to correct the aberrant splicing caused by the mutation in the EGFP gene. We also transfect human bronchial endothelial cells and immortalized WI-38 lung cells with pEGFP-N1 vectors. To achieve this we bind the genes to magnetic nanoparticles and nanorods and introduce magnetic fields to effect transfection. We wish to examine the effects of magnetic fields on the transfection of these particles and the benefits of using alternating (AC) magnetic fields in improving transfection rates over direct (DC) magnetic fields. We specifically look at the frequency dependence of the AC field and particle aspect ratio as it pertains to influencing transfection rate. We posit that the increase in angular momentum brought about by the AC field and the high aspect ratio of the nanorod particles, is vital to generating the force needed to move the particle through the cell membrane.

  10. Fabrication of sapphire-based high performance step-edge HTS Josephson junctions and SQUIDs and their application to scanning SQUID microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ming, Bin

    Josephson junctions are at the heart of any superconductor device applications. A SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), which consists of two Josephson junctions, is by far the most important example. Unfortunately, in the case of high-Tc superconductors (HTS), the quest for a robust, flexible, and high performance junction technology is yet far from the end. Currently, the only proven method to make HTS junctions is the SrTiO3(STO)-based bicrystal technology. In this thesis we concentrate on the fabrication of YBCO step-edge junctions and SQUIDs on sapphire. The step-edge method provides complete control of device locations and facilitates sophisticated, high-density layout. We select CeO2 as the buffer layer, as the key step to make device quality YBCO thin films on sapphire. With an "overhang" shadow mask produced by a novel photolithography technique, a steep step edge was fabricated on the CeO2 buffer layer by Ar+ ion milling with optimized parameters for minimum ion beam divergence. The step angle was determined to be in excess of 80° by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Josephson junctions patterned from those step edges exhibited resistively shunted junction (RSJ) like current-voltage characteristics. IcR n values in the 200--500 mV range were measured at 77K. Shapiro steps were observed under microwave irradiation, reflecting the true Josephson nature of those junctions. The magnetic field dependence of the junction Ic indicates a uniform current distribution. These results suggest that all fabrication processes are well controlled and the step edge is relatively straight and free of microstructural defects. The SQUIDs made from the same process exhibit large voltage modulation in a varying magnetic field. At 77K, our sapphire-based step-edge SQUID has a low white noise level at 3muphi0/ Hz , as compared to typically >10muphi0/ Hz from the best bicrystal STO SQUIDS. Our effort at device fabrication is chiefly motivated by the scanning SQUID

  11. Comparison of the Josephson Voltage Standards of the DMDM and the BIPM (part of the ongoing BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K10.b)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solve, S.; Chayramy, R.; Stock, M.; Pantelic-Babic, J.; Sofranac, Z.; Cincar Vujovic, T.

    2016-01-01

    A comparison of the Josephson array voltage standards of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) and the Directorate of Measures and Precious Metals (DMDM), Belgrade, Serbia, was carried out in June 2015 at the level of 10 V. For this exercise, options A and B of the BIPM.EM-K10.b comparison protocol were applied. Option B required the BIPM to provide a reference voltage for measurement by the DMDM using its Josephson standard with its own measuring device. Option A required the DMDM to provide a reference voltage with its Josephson voltage standard for measurement by the BIPM using an analogue nanovoltmeter and associated measurement loop. Since no sufficiently stable voltage could be achieved in this configuration, a digital detector was used. In all cases the BIPM array was kept floating from ground. The final results were in good agreement within the combined relative standard uncertainty of 1.5 parts in 1010 for the nominal voltage of 10 V. Main text To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCEM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

  12. Slow-onset and fast-onset symptom presentations in acute coronary syndrome (ACS): new perspectives on prehospital delay in patients with ACS.

    PubMed

    O'Donnell, Sharon; McKee, Gabrielle; Mooney, Mary; O'Brien, Frances; Moser, Debra K

    2014-04-01

    Patient decision delay is the main reason why many patients fail to receive timely medical intervention for symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study examines the validity of slow-onset and fast-onset ACS presentations and their influence on ACS prehospital delay times. A fast-onset ACS presentation is characterized by sudden, continuous, and severe chest pain, and slow-onset ACS pertains to all other ACS presentations. Baseline data pertaining to medical profiles, prehospital delay times, and ACS symptoms were recorded for all ACS patients who participated in a large multisite randomized control trial (RCT) in Dublin, Ireland. Patients were interviewed 2-4 days after their ACS event, and data were gathered using the ACS Response to Symptom Index. Only baseline data from the RCT, N = 893 patients, were analyzed. A total of 65% (n = 577) of patients experienced slow-onset ACS presentation, whereas 35% (n = 316) experienced fast-onset ACS. Patients who experienced slow-onset ACS were significantly more likely to have longer prehospital delays than patients with fast-onset ACS (3.5 h vs. 2.0 h, respectively, t = -5.63, df 890, p < 0.001). A multivariate analysis of delay revealed that, in the presence of other known delay factors, the only independent predictors of delay were slow-onset and fast-onset ACS (β = -.096, p < 0.002) and other factors associated with patient behavior. Slow-onset ACS and fast-onset ACS presentations are associated with distinct behavioral patterns that significantly influence prehospital time frames. As such, slow-onset ACS and fast-onset ACS are legitimate ACS presentation phenomena that should be seriously considered when examining the factors associated with prehospital delay. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Charging in the ac Conductance of a Double Barrier Resonant Tunneling Structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anantram, M. P.; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

    1998-01-01

    There have been many studies of the linear response ac conductance of a double barrier resonant tunneling structure (DBRTS), both at zero and finite dc biases. While these studies are important, they fail to self consistently include the effect of the time dependent charge density in the well. In this paper, we calculate the ac conductance at both zero and finite do biases by including the effect of the time dependent charge density in the well in a self consistent manner. The charge density in the well contributes to both the flow of displacement currents in the contacts and the time dependent potential in the well. We find that including these effects can make a significant difference to the ac conductance and the total ac current is not equal to the simple average of the non-selfconsistently calculated conduction currents in the two contacts. This is illustrated by comparing the results obtained with and without the effect of the time dependent charge density included correctly. Some possible experimental scenarios to observe these effects are suggested.

  14. Transient AC voltage related phenomena for HVDC schemes connected to weak AC systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pilotto, L.A.S.; Szechtman, M.; Hammad, A.E.

    1992-07-01

    In this paper a didactic explanation of voltage stability associated phenomena at HVDC terminals is presented. Conditions leading to ac voltage collapse problems are identified. A mechanism that excites control-induced voltage oscillations is shown. The voltage stability factor is used for obtaining the maximum power limits of ac/dc systems operating with different control strategies. Correlation to Pd {times} Id curves is given. Solutions for eliminating the risks of voltage collapse and for avoiding control-induced oscillations are discussed. The results are supported by detailed digital simulations of a weak ac/dc system using EMTP.

  15. Squeezing with a flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menzel, E. P.; Zhong, L.; Eder, P.; Baust, A.; Haeberlein, M.; Hoffmann, E.; Deppe, F.; Marx, A.; Gross, R.; di Candia, R.; Solano, E.; Ihmig, M.; Inomata, K.; Yamamoto, T.; Nakamura, Y.

    2014-03-01

    Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPA) are promising devices for the implementation of continuous-variable quantum communication protocols. Operated in the phase-sensitive mode, they allow for amplifying a single quadrature of the electromagnetic field without adding any noise. While in practice internal losses introduce a finite amount of noise, our device still adds less noise than an ideal phase-insensitive amplifier. This property is a prerequisite for the generation of squeezed states. In this work, we reconstruct the Wigner function of squeezed vacuum, squeezed thermal and squeezed coherent states with our dual-path method [L. Zhong et al. arXiv:1307.7285 (2013); E. P. Menzel et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 100401 (2010)]. In addition, we illuminate the physics of squeezed coherent microwave fields. This work is supported by SFB 631, German Excellence Initiative via NIM, EU projects SOLID, CCQED, PROMISCE and SCALEQIT, MEXT Kakenhi ``Quantum Cybernetics,'' JSPS FIRST Program, the NICT Commissioned Research, Basque Government IT472-10, Spanish MINECO FIS2012-36673-C03-02, and UPV/EHU UFI 11/55.

  16. Inhibition of motor cortex excitability with 15Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

    PubMed

    Zaghi, Soroush; de Freitas Rezende, Larissa; de Oliveira, Laís Machado; El-Nazer, Rasheda; Menning, Sanne; Tadini, Laura; Fregni, Felipe

    2010-08-02

    There remains a lack of solid evidence showing whether transcranial stimulation with weak alternating current (transcranial alternating current stimulation, tACS) can in fact induce significant neurophysiological effects. Previously, a study in which tACS was applied for 2 and 5min with current density=0.16-0.25A/m(2) was unable to show robust effects on cortical excitability. Here we applied tACS at a significantly higher current density (0.80A/m(2)) for a considerably longer duration (20min) and were indeed able to demonstrate measurable changes to cortical excitability. Our results show that active 15Hz tACS of the motor cortex (electrodes placed at C3 and C4) significantly diminished the amplitude of motor evoked potentials and decreased intracortical facilitation (ICF) as compared to baseline and sham stimulation. In addition, we show that our method of sham tACS is a reliable control condition. These results support the notion that AC stimulation with weak currents can induce significant changes in brain excitability; in this case, 15Hz tACS led to a pattern of inhibition of cortical excitability. We propose that tACS may have a dampening effect on cortical networks and perhaps interfere with the temporal and spatial summation of weak subthreshold electric potentials. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. [Effect of baicalin on ATPase and LDH and its regulatory effect on the AC/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in rats with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

    PubMed

    Zhou, Rong-Yi; Wang, Jiao-Jiao; You, Yue; Sun, Ji-Chao; Song, Yu-Chen; Yuan, Hai-Xia; Han, Xin-Min

    2017-05-01

    To study the effect of baicalin on synaptosomal adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and its regulatory effect on the adenylate cyclase (AC)/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway in rats with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A total of 40 SHR rats were randomly divided into five groups: ADHD model, methylphenidate hydrochloride treatment (0.07 mg/mL), and low-dose (3.33 mg/mL), medium-dose (6.67 mg/mL), and high-dose (10 mg/mL) baicalin treatment (n=8 each). Eight WKY rats were selected as normal control group. Percoll density gradient centrifugation was used to prepare brain synaptosomes and an electron microscope was used to observe their structure. Colorimetry was used to measure the activities of ATPase and LDH in synaptosomes. ELISA was used to measure the content of AC, cAMP, and PKA. Compared with the normal control group, the ADHD model group had a significant reduction in the ATPase activity, a significant increase in the LDH activity, and significant reductions in the content of AC, cAMP, and PKA (P<0.05). Compared with the ADHD model group, the methylphenidate hydrochloride group and the medium- and high-dose baicalin groups had a significant increase in the ATPase activity (P<0.05), a significant reduction in the LDH activity (P<0.05), and significant increases in the content of AC, cAMP, and PKA (P<0.05). Compared with the methylphenidate hydrochloride group, the high-dose baicalin group had significantly greater changes in these indices (P<0.05). Compared with the low-dose baicalin group, the high-dose baicalin group had a significant increase in the ATPase activity (P<0.05); the medium- and high-dose baicalin groups had a significant reduction in the LDH activity (P<0.05) and significant increases in the content of AC, cAMP, and PKA (P<0.05). Compared with the medium-dose baicalin group, the high-dose baicalin group had a significant increase in the ATPase activity

  18. Microfabricated AC impedance sensor

    DOEpatents

    Krulevitch, Peter; Ackler, Harold D.; Becker, Frederick; Boser, Bernhard E.; Eldredge, Adam B.; Fuller, Christopher K.; Gascoyne, Peter R. C.; Hamilton, Julie K.; Swierkowski, Stefan P.; Wang, Xiao-Bo

    2002-01-01

    A microfabricated instrument for detecting and identifying cells and other particles based on alternating current (AC) impedance measurements. The microfabricated AC impedance sensor includes two critical elements: 1) a microfluidic chip, preferably of glass substrates, having at least one microchannel therein and with electrodes patterned on both substrates, and 2) electrical circuits that connect to the electrodes on the microfluidic chip and detect signals associated with particles traveling down the microchannels. These circuits enable multiple AC impedance measurements of individual particles at high throughput rates with sufficient resolution to identify different particle and cell types as appropriate for environmental detection and clinical diagnostic applications.

  19. AC conductivity of a quantum Hall line junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agarwal, Amit; Sen, Diptiman

    2009-09-01

    We present a microscopic model for calculating the AC conductivity of a finite length line junction made up of two counter- or co-propagating single mode quantum Hall edges with possibly different filling fractions. The effect of density-density interactions and a local tunneling conductance (σ) between the two edges is considered. Assuming that σ is independent of the frequency ω, we derive expressions for the AC conductivity as a function of ω, the length of the line junction and other parameters of the system. We reproduce the results of Sen and Agarwal (2008 Phys. Rev. B 78 085430) in the DC limit (\\omega \\to 0 ), and generalize those results for an interacting system. As a function of ω, the AC conductivity shows significant oscillations if σ is small; the oscillations become less prominent as σ increases. A renormalization group analysis shows that the system may be in a metallic or an insulating phase depending on the strength of the interactions. We discuss the experimental implications of this for the behavior of the AC conductivity at low temperatures.

  20. Macroscopic quantum interference from atomic tunnel arrays

    PubMed

    Anderson; Kasevich

    1998-11-27

    Interference of atomic de Broglie waves tunneling from a vertical array of macroscopically populated traps has been observed. The traps were located in the antinodes of an optical standing wave and were loaded from a Bose-Einstein condensate. Tunneling was induced by acceleration due to gravity, and interference was observed as a train of falling pulses of atoms. In the limit of weak atomic interactions, the pulse frequency is determined by the gravitational potential energy difference between adjacent potential wells. The effect is closely related to the ac Josephson effect observed in superconducting electronic systems.

  1. Dynamics and Manipulation of Nanomagnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Liufei

    This thesis presents my work on the spin dynamics of nanomagnets and investigates the possibility of manipulating nanomagnets by various means. Most of the work has been published. Some has been submitted for publication. The structure of this thesis is as follows. In Chapter 1, I present the theory of manipulation of a nanomagnet by rotating ac fields whose frequency is time dependent. Theory has been developed that maps the problem onto Landau-Zener problem. For the linear frequency sweep the switching phase diagrams are obtained on the amplitude of the ac field and the frequency sweep rate. Switching conditions have been obtained numerically and analytically. For the nonlinear frequency sweep, the optimal time dependence of the frequency is obtained analytically with account of damping that gives the fastest controllable switching of the magnetization. In Chapter 2, interaction between a nanomagnet and a Josephson junction has been studied. The I-V curve of the Josephson junction in the proximity of a nanomagnet shows Shapiro-like steps due to the ac field generated by the precessing magnetic moment. Possibility of switching of the magnetic moment by a time-linear voltage in the Josephson junction is demonstrated. Realization of the optimal switching is suggested that employs two perpendicular Josephson junctions with time-dependent voltage signals. The result is shown to be robust against voltage noises. Quantum-mechanical coupling between the nanomagnet considered as a two-level system and a Josephson junction has been studied and quantum oscillations of the populations of the spin states have been computed. In Chapter 3, the switching dynamics of a nanomagnet embedded in a torsional oscillator that serves as a conducting wire for a spin current has been investigated. Generalized Slonczewski's equation is derived. The coupling of the nanomagnet, the torsional oscillator and the spin current generates a number of interesting phenomena. The mechanically

  2. Josephson junction as the receiving and measuring element in panoramic receiver: frequencymeter in terahertz band

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denisov, Alexander; Gudkov, Alexander; Qiu, Jing Hui

    2014-10-01

    Josephson junction (JJ) can be used as the criterion in single-block super wide band frequency-meter and as the sensitive element in the super wide band panoramic receiver. There presented the theoretical and experimental investigations and described the innovation decision about to combine both devices in one new microwave device. JJ in this case works in self-pump mode regime. New device can be especially convenient for the experimental purposes with new generation structures when radiated power is small and frequency are unknown correctly.

  3. Hybrid AC-High Voltage DC Grid Stability and Controls

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Jicheng

    The growth of energy demands in recent years has been increasing faster than the expansion of transmission facility construction. This tendency cooperating with the continuous investing on the renewable energy resources drives the research, development, and construction of HVDC projects to create a more reliable, affordable, and environmentally friendly power grid. Constructing the hybrid AC-HVDC grid is a significant move in the development of the HVDC techniques; the form of dc system is evolving from the point-to-point stand-alone dc links to the embedded HVDC system and the multi-terminal HVDC (MTDC) system. The MTDC is a solution for the renewable energy interconnections, and the MTDC grids can improve the power system reliability, flexibility in economic dispatches, and converter/cable utilizing efficiencies. The dissertation reviews the HVDC technologies, discusses the stability issues regarding the ac and HVDC connections, proposes a novel power oscillation control strategy to improve system stability, and develops a nonlinear voltage droop control strategy for the MTDC grid. To verify the effectiveness the proposed power oscillation control strategy, a long distance paralleled AC-HVDC transmission test system is employed. Based on the PSCAD/EMTDC platform simulation results, the proposed power oscillation control strategy can improve the system dynamic performance and attenuate the power oscillations effectively. To validate the nonlinear voltage droop control strategy, three droop controls schemes are designed according to the proposed nonlinear voltage droop control design procedures. These control schemes are tested in a hybrid AC-MTDC system. The hybrid AC-MTDC system, which is first proposed in this dissertation, consists of two ac grids, two wind farms and a five-terminal HVDC grid connecting them. Simulation studies are performed in the PSCAD/EMTDC platform. According to the simulation results, all the three design schemes have their unique salient

  4. High voltage AC/AC electrochemical capacitor operating at low temperature in salt aqueous electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbas, Qamar; Béguin, François

    2016-06-01

    We demonstrate that an activated carbon (AC)-based electrochemical capacitor implementing aqueous lithium sulfate electrolyte in 7:3 vol:vol water/methanol mixture can operate down to -40 °C with good electrochemical performance. Three-electrode cell investigations show that the faradaic contributions related with hydrogen chemisorption in the negative AC electrode are thermodynamically unfavored at -40 °C, enabling the system to work as a typical electrical double-layer (EDL) capacitor. After prolonged floating of the AC/AC capacitor at 1.6 V and -40°C, the capacitance, equivalent series resistance and efficiency remain constant, demonstrating the absence of ageing related with side redox reactions at this temperature. Interestingly, when temperature is increased back to 24 °C, the redox behavior due to hydrogen storage reappears and the system behaves as a freshly prepared one.

  5. Simulation of the AC corona phenomenon with experimental validation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villa, Andrea; Barbieri, Luca; Marco, Gondola; Malgesini, Roberto; Leon-Garzon, Andres R.

    2017-11-01

    The corona effect, and in particular the Trichel phenomenon, is an important aspect of plasma physics with many technical applications, such as pollution reduction, surface and medical treatments. This phenomenon is also associated with components used in the power industry where it is, in many cases, the source of electro-magnetic disturbance, noise and production of undesired chemically active species. Despite the power industry to date using mainly alternating current (AC) transmission, most of the studies related to the corona effect have been carried out with direct current (DC) sources. Therefore, there is technical interest in validating numerical codes capable of simulating the AC phenomenon. In this work we describe a set of partial differential equations that are comprehensive enough to reproduce the distinctive features of the corona in an AC regime. The model embeds some selectable chemical databases, comprising tens of chemical species and hundreds of reactions, the thermal dynamics of neutral species and photoionization. A large set of parameters—deduced from experiments and numerical estimations—are compared, to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  6. [Pharmaceutical services for patients receiving AC chemotherapy].

    PubMed

    Higuchi, Minako; Matsuo, Koichi; Ureshino, Yuko; Ogata, Kentaro; Futagami, Koujiro; Kitamura, Kaoru; Nishino, Hiroaki

    2009-02-01

    General treatments for breast cancer patients, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and lymphatic edema drainage, are performed at the Department of Breast Surgery in Kyushu Central Hospital. In those treatments, pharmacists provide the pharmaceutical treatment. Combination chemotherapy of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC therapy) is one of the standard regimens for breast cancer. In breast cancer patients who received AC therapy, we carried out investigations on side effects, and prepared pamphlets to support patients' self-management in their daily lives. In the process of preparing pamphlets, we made check sheets to monitor the severity and incidence of side effects. Based on the results of analysis and patients' opinions as well as staff remarks, we prepared pamphlets. According to the evaluation survey, pamphlets are regarded as useful. To meet the needs of patients, we intend to periodically revise pamphlets by continuing investigations on side effects, and provide up-to-date information.

  7. 21 CFR 886.4440 - AC-powered magnet.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered magnet. 886.4440 Section 886.4440 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4440 AC-powered magnet. (a) Identification. An AC-powered magnet is an AC-powered device that generates a magnetic field intended to find and remove...

  8. ac electroosmotic pumping induced by noncontact external electrodes

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Shau-Chun; Chen, Hsiao-Ping; Chang, Hsueh-Chia

    2007-01-01

    Electroosmotic (EO) pumps based on dc electroosmosis is plagued by bubble generation and other electrochemical reactions at the electrodes at voltages beyond 1 V for electrolytes. These disadvantages limit their throughput and offset their portability advantage over mechanical syringe or pneumatic pumps. ac electroosmotic pumps at high frequency (>100 kHz) circumvent the bubble problem by inducing polarization and slip velocity on embedded electrodes,1 but they require complex electrode designs to produce a net flow. We report a new high-throughput ac EO pump design based on induced-polarization on the entire channel surface instead of just on the electrodes. Like dc EO pumps, our pump electrodes are outside of the load section and form a cm-long pump unit consisting of three circular reservoirs (3 mm in diameter) connected by a 1×1 mm channel. The field-induced polarization can produce an effective Zeta potential exceeding 1 V and an ac slip velocity estimated as 1 mm∕sec or higher, both one order of magnitude higher than earlier dc and ac pumps, giving rise to a maximum throughput of 1 μl∕sec. Polarization over the entire channel surface, quadratic scaling with respect to the field and high voltage at high frequency without electrode bubble generation are the reasons why the current pump is superior to earlier dc and ac EO pumps. PMID:19693362

  9. ac electroosmotic pumping induced by noncontact external electrodes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shau-Chun; Chen, Hsiao-Ping; Chang, Hsueh-Chia

    2007-09-21

    Electroosmotic (EO) pumps based on dc electroosmosis is plagued by bubble generation and other electrochemical reactions at the electrodes at voltages beyond 1 V for electrolytes. These disadvantages limit their throughput and offset their portability advantage over mechanical syringe or pneumatic pumps. ac electroosmotic pumps at high frequency (>100 kHz) circumvent the bubble problem by inducing polarization and slip velocity on embedded electrodes,1 but they require complex electrode designs to produce a net flow. We report a new high-throughput ac EO pump design based on induced-polarization on the entire channel surface instead of just on the electrodes. Like dc EO pumps, our pump electrodes are outside of the load section and form a cm-long pump unit consisting of three circular reservoirs (3 mm in diameter) connected by a 1x1 mm channel. The field-induced polarization can produce an effective Zeta potential exceeding 1 V and an ac slip velocity estimated as 1 mmsec or higher, both one order of magnitude higher than earlier dc and ac pumps, giving rise to a maximum throughput of 1 mulsec. Polarization over the entire channel surface, quadratic scaling with respect to the field and high voltage at high frequency without electrode bubble generation are the reasons why the current pump is superior to earlier dc and ac EO pumps.

  10. Arthroscopically Assisted Reconstruction of Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocations: Anatomic AC Ligament Reconstruction With Protective Internal Bracing—The “AC-RecoBridge” Technique

    PubMed Central

    Izadpanah, Kaywan; Jaeger, Martin; Ogon, Peter; Südkamp, Norbert P.; Maier, Dirk

    2015-01-01

    An arthroscopically assisted technique for the treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocations is presented. This pathology-based procedure aims to achieve anatomic healing of both the acromioclavicular ligament complex (ACLC) and the coracoclavicular ligaments. First, the acromioclavicular joint is reduced anatomically under macroscopic and radiologic control and temporarily transfixed with a K-wire. A single-channel technique using 2 suture tapes provides secure coracoclavicular stabilization. The key step of the procedure consists of the anatomic repair of the ACLC (“AC-Reco”). Basically, we have observed 4 patterns of injury: clavicular-sided, acromial-sided, oblique, and midportion tears. Direct and/or transosseous ACLC repair is performed accordingly. Then, an X-configured acromioclavicular suture tape cerclage (“AC-Bridge”) is applied under arthroscopic assistance to limit horizontal clavicular translation to a physiological extent. The AC-Bridge follows the principle of internal bracing and protects healing of the ACLC repair. The AC-Bridge is tightened on top of the repair, creating an additional suture-bridge effect and promoting anatomic ACLC healing. We refer to this combined technique of anatomic ACLC repair and protective internal bracing as the “AC-RecoBridge.” A detailed stepwise description of the surgical technique, including indications, technical pearls and pitfalls, and potential complications, is given. PMID:26052493

  11. Robust sub-shot-noise measurement via Rabi-Josephson oscillations in bimodal Bose-Einstein condensates

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tikhonenkov, I.; Vardi, A.; Moore, M. G.

    2011-06-15

    Mach-Zehnder atom interferometry requires hold-time phase squeezing to attain readout accuracy below the standard quantum limit. This increases its sensitivity to phase diffusion, restoring shot-noise scaling of the optimal signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of interactions. The contradiction between the preparations required for readout accuracy and robustness to interactions is removed by monitoring Rabi-Josephson oscillations instead of relative-phase oscillations during signal acquisition. Optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio with a Gaussian squeezed input, we find that hold-time number squeezing satisfies both demands and that sub-shot-noise scaling is retained even for strong interactions.

  12. AC resistance measuring instrument

    DOEpatents

    Hof, P.J.

    1983-10-04

    An auto-ranging AC resistance measuring instrument for remote measurement of the resistance of an electrical device or circuit connected to the instrument includes a signal generator which generates an AC excitation signal for application to a load, including the device and the transmission line, a monitoring circuit which provides a digitally encoded signal representing the voltage across the load, and a microprocessor which operates under program control to provide an auto-ranging function by which range resistance is connected in circuit with the load to limit the load voltage to an acceptable range for the instrument, and an auto-compensating function by which compensating capacitance is connected in shunt with the range resistance to compensate for the effects of line capacitance. After the auto-ranging and auto-compensation functions are complete, the microprocessor calculates the resistance of the load from the selected range resistance, the excitation signal, and the load voltage signal, and displays of the measured resistance on a digital display of the instrument. 8 figs.

  13. Terahertz Josephson spectral analysis and its applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Snezhko, A. V.; Gundareva, I. I.; Lyatti, M. V.; Volkov, O. Y.; Pavlovskiy, V. V.; Poppe, U.; Divin, Y. Y.

    2017-04-01

    Principles of Hilbert-transform spectral analysis (HTSA) are presented and advantages of the technique in the terahertz (THz) frequency range are discussed. THz HTSA requires Josephson junctions with high values of characteristic voltages I c R n and dynamics described by a simple resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model. To meet these requirements, [001]- and [100]-tilt YBa2Cu3O7-x bicrystal junctions with deviations from the RSJ model less than 1% have been developed. Demonstrators of Hilbert-transform spectrum analyzers with various cryogenic environments, including integration into Stirling coolers, are described. Spectrum analyzers have been characterized in the spectral range from 50 GHz to 3 THz. Inside a power dynamic range of five orders, an instrumental function of the analyzers has been found to have a Lorentz form around a single frequency of 1.48 THz with a spectral resolution as low as 0.9 GHz. Spectra of THz radiation from optically pumped gas lasers and semiconductor frequency multipliers have been studied with these spectrum analyzers and the regimes of these radiation sources were optimized for a single-frequency operation. Future applications of HTSA will be related with quick and precise spectral characterization of new radiation sources and identification of substances in the THz frequency range.

  14. Josephson Parametric Amplifer Based on a Cavity-Embedded Cooper Pair Transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Juliang; Rimberg, A. J.

    In this experiment a cavity-embedded Cooper-pair transistor (cCPT) is used as a Josephson parametric amplifier. The cCPT consists of a Cooper pair transistor placed at the voltage antinode of a 5.7 GHz shorted quarter-wave resonator so that the CPT provides a galvanic connection between the cavity's central conductor and ground plane, which forms a SQUID loop. Both the flux threading the loop as well as the gate charge can be modulated, and each can provide the parametric pumping. The reflected signal from the cCPT is further amplified by both SLUG and HEMT amplifiers for characterizing the parametric amplification. A first application of the parametric amplification is to improve the charge sensitivity of a single electron charge detector. This can be done either by pumping on a side band or by shifting the charge state of the cCPT near a bifurcation point. Stimulated emission has been also observed when the cCPT is pumped at twice the resonant frequency in the absence of an input signal. This could allow investigation of the dynamic Casimir effect as well as generation of non-classical photon states. Supported by Grants ARO W911NF-13-10377 and NSF DMR 1507400.

  15. Non-linear wave phenomena in Josephson elements for superconducting electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christiansen, P. L.; Parmentier, R. D.; Skovgaard, O.

    1985-07-01

    The long and intermediate length Josephson tunnel junction oscillator with overlap geometry of linear and circular configuration, is investigated by computational solution of the perturbed sine-Gordon equation model and by experimental measurements. The model predicts the experimental results very well. Line oscillators as well as ring oscillators are treated. For long junctions soliton perturbation methods are developed and turn out to be efficient prediction tools, also providing physical understanding of the dynamics of the oscillator. For intermediate length junctions expansions in terms of linear cavity modes reduce computational costs. The narrow linewidth of the electromagnetic radiation (typically 1 kHz of a line at 10 GHz) is demonstrated experimentally. Corresponding computer simulations requiring a relative accuracy of less than 10 to the -7th power are performed on supercomputer CRAY-1-S. The broadening of linewidth due to external microradiation and internal thermal noise is determined.

  16. Coherent and dissipative transport in a Josephson junction between fermionic superfluids of 6Li atoms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neri, Elettra; Scazza, Francesco; Roati, Giacomo

    2018-04-01

    Quantum systems out of equilibrium offer the possibility of understanding intriguing and challenging problems in modern physics. Studying transport properties is not only valuable to unveil fundamental properties of quantum matter but it is also an excellent tool for developing new quantum devices which inherently employ quantum-mechanical effects. In this contribution, we present our experimental studies on quantum transport using ultracold Fermi gases of 6Li atoms. We realize the analogous of a Josephson junction by bisecting fermionic superfluids by a thin optical barrier. We observe coherent dynamics in both the population and in the relative phase between the two reservoirs. For critical parameters, the superfluid dynamics exhibits both coherent and resistive flow due to phase-slippage events manifesting as vortices propagating into the bulk. We uncover also a regime of strong dissipation where the junction operation is irreversibly affected by vortex proliferation. Our studies open new directions for investigating dissipation and superfluid transport in strongly correlated fermionic systems.

  17. The AC 2000.2 Catalogue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Urban, S. E.; Corbin, T. E.; Wycoff, G. L.; Makarov, V. V.; Høg, E.; Fabricius, C.

    2001-12-01

    For over 100 years, the international project known as the Astrographic Catalogue -- which involved 20 observatories tasked to photograph the sky -- has held an unfulfilled promised of yielding a wealth of astrometric information. This promise was not realized due to the inadequate reductions of the project's plates. However, in 1997 the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) completed the reductions of the 22,660 plates. That catalogue, named the AC 2000, contained positions and magnitudes for 4.6 million stars down to about v magnitude 12.5. Due to the early epochs of the data -- averaging 1907 -- and the positional accuracies -- between 150 and 400 milliarcseconds -- the data are extremely valuable in computing proper motions. In 1997, these positions were used to form the proper motions of the ACT Reference Catalogue. In 1999, USNO and Copenhagen University Observatory (CUO) partnered to create the Tycho-2 Catalogue. The CUO group re-analyzed the data from the Tycho experiment on the Hipparcos satellite. The USNO group re-analyzed over 140 positional catalogs which were combined with the expanded Tycho positions from the CUO group to compute the Tycho-2 proper motions. The largest contributor to these proper motions was the re-analyzed Astrographic Catalogue; the latest version being known as the AC 2000.2 Catalogue. There are two major differences between the AC 2000 and the AC 2000.2. First, the reference catalog used in AC 2000.2 was an expanded version of the Astrographic Catalogue Reference Stars that was rigorously derived on the Hipparcos Celestial Reference Frame. The second is that AC 2000.2 contains photometry from Tycho-2, where available. A description of the AC 2000.2 Catalogue, the reduction techniques used, how it compares with the 1997 version, and information on obtaining the data will be presented.

  18. Early function of the Abutilon mosaic virus AC2 gene as a replication brake.

    PubMed

    Krenz, Björn; Deuschle, Kathrin; Deigner, Tobias; Unseld, Sigrid; Kepp, Gabi; Wege, Christina; Kleinow, Tatjana; Jeske, Holger

    2015-04-01

    The C2/AC2 genes of monopartite/bipartite geminiviruses of the genera Begomovirus and Curtovirus encode important pathogenicity factors with multiple functions described so far. A novel function of Abutilon mosaic virus (AbMV) AC2 as a replication brake is described, utilizing transgenic plants with dimeric inserts of DNA B or with a reporter construct to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). Their replicational release upon AbMV superinfection or the individual and combined expression of epitope-tagged AbMV AC1, AC2, and AC3 was studied. In addition, the effects were compared in the presence and in the absence of an unrelated tombusvirus suppressor of silencing (P19). The results show that AC2 suppresses replication reproducibly in all assays and that AC3 counteracts this effect. Examination of the topoisomer distribution of supercoiled DNA, which indicates changes in the viral minichromosome structure, did not support any influence of AC2 on transcriptional gene silencing and DNA methylation. The geminiviral AC2 protein has been detected here for the first time in plants. The experiments revealed an extremely low level of AC2, which was slightly increased if constructs with an intron and a hemagglutinin (HA) tag in addition to P19 expression were used. AbMV AC2 properties are discussed with reference to those of other geminiviruses with respect to charge, modification, and size in order to delimit possible reasons for the different behaviors. The (A)C2 genes encode a key pathogenicity factor of begomoviruses and curtoviruses in the plant virus family Geminiviridae. This factor has been implicated in the resistance breaking observed in agricultural cotton production. AC2 is a multifunctional protein involved in transcriptional control, gene silencing, and regulation of basal biosynthesis. Here, a new function of Abutilon mosaic virus AC2 in replication control is added as a feature of this protein in viral multiplication, providing a novel finding on

  19. Simultaneous distribution of AC and DC power

    DOEpatents

    Polese, Luigi Gentile

    2015-09-15

    A system and method for the transport and distribution of both AC (alternating current) power and DC (direct current) power over wiring infrastructure normally used for distributing AC power only, for example, residential and/or commercial buildings' electrical wires is disclosed and taught. The system and method permits the combining of AC and DC power sources and the simultaneous distribution of the resulting power over the same wiring. At the utilization site a complementary device permits the separation of the DC power from the AC power and their reconstruction, for use in conventional AC-only and DC-only devices.

  20. The effect of step height on the performance of three-dimensional ac electro-osmotic microfluidic pumps.

    PubMed

    Urbanski, John Paul; Levitan, Jeremy A; Burch, Damian N; Thorsen, Todd; Bazant, Martin Z

    2007-05-15

    Recent numerical and experimental studies have investigated the increase in efficiency of microfluidic ac electro-osmotic pumps by introducing nonplanar geometries with raised steps on the electrodes. In this study, we analyze the effect of the step height on ac electro-osmotic pump performance. AC electro-osmotic pumps with three-dimensional electroplated steps are fabricated on glass substrates and pumping velocities of low ionic strength electrolyte solutions are measured systematically using a custom microfluidic device. Numerical simulations predict an improvement in pump performance with increasing step height, at a given frequency and voltage, up to an optimal step height, which qualitatively matches the trend observed in experiment. For a broad range of step heights near the optimum, the observed flow is much faster than with existing planar pumps (at the same voltage and minimum feature size) and in the theoretically predicted direction of the "fluid conveyor belt" mechanism. For small step heights, the experiments also exhibit significant flow reversal at the optimal frequency, which cannot be explained by the theory, although the simulations predict weak flow reversal at higher frequencies due to incomplete charging. These results provide insight to an important parameter for the design of nonplanar electro-osmotic pumps and clues to improve the fundamental theory of ACEO.

  1. Hysteretic Flux Response and Nondegenerate Gain of Flux-Driven Josephson Parametric Amplifiers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pogorzalek, Stefan; Fedorov, Kirill G.; Zhong, Ling; Goetz, Jan; Wulschner, Friedrich; Fischer, Michael; Eder, Peter; Xie, Edwar; Inomata, Kunihiro; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Nakamura, Yasunobu; Marx, Achim; Deppe, Frank; Gross, Rudolf

    2017-08-01

    Josephson parametric amplifiers (JPAs) have become key devices in quantum science and technology with superconducting circuits. In particular, they can be utilized as quantum-limited amplifiers or as a source of squeezed microwave fields. Here, we report on the detailed measurements of five flux-driven JPAs exhibiting a hysteretic dependence of the resonant frequency on the applied magnetic flux. We model the measured characteristics by numerical simulations based on the two-dimensional potential landscape of the dc superconducting quantum interference devices, which provide the JPA nonlinearity for a nonzero screening parameter βL>0 and demonstrate excellent agreement between the numerical results and the experimental data. Furthermore, we study the nondegenerate response of different JPAs and accurately describe the experimental results with our theory.

  2. Electroporation of cells using EM induction of ac fields by a magnetic stimulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, C.; Evans, J. A.; Robinson, M. P.; Smye, S. W.; O'Toole, P.

    2010-02-01

    This paper describes a method of effectively electroporating mammalian cell membranes with pulsed alternating-current (ac) electric fields at field strengths of 30-160 kV m-1. Although many in vivo electroporation protocols entail applying square wave or monotonically decreasing pulses via needles or electrode plates, relatively few have explored the use of pulsed ac fields. Following our previous study, which established the effectiveness of ac fields for electroporating cell membranes, a primary/secondary coil system was constructed to produce sufficiently strong electric fields by electromagnetic induction. The primary coil was formed from the applicator of an established transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) system, while the secondary coil was a purpose-built device of a design which could eventually be implanted into tissue. The effects of field strength, pulse interval and cumulative exposure time were investigated using microscopy and flow cytometry. Results from experiments on concentrated cell suspensions showed an optimized electroporation efficiency of around 50%, demonstrating that electroporation can be practicably achieved by inducing such pulsed ac fields. This finding confirms the possibility of a wide range of in vivo applications based on magnetically coupled ac electroporation.

  3. AC conductivity and Dielectric Study of Chalcogenide Glasses of Se-Te-Ge System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salman, Fathy

    2004-01-01

    The ac conductivity and dielectric properties of glassy system SexTe79 - xGe21, with x = 11, 14, 17 at.%, has been studied at temperatures 300 to 450 K and over a wide range of frequencies (50 Hz to 500 kHz). Experimental results indicate that the ac conductivity and the dielectric constants depend on temperature, frequency and Se content. The conductivity as a function of frequency exhibited two components: dc conductivity s dc, and ac conductivity s ac, where s ac ˜ w s. The mechanism of ac conductivity can be reasonably interpreted in terms of the correlated barrier hopping model (CBH). The activation energies are estimated and discussed. The dependence of ac conductivity and dielectric constants on the Se content x can be interpreted as the effect of Se fraction on the positional disorder. The impedance plot at each temperature appeared as a semicircle passes through the origin. Each semicircle is represented by an equivalent circuit of parallel resistance Rb and capacitance Cb.

  4. Soil incubation studies with Cry1Ac protein indicate no adverse effect of Bt crops on soil microbial communities.

    PubMed

    Zhaolei, Li; Naishun, Bu; Xueping, Chen; Jun, Cui; Manqiu, Xiao; Zhiping, Song; Ming, Nie; Changming, Fang

    2018-05-15

    Bt crops that are transgenic crops engineered to produce Bt toxins which occur naturally with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been widely planted and its environmental risk assessment has been heavily debated. The effects of Bt crops on soil microbial communities are possible through changing the quantity and quality of C inputs and potential toxic activity of Bt protein on soil organisms. To date, the direct effects of Bt protein on soil microorganisms is unclear. Here we added Cry1Ac, one of the most commonly used Bt protein in Bt crops, to the soil and monitored changes in soil bacterial, fungal and archaeal diversities and community structures using ribosomal DNA-fingerprinting method, as well as their population sizes by real-time PCR over a 100-day period. Despite the fact that variations were observed in the indices of evenness, diversity and population sizes of bacteria, fungi and archaea with different Cry1Ac addition rates up to 100ngg -1 soil, the indices of soil microbial diversities and evennesses did not significantly shift with Cry1Ac protein addition, nor did population sizes change over time. The diversities of the dominant bacteria, fungi and archaea were not significantly changed, given Cry1Ac protein addition rates over a period of 100 days. These results suggested that Bt protein derived by cultivations of transgenic Bt crops is unlikely to cause transient or even persisting significant changes in soil microorganisms in field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Invariant submanifold for series arrays of Josephson junctions.

    PubMed

    Marvel, Seth A; Strogatz, Steven H

    2009-03-01

    We study the nonlinear dynamics of series arrays of Josephson junctions in the large-N limit, where N is the number of junctions in the array. The junctions are assumed to be identical, overdamped, driven by a constant bias current, and globally coupled through a common load. Previous simulations of such arrays revealed that their dynamics are remarkably simple, hinting at the presence of some hidden symmetry or other structure. These observations were later explained by the discovery of N-3 constants of motion, the choice of which confines the resulting flow in phase space to a low-dimensional invariant manifold. Here we show that the dimensionality can be reduced further by restricting attention to a special family of states recently identified by Ott and Antonsen. In geometric terms, the Ott-Antonsen ansatz corresponds to an invariant submanifold of dimension one less than that found earlier. We derive and analyze the flow on this submanifold for two special cases: an array with purely resistive loading and another with resistive-inductive-capacitive loading. Our results recover (and in some instances improve) earlier findings based on linearization arguments.

  6. Improved Tribological Performance of Amorphous Carbon (a-C) Coating by ZrO2 Nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Jinzhu; Ding, Qi; Zhang, Songwei; Wu, Guizhi; Hu, Litian

    2016-01-01

    Nanomaterials, such as Graphene, h-BN nanoparticles and MoS2 nanotubes, have shown their ability in improving the tribological performance of amorphous carbon (a-C) coatings. In the current study, the effectiveness of ZrO2 nanoparticles (ZrO2-NPs) in lubricating the self-mated nonhydrogenated a-C contacts was investigated in boundary lubrication regime. The results showed that 13% less friction and 50% less wear compared to the base oil were achieved by employing ZrO2-NPs in the base oil in self-mated a-C contacts. Via analyzing the ZrO2-NPs and the worn a-C surface after tests, it was found that the improved lubrication by ZrO2-NPs was based on “polishing effects”, which is a new phenomenon observed between a-C and nanoparticles. Under the “polishing effect”, micro-plateaus with extremely smooth surface and uniform height were produced on the analyzed a-C surface. The resulting topography of the a-C coating is suitable for ZrO2-NPs to act as nano-bearings between rubbing surfaces. Especially, the ZrO2-NPs exhibited excellent mechanical and chemical stability, even under the severe service condition, suggesting that the combination of nonhydrogenated a-C coating with ZrO2-NPs is an effective, long lasting and environment-friendly lubrication solution. PMID:28773916

  7. The effect of heat treatment and test parameters on the aqueous stress corrosion cracking of D6AC steel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilbreath, W. P.; Adamson, M. J.

    1974-01-01

    The crack growth behavior of D6AC steel as a function of stress intensity, stress and corrosion history and test technique, under sustained load in natural seawater, 3.3 percent NaCl solution, distilled water, and high humidity air was investigated. Reported investigations of D6AC were considered with emphasis on thermal treatment, specimen configuration, fracture toughness, crack-growth rates, initiation period, threshold, and the extension of corrosion fatigue data to sustained load conditions. Stress history effects were found to be most important in that they controlled incubation period, initial crack growth rates, and apparent threshold.

  8. Detrimental effect of expression of Bt endotoxin Cry1Ac on in vitro regeneration, in vivo growth and development of tobacco and cotton transgenics.

    PubMed

    Rawat, Preeti; Singh, Amarjeet Kumar; Ray, Krishna; Chaudhary, Bhupendra; Kumar, Sanjeev; Gautam, Taru; Kanoria, Shaveta; Kaur, Gurpreet; Kumar, Paritosh; Pental, Deepak; Burma, Pradeep Kumar

    2011-06-01

    High levels of expression of the cry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis cannot be routinely achieved in transgenic plants despite modifications made in the gene to improve its expression. This has been attributed to the instability of the transcript in a few reports. In the present study, based on the genetic transformation of cotton and tobacco, we show that the expression of the Cry1Ac endotoxin has detrimental effects on both the in vitro and in vivo growth and development of transgenic plants. A number of experiments on developing transgenics in cotton with different versions of cry1Ac gene showed that the majority of the plants did not express any Cry1Ac protein. Based on Southern blot analysis, it was also observed that a substantial number of lines did not contain the cry1Ac gene cassette although they contained the marker gene nptII. More significantly, all the lines that showed appreciable levels of expression were found to be phenotypically abnormal. Experiments on transformation of tobacco with different constructs expressing the cry1Ac gene showed that in vitro regeneration was inhibited by the encoded protein. Further, out of a total of 145 independent events generated with the different cry1Ac gene constructs in tobacco, only 21 showed expression of the Cry1Ac protein, confirming observations made in cotton that regenerants that express high levels of the Cry1Ac protein are selected against during regeneration of transformed events. This problem was circumvented by targeting the Cry1Ac protein to the chloroplast, which also significantly improved the expression of the protein.

  9. New Composites LnBDC@AC and CB[6]@AC: From Design toward Selective Adsorption of Methylene Blue or Methyl Orange

    PubMed Central

    Santos, Guilherme de C.; Barros, Amanda L.; de Oliveira, Carlos A. F.; da Luz, Leonis L.; da Silva, Fausthon F.; Demets, Grégoire J.-F.; Alves Júnior, Severino

    2017-01-01

    New porous composites LnBDC@AC (AC = Activated carbon, Ln = Eu and Gd and BDC = 1,4-benzenedicaboxylate) and CB[6]@AC (CB[6] = Cucurbit[6]uril) were obtained using hydrothermal route. The LnBDC and CB[B] are located inside the pore of the carbon materials as was observed in SEM-EDS, XRPD and FT-IR analysis. Porosimetry analysis showed values typically between AC and LnBDC material, with pore size and surface area, respectively, 29,56 Å and 353.98 m2g-1 for LnBDC@AC and 35,53 Å and 353.98 m2g-1 for CB[6]@AC. Both materials showed good absorptive capacity of metil orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) with selectivity as a function of pH. For acid pH, both materials present selectivity by MB and alkaline pH for MO, with notable performance for CB[6]@AC. Additionally, europium luminescence was used as structural probe to investigate the coordination environment of Eu3+ ions in the EuBDC@AC composite after adsorption experiment. PMID:28107440

  10. Photon statistics of shot noise measured using a Josephson parametric amplifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simoneau, Jean Olivier; Virally, Stéphane; Lupien, Christian; Reulet, Bertrand

    2015-03-01

    Quantum measurements are very sensitive to external noise sources. Such measurements require careful amplification chain design so as not to overwhelm the signal with extraneous noise. A quantum-limited amplifier, like the Josephson parametric amplifier (paramp), is thus an ideal candidate for this purpose. We used a paramp to investigate the quantum noise of a tunnel junction. This measurement scheme allowed us to improve upon previous observations of shot noise by an order of magnitude in terms of noise temperature. With this setup, we have measured the second and fourth cumulants of current fluctuations generated by the tunnel junction within a 40 MHz bandwidth around 6 GHz. From theses measurements, we deduce the variance of the photon number fluctuations for various bias schemes of the junction. In particular, we investigate the regime where the junction emits pairs of photons.

  11. Superconductor Electronics Fabrication Process with MoNx Kinetic Inductors and Self-Shunted Josephson Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolpygo, Sergey K.; Bolkhovsky, Vladimir; Oates, Daniel E.; Rastogi, Ravi; Zarr, Scott; Day, Alexandra L.; Weir, Tarence J.; Wynn, Alex; Johnson, Leonard M.

    2018-06-01

    Recent progress in superconductor electronics fabrication has enabled single-flux-quantum (SFQ) digital circuits with close to one million Josephson junctions (JJs) on 1-cm$^2$ chips. Increasing the integration scale further is challenging because of the large area of SFQ logic cells, mainly determined by the area of resistively shunted Nb/AlO$_x$-Al/Nb JJs and geometrical inductors utilizing multiple layers of Nb. To overcome these challenges, we are developing a fabrication process with self-shunted high-J$_c$ JJs and compact thin-film MoN$_x$ kinetic inductors instead of geometrical inductors. We present fabrication details and properties of MoN$_x$ films with a wide range of T$_c$, including residual stress, electrical resistivity, critical current, and magnetic field penetration depth {\\lambda}$_0$. As kinetic inductors, we implemented Mo$_2$N films with T$_c$ about 8 K, {\\lambda}$_0$ about 0.51 {\\mu}m, and inductance adjustable in the range from 2 to 8 pH/sq. We also present data on fabrication and electrical characterization of Nb-based self-shunted JJs with AlO$_x$ tunnel barriers and J$_c$ = 0.6 mA/{\\mu}m$^2$, and with 10-nm thick Si$_{1-x}$Nb$_x$ barriers, with x from 0.03 to 0.15, fabricated on 200-mm wafers by co-sputtering. We demonstrate that the electron transport mechanism in Si$_{1-x}$Nb$_x$ barriers at x < 0.08 is inelastic resonant tunneling via chains of multiple localized states. At larger x, their Josephson characteristics are strongly dependent on x and residual stress in Nb electrodes, and in general are inferior to AlO$_x$ tunnel barriers.

  12. Effect of dc field on ac-loss peak in a commercial Bi:2223/Ag tape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Öztürk, Ali; Düzgün, İbrahim; Çelebi, Selahattin

    2017-12-01

    Measurements of the ac susceptibility in a commercial Bi:2223/Ag tape for some different ac magnetic field amplitudes, Hac, in the presence of bias magnetic field Hdc directed along Hac are reported. It is found that the peak values of the imaginary component of ac susceptibility χ″max versus Hac trace a valley for the orientation where applied field Ha perpendicular to wide face of the tape total. We note that the observation of the valley depends on various parameters such as field dependence parameter n in the critical current density, in the simple power law expression jc = α(T)/Bn, choice of the bias field Hdc together with selected ac field amplitudes Hac, and dimension and geometry of sample studied. Our calculations based on critical state model with jc = α(1 - T/Tcm)p/Bn using the fitting parameters of n = 0.25, p = 2.2, Tcm = 108 K gives quite good results to compare the experimental and calculated curves.

  13. Linewidth dependence of coherent terahertz emission from Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 intrinsic Josephson junction stacks in the hot-spot regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Mengyue; Yuan, Jie; Kinev, Nickolay; Li, Jun; Gross, Boris; Guénon, Stefan; Ishii, Akira; Hirata, Kazuto; Hatano, Takeshi; Koelle, Dieter; Kleiner, Reinhold; Koshelets, Valery P.; Wang, Huabing; Wu, Peiheng

    2012-08-01

    We report on measurements of the linewidth Δf of terahertz radiation emitted from intrinsic Josephson junction stacks, using a Nb/AlN/NbN integrated receiver for detection. Previous resolution-limited measurements indicated that Δf may be below 1 GHz—much smaller than expected from a purely cavity-induced synchronization. While at low bias we found Δf to be not smaller than ˜500 MHz, at high bias, where a hot spot coexists with regions which are still superconducting, Δf turned out to be as narrow as 23 MHz. We attribute this to the hot spot acting as a synchronizing element. Δf decreases with increasing bath temperature, a behavior reminiscent of motional narrowing in NMR or electron spin resonance (ESR), but hard to explain in standard electrodynamic models of Josephson junctions.

  14. 21 CFR 886.1850 - AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope. 886.1850... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 886.1850 AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope. (a) Identification. An AC-powered slitlamp biomicroscope is an AC-powered device that is a...

  15. Characterization on performance of micromixer using DC-biased AC electroosmosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Bi-O.; Song, Simon

    2010-11-01

    An active micromixer using DC-biased AC-Electroosmosis (ACEO) is investigated to figure out the effects of design parameters on the mixing performance. The mixer consists of a straight microchannel, with a cross section of 60 x 100 μm, and gold electrode pairs fabricated in the microchannel. The design parameters include the number of electrode pairs, flow rate, DC-biased voltage, AC voltage and AC frequency. First, we found that a mixing index became 80% 100 μm downstream of a single electrode pair with a length of 2 mm when applying a 25Vpp, 2.0 VDC, 100 kHz sine signal to the electrodes. With decreasing AC frequency, the mixing index is affected little. But the mixing index significantly increases with increasing either DC-biased voltage or AC voltage. Also, we were able to increase the mixing index up to 90% by introducing alternating vortices with multiple electrode pairs. Finally, we discovered that the mixing index decreases as the flow rate increases in the microchannel, and there is an optimal number of electrode pairs with respect to a flow rate. Detailed quantitative measurement results will be presented at the meeting.

  16. Bcl-2△21 and Ac-DEVD-CHO Inhibit Death of Wheat Microspores

    PubMed Central

    Sinha, Rakesh K.; Pospíšil, Pavel; Maheshwari, Priti; Eudes, François

    2016-01-01

    Microspore cell death and low green plant production efficiency are an integral obstacle in the development of doubled haploid production in wheat. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of anti-apoptotic recombinant human B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2△21) and caspase-3-inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO) in microspore cell death in bread wheat cultivars AC Fielder and AC Andrew. Induction medium containing Bcl-2△21 and Ac-DEVD-CHO yielded a significantly higher number of viable microspores, embryo-like structures and total green plants in wheat cultivars AC Fielder and AC Andrew. Total peroxidase activity was lower in Bcl-2△21 treated microspore cultures at 96 h of treatment compared to control and Ac-DEVD-CHO. Electron paramagnetic resonance study of total microspore protein showed a different scavenging activity for Bcl-2△21 and Ac-DEVD-CHO. Bcl-2△21 scavenged approximately 50% hydroxyl radical (HO•) formed, whereas Ac-DEVD-CHO scavenged approximately 20% of HO•. Conversely, reduced caspase-3-like activities were detected in the presence of Bcl-2△21 and Ac-DEVD-CHO, supporting the involvement of Bcl-2△21 and Ac-DEVD-CHO in increasing microspore viability by reducing oxidative stress and caspase-3-like activity. Our results indicate that Bcl-2△21 and Ac-DEVD-CHO protects cells from cell death following different pathways. Bcl-2△21 prevents cell damage by detoxifying HO• and suppressing caspase-3-like activity, while Ac-DEVD-CHO inhibits the cell death pathways by modulating caspase-like activity. PMID:28082995

  17. Exenatide: AC 2993, AC002993, AC2993A, exendin 4, LY2148568.

    PubMed

    2004-01-01

    Exenatide [AC002993, AC2993A, AC 2993, LY2148568, exendin 4], a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, is a synthetic exendin 4 compound under development with Amylin Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Both exendin 4 and its analogue, exendin 3, are 39-amino acid peptides isolated from Heloderma horridum lizard venom that have different amino acids at positions 2 and 3, respectively. Exendins are able to stimulate insulin secretion in response to rising blood glucose levels, and modulate gastric emptying to slow the entry of ingested sugars into the bloodstream. Amylin Pharmaceuticals acquired exclusive patent rights for the two exendin compounds (exendin 3 and exendin 4) from the originator, Dr John Eng (Bronx, NY, US). On 20 September 2002, Amylin and Eli Lilly signed a collaborative agreement for the development and commercialisation of exenatide for type 2 diabetes. Under the terms of the agreement, Eli Lilly has paid Amylin a licensing fee of 80 million US dollars and bought Amylin's stock worth 30 million US dollars at 18.69 US dollars a share. After the initial payment, Eli Lilly will pay Amylin up to 85 US dollars million upon reaching certain milestones and also make an additional payment of up to 130 million US dollars upon global commercialisation of exenatide. Both companies will share the US development and commercialisation costs, while Eli Lilly will pick up up to 80% of development costs and all commercialisation costs outside the US. Amylin and Eli Lilly will equally share profit from sales in the US, while Eli Lilly will get 80% of the profit outside the US and Amylin will get the rest. This agreement has also enabled Amylin to train its sales force to co-promote Lilly's human growth hormone Humatrope. Alkermes will receive research and development funding and milestone payments, and also a combination of royalty payments and manufacturing fees based on product sales. Alkermes undertakes the responsibility for the development

  18. Tunneling conductance in superconductor-hybrid double quantum dots Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chamoli, Tanuj; Ajay

    2018-05-01

    The present work deals with the theoretical model study to analyse the tunneling conductance across a superconductor hybrid double quantum dots tunnel junction (S-DQD-S). Recently, there are many experimental works where the Josephson current across such nanoscopic junction is found to be dependent on nature of the superconducting electrodes, coupling of the hybrid double quantum dot's electronic states with the electronic states of the superconductors and nature of electronic structure of the coupled dots. For this, we have attempted a theoretical model containing contributions of BCS superconducting leads, magnetic coupled quantum dot states and coupling of superconducting leads with QDs. In order to include magnetic coupled QDs the contributions of competitive Kondo and Ruderman-Kittel- Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction terms are also introduced through many body effects in the model Hamiltonian at low temperatures (where Kondo temperature TK < superconducting transition temperature TC). Employing non-equilibrium Green's function approach within mean field approximation, we have obtained expressions for density of states (DOS) and analysed the same using numerical computation to underline the nature of DOS close to Fermi level in S-DQD-S junctions. On the basis of numerical computation, it is pointed out that indirect exchange interaction between impurities (QD) i.e. RKKY interaction suppresses the screening of magnetic QD due to Cooper pair electrons i.e. Kondo effect in the form of reduction in the magnitude of sharp DOS peak close to Fermi level which is in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations in such tunnel junctions. Tunneling conductance is proportional to DOS, hence we can analyse it's behaviour with the help of DOS.

  19. High-Frequency ac Power-Distribution System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, Irving G.; Mildice, James

    1987-01-01

    Loads managed automatically under cycle-by-cycle control. 440-V rms, 20-kHz ac power system developed. System flexible, versatile, and "transparent" to user equipment, while maintaining high efficiency and low weight. Electrical source, from dc to 2,200-Hz ac converted to 440-V rms, 20-kHz, single-phase ac. Power distributed through low-inductance cables. Output power either dc or variable ac. Energy transferred per cycle reduced by factor of 50. Number of parts reduced by factor of about 5 and power loss reduced by two-thirds. Factors result in increased reliability and reduced costs. Used in any power-distribution system requiring high efficiency, high reliability, low weight, and flexibility to handle variety of sources and loads.

  20. Investigation of Supercurrent in the Quantum Hall Regime in Graphene Josephson Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Draelos, Anne W.; Wei, Ming Tso; Seredinski, Andrew; Ke, Chung Ting; Mehta, Yash; Chamberlain, Russell; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Yamamoto, Michihisa; Tarucha, Seigo; Borzenets, Ivan V.; Amet, François; Finkelstein, Gleb

    2018-06-01

    In this study, we examine multiple encapsulated graphene Josephson junctions to determine which mechanisms may be responsible for the supercurrent observed in the quantum Hall (QH) regime. Rectangular junctions with various widths and lengths were studied to identify which parameters affect the occurrence of QH supercurrent. We also studied additional samples where the graphene region is extended beyond the contacts on one side, making that edge of the mesa significantly longer than the opposite edge. This is done in order to distinguish two potential mechanisms: (a) supercurrents independently flowing along both non-contacted edges of graphene mesa, and (b) opposite sides of the mesa being coupled by hybrid electron-hole modes flowing along the superconductor/graphene boundary. The supercurrent appears suppressed in extended junctions, suggesting the latter mechanism.

  1. 78 FR 39345 - ACS Wireless, Inc.; Notice of Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-01

    ... on July 31, 1995 under the name MACTEL INC. Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (``ACS Group...-owned subsidiary of ACS Group, held through ACS Group's wholly-owned subsidiary Alaska Communications... presently an investment company as defined in section 3(a) of the Act. 2. On June 4, 2012, ACS Group, ACS...

  2. Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate and chlorination disinfection by-product precursors over Ru/AC.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jianbing; Zhou, Yunrui; Zhu, Wanpeng; He, Xuwen

    2009-07-15

    Catalytic ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous solution (5mg/L) under various reactions was performed to examine the effect of catalyst dosage, catalyst particle size, ozone dosage, and gas flow rate on the mineralization of DMP. The mineralization of DMP can be achieved via ozonation and the presence of Ru/AC could greatly accelerate the mineralization rate of DMP in ozonation process. In the continuous experiment of the Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of DMP, total organic carbon (TOC) removals were kept stable around 75% during 42 h reaction. No leaching of ruthenium was observed in the treated water samples. The treatment of natural water using Ru/AC+O(3), Ru/AC+O(2) and ozonation alone was studied. In the Ru/AC+O(3) process, TOC removals, the reductions of the haloacetic acid formation potentials (HAAFPs), and the reductions of the trihalomethane formation potentials (THMFPs) of 11 water samples were 22-44%, 39-61% and 50-65%, respectively. Ru/AC+O(3) process was much more effective than ozonation alone for TOC removal and the reduction of disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) in the treatment of natural water. It is a promising water treatment technology.

  3. Study on AC loss measurements of HTS power cable for standardizing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mukoyama, Shinichi; Amemiya, Naoyuki; Watanabe, Kazuo; Iijima, Yasuhiro; Mido, Nobuhiro; Masuda, Takao; Morimura, Toshiya; Oya, Masayoshi; Nakano, Tetsutaro; Yamamoto, Kiyoshi

    2017-09-01

    High-temperature superconducting power cables (HTS cables) have been developed for more than 20 years. In addition of the cable developments, the test methods of the HTS cables have been discussed and proposed in many laboratories and companies. Recently the test methods of the HTS cables is required to standardize and to common in the world. CIGRE made the working group (B1-31) for the discussion of the test methods of the HTS cables as a power cable, and published the recommendation of the test method. Additionally, IEC TC20 submitted the New Work Item Proposal (NP) based on the recommendation of CIGRE this year, IEC TC20 and IEC TC90 started the standardization work on Testing of HTS AC cables. However, the individual test method that used to measure a performance of HTS cables hasn’t been established as world’s common methods. The AC loss is one of the most important properties to disseminate low loss and economical efficient HTS cables in the world. We regard to establish the method of the AC loss measurements in rational and in high accuracy. Japan is at a leading position in the AC loss study, because Japanese researchers have studied on the AC loss technically and scientifically, and also developed the effective technologies for the AC loss reduction. The JP domestic commission of TC90 made a working team to discussion the methods of the AC loss measurements for aiming an international standard finally. This paper reports about the AC loss measurement of two type of the HTS conductors, such as a HTS conductor without a HTS shield and a HTS conductor with a HTS shield. The AC loss measurement method is suggested by the electrical method..

  4. Electrodeformation of multi-bilayer spherical concentric membranes by AC electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lira-Escobedo, J.; Arauz-Lara, J.; Aranda-Espinoza, H.; Adlerz, K.; Viveros-Mendez, P. X.; Aranda-Espinoza, S.

    2017-09-01

    It is now well established that external stresses alter the behaviour of cells, where such alterations can be as profound as changes in gene expression. A type of stresses of particular interest are those due to alternating-current (AC) electric fields. The effect of AC fields on cells is still not well understood, in particular it is not clear how these fields affect the cell nucleus and other organelles. Here, we propose that one possible mechanism is through the deformation of the membranes. In order to investigate the effect of AC fields on the morphological changes of the cell organelles, we modelled the cell as two concentric bilayer membranes. This model allows us to obtain the deformations induced by the AC field by balancing the elastic energy and the work done by the Maxwell stresses. Morphological phase diagrams are obtained as a function of the frequency and the electrical properties of the media and membranes. We demonstrate that the organelle shapes can be changed without modifying the shape of the external cell membrane and that the organelle deformation transitions can be used to measure, for example, the conductivity of the nucleus.

  5. Microwave ac Zeeman force for ultracold atoms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fancher, C. T.; Pyle, A. J.; Rotunno, A. P.; Aubin, S.

    2018-04-01

    We measure the ac Zeeman force on an ultracold gas of 87Rb due to a microwave magnetic field targeted to the 6.8 GHz hyperfine splitting of these atoms. An atom chip produces a microwave near field with a strong amplitude gradient, and we observe a force over three times the strength of gravity. Our measurements are consistent with a simple two-level theory for the ac Zeeman effect and demonstrate its resonant, bipolar, and spin-dependent nature. We observe that the dressed-atom eigenstates gradually mix over time and have mapped out this behavior as a function of magnetic field and detuning. We demonstrate the practical spin selectivity of the force by pushing or pulling a specific spin state while leaving other spin states unmoved.

  6. AC conductivity and dielectric behavior of bulk Furfurylidenemalononitrile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Nahass, M. M.; Ali, H. A. M.

    2012-06-01

    AC conductivity and dielectric behavior for bulk Furfurylidenemalononitrile have been studied over a temperature range (293-333 K) and frequency range (50-5×106 Hz). The frequency dependence of ac conductivity, σac, has been investigated by the universal power law, σac(ω)=Aωs. The variation of the frequency exponent (s) with temperature was analyzed in terms of different conduction mechanisms, and it was found that the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model is the predominant conduction mechanism. The temperature dependence of σac(ω) showed a linear increase with the increase in temperature at different frequencies. The ac activation energy was determined at different frequencies. Dielectric data were analyzed using complex permittivity and complex electric modulus for bulk Furfurylidenemalononitrile at various temperatures.

  7. Side-wall spacer passivated sub-μm Josephson junction fabrication process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grönberg, Leif; Kiviranta, Mikko; Vesterinen, Visa; Lehtinen, Janne; Simbierowicz, Slawomir; Luomahaara, Juho; Prunnila, Mika; Hassel, Juha

    2017-12-01

    We present a structure and a fabrication method for superconducting tunnel junctions down to the dimensions of 200 nm using i-line UV lithography. The key element is a sidewall-passivating spacer structure (SWAPS) which is shaped for smooth crossline contacting and low parasitic capacitance. The SWAPS structure enables formation of junctions with dimensions at or below the lithography-limited linewidth. An additional benefit is avoiding the excessive use of amorphous dielectric materials which is favorable in sub-Kelvin microwave applications often plagued by nonlinear and lossy dielectrics. We apply the structure to niobium trilayer junctions, and provide characterization results yielding evidence on wafer-scale scalability, and critical current density tuning in the range of 0.1-3.0 kA cm-2. We discuss the applicability of the junction process in the context of different applications, such as SQUID magnetometers and Josephson parametric amplifiers.

  8. On-chip integration of a superconducting microwave circulator and a Josephson parametric amplifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenthal, Eric I.; Chapman, Benjamin J.; Moores, Bradley A.; Kerckhoff, Joseph; Malnou, Maxime; Palken, D. A.; Mates, J. A. B.; Hilton, G. C.; Vale, L. R.; Ullom, J. N.; Lehnert, K. W.

    Recent progress in microwave amplification based on parametric processes in superconducting circuits has revolutionized the measurement of feeble microwave signals. These devices, which operate near the quantum limit, are routinely used in ultralow temperature cryostats to: readout superconducting qubits, search for axionic dark matter, and characterize astrophysical sensors. However, these amplifiers often require ferrite circulators to separate incoming and outgoing traveling waves. For this reason, measurement efficiency and scalability are limited. In order to facilitate the routing of quantum signals we have created a superconducting, on-chip microwave circulator without permanent magnets. We integrate our circulator on-chip with a Josephson parametric amplifier for the purpose of near quantum-limited directional amplification. In this talk I will present a design overview and preliminary measurements.

  9. Quantum Time Evolution in a Qubit Readout Process with a Josephson Bifurcation Amplifier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakano, Hayato; Saito, Shiro; Semba, Kouichi; Takayanagi, Hideaki

    2009-06-01

    We analyzed the Josephson bifurcation amplifier (JBA) readout process of a superconducting qubit quantum mechanically by calculating the dynamics of the density operator of a driven nonlinear oscillator and a qubit coupled system during the measurement process. In purely quantum cases, bifurcation is impossible. Introducing decoherence enables us to reproduce the bifurcation with a finite hysteresis. When a qubit is initially in a superposition state, we have observed the qubit-probe (JBA) entangled state, and it is divided into two separable states at the moment the JBA transition begins. This corresponds to “projection.” To readout the measurement result, however, we must wait until the two JBA states are macroscopically well separated. The waiting time is determined by the strength of the decoherence in the JBA.

  10. Critical Current Statistics of a Graphene-Based Josephson Junction Infrared Single Photon Detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walsh, Evan D.; Lee, Gil-Ho; Efetov, Dmitri K.; Heuck, Mikkel; Crossno, Jesse; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Ohki, Thomas A.; Kim, Philip; Englund, Dirk; Fong, Kin Chung

    Graphene is a promising material for single photon detection due to its broadband absorption and exceptionally low specific heat. We present a photon detector using a graphene sheet as the weak link in a Josephson junction (JJ) to form a threshold detector for single infrared photons. Calculations show that such a device could experience temperature changes of a few hundred percent leading to sub-Hz dark count rates and internal efficiencies approaching unity. We have fabricated the graphene-based JJ (gJJ) detector and measure switching events that are consistent with single photon detection under illumination by an attenuated laser. We study the physical mechanism for these events through the critical current behavior of the gJJ as a function of incident photon flux.

  11. Function analysis of Ac-PCNA and Sf-PCNA during the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus infection process.

    PubMed

    Fu, Yuejun; Wang, Ruisheng; Liang, Aihua

    2018-06-01

    The baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) possesses a gene, ac-pcna or ac49, which encodes a protein with similarity to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Homologs of this gene code for DNA polymerase processivity factors and are essential in the DNA replication systems. But the function of ac-pcna still remains unclear. To define the function of Ac-pcna in AcMNPV and Sf-pcna in host Sf9 cells, Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system was used to generate two recombinant baculoviruses: AcMNPV-Ac-pcna-EGFP and AcMNPV-Sf-pcna-EGFP. Results indicated that AcMNPV-mediated overexpression of Ac-PCNA and Sf-PCNA could stimulate replication of AcMNPV genome in the host Sf9 cells. Meanwhile, either AcMNPV-Ac-pcna-EGFP or AcMNPV-Sf-pcna-EGFP had a significant stimulating effect on Sf9 genome replication during infection. We also found that Ac-PCNA and Sf-PCNA could promote the production of budded virus. Ac-PCNA could improve the transcription level of ie2 gene dramatically and further improved the transcription of late gene, for example 38 K and vp39, at 12 h p.i.. Moreover, insecticidal potency test showed that the larvae of Beet armyworm in the AcMNPV-Ac-pcna-EGFP and AcMNPV-Sf-pcna-EGFP groups had a higher mortality rate (83.33 and 91.67%), a lower pupation rate (16.67 and 8.33%), and a lower emergence rate (6.67 and 3.33%), compared with those in AcMNPV-EGFP group. The function of Ac-PCNA and Sf-PCNA was confirmed in this study, which provided the theoretical foundation for using and modifying AcMNPV.

  12. Electroosmosis through a Cation-Exchange Membrane: Effect of an ac Perturbation on the Electroosmotic Flow.

    PubMed

    Barragán; Ruíz Bauzá C

    2000-10-15

    Electroosmosis experiments through a cation-exchange membrane have been performed using NaCl solutions in different experimental situations. The influence of an alternating (ac) sinusoidal perturbation, of known angular frequency and small amplitude, superimposed to the usual applied continuous (dc) signal on the electroosmotic flow has been studied. The experimental results show that the presence of the ac perturbation affects the electroosmotic flow value, depending on the frequency of the ac signal and on the solution stirring conditions. In the frequency range studied, two regions have been observed where the electroosmotic flow reaches a maximum value: one at low frequencies ( approximately Hz); and another at frequencies of the order of kHz. These regions could be related to membrane relaxation phenomena. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

  13. Gamma-irradiation produces active chlorine species (ACS) in physiological solutions: Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) scavenges ACS - A novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection

    PubMed Central

    Mishra, Om P.; Popov, Anatoliy V.; Pietrofesa, Ralph A.; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

    2017-01-01

    Background Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), the main lignan in whole grain flaxseed, is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger with known radioprotective properties. However, the exact mechanism of SDG radioprotection is not well understood. The current study identified a novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection by SDG in physiological solutions by scavenging active chlorine species (ACS) and reducing chlorinated nucleobases. Methods The ACS scavenging activity of SDG was determined using two highly specific fluoroprobes: hypochlorite-specific 3′-(p-aminophenyl) fluorescein (APF) and hydroxyl radical-sensitive 3′-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein (HPF). Dopamine, an SDG structural analog, was used for proton 1H NMR studies to trap primary ACS radicals. Taurine N-chlorination was determined to demonstrate radiation-induced generation of hypochlorite, a secondary ACS. DNA protection was assessed by determining the extent of DNA fragmentation and plasmid DNA relaxation following exposure to ClO− and radiation. Purine base chlorination by ClO− and γ-radiation was determined by using 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a fluorescent analog of 6-aminopurine. Results: Chloride anions (Cl−) consumed >90% of hydroxyl radicals in physiological solutions produced by γ-radiation resulting in ACS formation, which was detected by 1H NMR. Importantly, SDG scavenged hypochlorite- and γ-radiation-induced ACS. In addition, SDG blunted ACS-induced fragmentation of calf thymus DNA and plasmid DNA relaxation. SDG treatment before or after ACS exposure decreased the ClO− or γ-radiation-induced chlorination of 2-AP. Exposure to γ-radiation resulted in increased taurine chlorination, indicative of ClO− generation. NMR studies revealed formation of primary ACS radicals (chlorine atoms (Cl•) and dichloro radical anions (Cl2−•)), which were trapped by SDG and its structural analog dopamine. Conclusion We demonstrate that γ-radiation induces the generation of ACS in

  14. Gamma-irradiation produces active chlorine species (ACS) in physiological solutions: Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) scavenges ACS - A novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection.

    PubMed

    Mishra, Om P; Popov, Anatoliy V; Pietrofesa, Ralph A; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

    2016-09-01

    Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), the main lignan in whole grain flaxseed, is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger with known radioprotective properties. However, the exact mechanism of SDG radioprotection is not well understood. The current study identified a novel mechanism of DNA radioprotection by SDG in physiological solutions by scavenging active chlorine species (ACS) and reducing chlorinated nucleobases. The ACS scavenging activity of SDG was determined using two highly specific fluoroprobes: hypochlorite-specific 3'-(p-aminophenyl) fluorescein (APF) and hydroxyl radical-sensitive 3'-(p-hydroxyphenyl) fluorescein (HPF). Dopamine, an SDG structural analog, was used for proton (1)H NMR studies to trap primary ACS radicals. Taurine N-chlorination was determined to demonstrate radiation-induced generation of hypochlorite, a secondary ACS. DNA protection was assessed by determining the extent of DNA fragmentation and plasmid DNA relaxation following exposure to ClO(-) and radiation. Purine base chlorination by ClO(-) and γ-radiation was determined by using 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a fluorescent analog of 6-aminopurine. Chloride anions (Cl(-)) consumed >90% of hydroxyl radicals in physiological solutions produced by γ-radiation resulting in ACS formation, which was detected by (1)H NMR. Importantly, SDG scavenged hypochlorite- and γ-radiation-induced ACS. In addition, SDG blunted ACS-induced fragmentation of calf thymus DNA and plasmid DNA relaxation. SDG treatment before or after ACS exposure decreased the ClO(-) or γ-radiation-induced chlorination of 2-AP. Exposure to γ-radiation resulted in increased taurine chlorination, indicative of ClO(-) generation. NMR studies revealed formation of primary ACS radicals (chlorine atoms (Cl) and dichloro radical anions (Cl2¯)), which were trapped by SDG and its structural analog dopamine. We demonstrate that γ-radiation induces the generation of ACS in physiological solutions. SDG treatment scavenged

  15. Superconductor coil geometry and ac losses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pierce, T. V., Jr.; Zapata, R. N.

    1976-01-01

    An empirical relation is presented which allows simple computation of volume-averaged winding fields from central fields for coils of small rectangular cross sections. This relation suggests that, in certain applications, ac-loss minimization can be accomplished by use of low winding densities, provided that hysteresis losses are independent of winding density. The ac-loss measurements on coils wound of twisted multifilamentary composite superconductors show no significant dependence on ac losses on winding density, thus permitting the use of winding density as an independent design parameter in loss minimization.

  16. DC-biased AC-electroosmotic and AC-electrothermal flow mixing in microchannels.

    PubMed

    Ng, Wee Yang; Goh, Shireen; Lam, Yee Cheong; Yang, Chun; Rodríguez, Isabel

    2009-03-21

    This paper presents a novel approach of mixing two laminar flowing streams in microchannels. The mixer consists of a pair of electrodes disposed along a fluidic channel. By energizing the electrodes with a DC-biased (2.5 V) AC voltage (20 Vpp), an electrokinetic flow is induced with a flow profile perpendicular to that of the incoming laminar streams of liquids to be mixed. As a result, the flow lines of the incoming streams and the induced flow are forced to crossover and very efficient stirring and mixing at short mixing length can be achieved. The mixer can be operated from the AC-electroosmotic (ACEO) (sigma=1 mS/m, f=100 kHz) to the AC-electrothermal (ACET) (sigma=500 mS/m, f=500 kHz) flow regimes. The mixing efficiency in the ACEO regime was 92%, with a mixing length of 600 microm (Q=2 microL/min), an estimated mixing time of 69 ms and an induced ACEO flow velocity of approximately 725 microm/s. The mixing efficiency in the ACET regime was 65% for a mixing length of approximately 1200 microm. The mixer is efficient and suitable for mixing reagents in a fluid media from low to high conductivity as required in diverse microfluidic applications.

  17. In situ surface transfer process of Cry1Ac protein on SiO2: The effect of biosurfactants for desorption.

    PubMed

    Miao, Shuzhou; Yuan, Xingzhong; Liang, Yunshan; Wang, Hou; Leng, Lijian; Wu, Zhibin; Jiang, Longbo; Li, Yifu; Mo, Dan; Zeng, Guangming

    2018-01-05

    Genetically modified Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, which have been widely used in agricultural transgenic plants, express insecticidal Cry proteins and release the toxin into soils. Taking into consideration the environmental risk of Cry proteins, biosurfactant-rhamnolipids were applied to desorb Cry proteins from soil environment, which has not been elucidated before. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was used in this article to investigate the adsorption and desorption behaviors of Cry1Ac on SiO 2 surface (model soil). Results showed that patch-controlled electrostatic attraction (PCEA) governed Cry1Ac adsorption to SiO 2, and the solution pH or ionic strength can affect PCEA. The adsorption kinetics could be fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherm was fitted to Langmuir model with correlation coefficients higher than 0.999. The desorption characteristics of Cry1Ac from SiO 2 were assessed in the presence of mono-rhamnolipid, di-rhamnolipid or complex-rhamnolipid. Mono-rhamnolipid exhibited the most significant positive effect on desorption performance. With a complete removal of Cry1Ac reached when mono-rhamnolipid concentration was up to 50mgL -1 . Additionally, the desorption was enhanced at alkaline pH range, and Cry1Ac can be completely and rapidly desorbed by rhamnolipids from SiO 2 at ionic strength of 5×10 -2 M. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Signatures of pair-density wave order via measurement of the current-phase relation in La2-xBaxCuO4 Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamilton, David; Weis, Adam; Gu, Genda; van Harlingen, Dale

    La2-xBaxCuO4 (LBCO) exhibits a sharp drop in the transition temperature near x = 1 / 8 doping. In this regime, charge, spin and superconducting orders are intertwined and superconductivity is believed to exist in a pair-density wave (PDW) state, an ordered stripe phase characterized by sign changes in the superconducting order parameter between adjacent stripes. We present direct measurements of the current-phase relation (CPR) of Josephson junctions patterned onto crystals of LBCO at x = 1 / 8 and x = 0 . 155 (optimal doping) using a phase-sensitive Josephson interferometry technique. In contrast to the approximately sinusoidal CPR observed at optimal doping, we find the proportion of higher harmonics in the CPR increases at x = 1 / 8 doping, consistent with the formation of a PDW state. In parallel, we are carrying out measurements of the resistance noise in thin films of LBCO of various doping levels to identify features that signify the onset of charge order and changes in the dynamics of charge stripes.

  19. Protective effect of Ac-SDKP on alveolar epithelial cells through inhibition of EMT via TGF-β1/ROCK1 pathway in silicosis in rat

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deng, Haijing; Xu, Hong; Zhang, Xianghong

    The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical stage during the development of silicosis fibrosis. In the current study, we hypothesized that the anti-fibrotic tetrapeptide, N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) may exert its anti-fibrotic effects via activation of the TGF-β1/ROCK1 pathway, leading to inhibition of EMT. To address this hypothesis, we first examined the effect of Ac-SDKP upon EMT using an in vivo rat silicosis model, as well as in an in vitro model of TGF-β1-induced EMT. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to examine colocalization of surfactant protein A (SP-A), fibroblast specific protein-1 (FSP-1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in vivo. Western blotmore » analysis was used to examine for changes in the protein levels of E-cadherin (E-cad) and SP-A (epithelial cell markers), vimentin (mesenchymal cell marker), α-SMA (active myofibroblast marker), and collagen I and III in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Secondly, we utilized Western blot analysis and confocal laser scanning microscopy to examine the protein expression of TGF-β1 and ROCK1 in in vivo and in vitro studies. The results revealed that Ac-SDKP treatment prevented increases in the expression of mesenchymal markers as well as TGF-β1, ROCK1, collagen I and III. Furthermore, Ac-SDKP treatment prevented decreases in the expression of epithelial cell markers in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Based on the results, we conclude that Ac-SDKP inhibits the transition of epithelial cell-myofibroblast in silicosis via activation of the TGF-β1/ROCK1 signaling pathway, which may serve as a novel mechanism by which it exerts its anti-fibrosis properties. - Highlights: • EMT is a critical stage during the development of silicosis fibrosis. • Ac-SDKP inhibits the EMT process in silicosis both in vivo and in vitro. • Ac-SDKP inhibits the EMT process in silicosis via TGF-β1/ROCK1 pathway.« less

  20. Thick Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} Films Grown by Liquid-Phase Epitaxy for Josephson THz Applications.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simsek, Y.; Vlasko-Vlasov, V.; Koshelev, A. E.

    Theoretical and experimental studies of intrinsic Josephson junctions that naturally occur in high-Tc superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi-2212) have demonstrated their potential for novel types of compact devices for the generation and sensing of electromagnetic radiation in the THz range. Here, we show that the THz-on-a-chip concept may be realized in liquid phase epitaxial-grown (LPE) thick Bi-2212 films. We have grown μm-thick Bi-2212 LPE films on MgO substrates. These films display excellent c-axis alignment and single crystal grains of about 650 × 150 μm2 in size. A branched current-voltage characteristic was clearly observed in c-axis transport, which is a clear signature ofmore » underdamped intrinsic Josephson junctions, and a prerequisite for THz-generation. We discuss LPE growth conditions allowing improvement of the structural quality and superconducting properties of Bi-2212 films for THz applications.« less

  1. Promising efficacy of novel BTK inhibitor AC0010 in mantle cell lymphoma.

    PubMed

    Yan, Xiao; Zhou, Yile; Huang, Shujuan; Li, Xia; Yu, Mengxia; Huang, Jiansong; Wang, Jinghan; Ma, Zhixin; Jin, Jingrui; Pan, Jiajia; Li, Chenying; Li, Fenglin; Jin, Jie

    2018-04-01

    We researched into the effect and mechanism of AC0010, a novel BTK inhibitor, in MCL, and compared its efficacy and safety with Ibrutinib to develop a preclinical study for the future therapy of MCL. MTS assay was used to detect the growth inhibition caused by AC0010 and Ibrutinib, respectively, in MCL cell lines (Jeko-1 and JVM-2), primary MCL cells, and normal peripheral lymphocytes. Apoptosis of Jeko-1 and JVM-2 after exposure into AC0010 and Ibrutinib was conducted by flow cytometry; the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was checked by Western blot. q-PCR and Western blot were applied to examine the expression of BTK and p-BTK at mRNA and protein level as well as the BTK-ralated signaling pathways. MCL xenograft was developed to testify the efficacy and safety of AC0010 in vivo. In contrast with Ibrutinib, AC0010 proved to be more toxic to MCL cells in vitro (p < 0.01) with no augment in cytotoxicity to normal peripheral lymphocytes, and it can induce obvious apoptosis in MCL cell lines (p < 0.01) through caspase family and Bcl-2 family. AC0010 at 300 mg/kg can prolong the survival rate in MCL xenograft (p < 0.01). The phosphorylation of BTK is inhibited by AC0010 following simultaneously inhibition of BCR-BTK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in MCL cells. AC0010 is a novel BTK inhibitor of great efficacy and safety in MCL.

  2. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) Enhances Mental Rotation Performance during and after Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Kasten, Florian H.; Herrmann, Christoph S.

    2017-01-01

    Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been repeatedly demonstrated to modulate endogenous brain oscillations in a frequency specific manner. Thus, it is a promising tool to uncover causal relationships between brain oscillations and behavior or perception. While tACS has been shown to elicit a physiological aftereffect for up to 70 min, it remains unclear whether the effect can still be elicited if subjects perform a complex task interacting with the stimulated frequency band. In addition, it has not yet been investigated whether the aftereffect is behaviorally relevant. In the current experiment, participants performed a Shepard-like mental rotation task for 80 min. After 10 min of baseline measurement, participants received either 20 min of tACS at their individual alpha frequency (IAF) or sham stimulation (30 s tACS in the beginning of the stimulation period). Afterwards another 50 min of post-stimulation EEG were recorded. Task performance and EEG were acquired during the whole experiment. While there were no effects of tACS on reaction times or event-related-potentials (ERPs), results revealed an increase in mental rotation performance in the stimulation group as compared to sham both during and after stimulation. This was accompanied by increased ongoing alpha power and coherence as well as event-related-desynchronization (ERD) in the alpha band in the stimulation group. The current study demonstrates a behavioral and physiological aftereffect of tACS in parallel. This indicates that it is possible to elicit aftereffects of tACS during tasks interacting with the alpha band. Therefore, the tACS aftereffect is suitable to achieve an experimental manipulation. PMID:28197084

  3. Phase-coherent engineering of electronic heat currents with a Josephson modulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

    In this contribution we report the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of electronic thermal currents. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase-engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

  4. Au/Ti resistors used for Nb/Pb-alloy Josephson junctions. II. Thermal stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murakami, Masanori; Kim, K. K.

    1984-10-01

    In the preceding paper bilayered Au/Ti resistors were found to have excellent electrical stability during storage at room temperature after preannealing at an elevated temperature, which is essential to design logic and memory circuits of Nb/Pb-alloy Josephson junction devices. The resistors could contact directly with the Pb-alloy control lines in which Pb and In atoms which are known to intermix easily with Au atoms are contained. Since Pb and In atoms in the control lines are separated from Au atoms of the resistors by thin Ti layers, thermal stability at the contacts is a major concern for use of the Au/Ti resistor material in the Josephson devices. In the present study, surface morphology change and diffusion mechanism at the resistor/control-line contacts were studied using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy for square-shaped Au/Ti resistors covered by Pb-In layers. The samples were isothermally annealed at temperatures ranging from 353 to 423 K. The diffusion did not occur immediately after annealing at these temperatures. After the incubation period, the interdiffusion was observed to initiate at the edges of the resistors facing to the center of the cathode. Significant amounts of the In atoms in the Pb-In layers were observed to diffuse into the Au layers of the resistors, forming AuIn2 compounds under the Ti layers. By measuring growth rates of the AuIn2 layers, the diffusion coefficients and the activation energy for the layer growth were determined. Also, by analyzing changes in the In concentration in the Pb-In layers during annealing, interdiffusion coefficients of In atoms in the Pb-In layers were determined using a computer simulation technique. The activation energy was about 1.1 eV. Since these diffusion coefficients were found to be very close to those determined previously in bulk materials, the diffusion kinetics is believed to be controlled by the lattice diffusion. Based on the present results, several methods to reduce the

  5. Structured chaos in a devil's staircase of the Josephson junction.

    PubMed

    Shukrinov, Yu M; Botha, A E; Medvedeva, S Yu; Kolahchi, M R; Irie, A

    2014-09-01

    The phase dynamics of Josephson junctions (JJs) under external electromagnetic radiation is studied through numerical simulations. Current-voltage characteristics, Lyapunov exponents, and Poincaré sections are analyzed in detail. It is found that the subharmonic Shapiro steps at certain parameters are separated by structured chaotic windows. By performing a linear regression on the linear part of the data, a fractal dimension of D = 0.868 is obtained, with an uncertainty of ±0.012. The chaotic regions exhibit scaling similarity, and it is shown that the devil's staircase of the system can form a backbone that unifies and explains the highly correlated and structured chaotic behavior. These features suggest a system possessing multiple complete devil's staircases. The onset of chaos for subharmonic steps occurs through the Feigenbaum period doubling scenario. Universality in the sequence of periodic windows is also demonstrated. Finally, the influence of the radiation and JJ parameters on the structured chaos is investigated, and it is concluded that the structured chaos is a stable formation over a wide range of parameter values.

  6. Structured chaos in a devil's staircase of the Josephson junction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Botha, A. E.; Medvedeva, S. Yu.; Kolahchi, M. R.; Irie, A.

    2014-09-01

    The phase dynamics of Josephson junctions (JJs) under external electromagnetic radiation is studied through numerical simulations. Current-voltage characteristics, Lyapunov exponents, and Poincaré sections are analyzed in detail. It is found that the subharmonic Shapiro steps at certain parameters are separated by structured chaotic windows. By performing a linear regression on the linear part of the data, a fractal dimension of D = 0.868 is obtained, with an uncertainty of ±0.012. The chaotic regions exhibit scaling similarity, and it is shown that the devil's staircase of the system can form a backbone that unifies and explains the highly correlated and structured chaotic behavior. These features suggest a system possessing multiple complete devil's staircases. The onset of chaos for subharmonic steps occurs through the Feigenbaum period doubling scenario. Universality in the sequence of periodic windows is also demonstrated. Finally, the influence of the radiation and JJ parameters on the structured chaos is investigated, and it is concluded that the structured chaos is a stable formation over a wide range of parameter values.

  7. Structured chaos in a devil's staircase of the Josephson junction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shukrinov, Yu. M.; Botha, A. E., E-mail: bothaae@unisa.ac.za; Medvedeva, S. Yu.

    2014-09-01

    The phase dynamics of Josephson junctions (JJs) under external electromagnetic radiation is studied through numerical simulations. Current-voltage characteristics, Lyapunov exponents, and Poincaré sections are analyzed in detail. It is found that the subharmonic Shapiro steps at certain parameters are separated by structured chaotic windows. By performing a linear regression on the linear part of the data, a fractal dimension of D = 0.868 is obtained, with an uncertainty of ±0.012. The chaotic regions exhibit scaling similarity, and it is shown that the devil's staircase of the system can form a backbone that unifies and explains the highly correlated and structured chaotic behavior.more » These features suggest a system possessing multiple complete devil's staircases. The onset of chaos for subharmonic steps occurs through the Feigenbaum period doubling scenario. Universality in the sequence of periodic windows is also demonstrated. Finally, the influence of the radiation and JJ parameters on the structured chaos is investigated, and it is concluded that the structured chaos is a stable formation over a wide range of parameter values.« less

  8. Spectroscopic Determination of the AC Voltammetric Response.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-06

    characterization of electrode processes. More recently, with the advent of linear sweep cyclic AC voltanmetry(12’ 13), it has been shown that AC methods...implemented with the same instrumentation ( 7 ) as previously used in MSRS and retains both the qualitative and quantitative utility of linear sweep ...voltammetric response (eg. peak width at balf-height, peak separation and cross-over potential in cyclic AC voltametry ) apply equally well to the SACRS

  9. Measuring Gravitational Flexion in ACS Clusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldberg, David

    2005-07-01

    We propose measurement of the gravitational "Flexion" signal in ACS cluster images. The flexion, or "arciness" of a lensed background galaxy arises from variations in the lensing field. As a result, it is extremely sensitive to small scale perturbations in the field, and thus, to substructure in clusters. Moreover, because flexion represents gravitationally induced asymmetries in the lensed image, it is completely separable from traditional measurements of shear, which focus on the induced ellipticity of the image, and thus, the two signals may be extracted simultaneously. Since typical galaxies are roughly symmetric upon 180 degree rotation, even a small induced flexion can potentially produce a noticeable effect {Goldberg & Bacon, 2005}. We propose the measurement of substructure within approximately 4 clusters with high-quality ACS data, and will further apply a test of a new tomographic technique whereby comparisons of lensed arcs at different redshifts may be used to estimate the background cosmology, and thus place constraints on the equation of state of dark energy.

  10. THERMIONIC AC GENERATION

    DTIC Science & Technology

    is shown that the maximum ac efficiency is equal to approximately 70% of the corresponding dc value. An illustrative example, including a proposed design for a rather unconventional transformer, is appended. (Author)

  11. 78 FR 49318 - Availability of Draft Advisory Circular (AC) 90-106A and AC 20-167A

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration [Docket No FAA-2013-0485] Availability of Draft Advisory Circular (AC) 90-106A and AC 20- 167A AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration..., Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 385...

  12. The ac propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geppert, S.

    1981-08-01

    A functional prototype of an electric vehicle ac propulsion system was built consisting of a 18.65 kW rated ac induction traction motor, pulse width modulated (PWM) transistorized inverter, two speed mechanically shifted automatic transmission, and an overall drive/vehicle controller. Design developmental steps, and test results of individual components and the complex system on an instrumented test frame are described. Computer models were developed for the inverter, motor and a representative vehicle. A preliminary reliability model and failure modes effects analysis are given.

  13. The ac propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geppert, S.

    1981-01-01

    A functional prototype of an electric vehicle ac propulsion system was built consisting of a 18.65 kW rated ac induction traction motor, pulse width modulated (PWM) transistorized inverter, two speed mechanically shifted automatic transmission, and an overall drive/vehicle controller. Design developmental steps, and test results of individual components and the complex system on an instrumented test frame are described. Computer models were developed for the inverter, motor and a representative vehicle. A preliminary reliability model and failure modes effects analysis are given.

  14. Differential Roles of AC2 and AC4 of Cassava Geminiviruses in Mediating Synergism and Suppression of Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing

    PubMed Central

    Vanitharani, Ramachandran; Chellappan, Padmanabhan; Pita, Justin S.; Fauquet, Claude M.

    2004-01-01

    Posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in plants is a natural defense mechanism against virus infection. In mixed infections, virus synergism is proposed to result from suppression of the host defense mechanism by the viruses. Synergistic severe mosaic disease caused by simultaneous infection with isolates of the Cameroon strain of African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV-[CM]) and East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCV) in cassava and tobacco is characterized by a dramatic increase in symptom severity and a severalfold increase in viral-DNA accumulation by both viruses compared to that in singly infected plants. Here, we report that synergism between ACMV-[CM] and EACMCV is a two-way process, as the presence of the DNA-A component of ACMV-[CM] or EACMCV in trans enhanced the accumulation of viral DNA of EACMCV and ACMV-[CM], respectively, in tobacco BY-2 protoplasts. Furthermore, transient expression of ACMV-[CM] AC4 driven by the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (p35S-AC4) enhanced EACMCV DNA accumulation by ∼8-fold in protoplasts, while p35S-AC2 of EACMCV enhanced ACMV-[CM] DNA accumulation, also by ∼8-fold. An Agrobacterium-based leaf infiltration assay determined that ACMV-[CM] AC4 and EACMCV AC2, the putative synergistic genes, were able to suppress PTGS induced by green fluorescent protein (GFP) and eliminated the short interfering RNAs associated with PTGS, with a correlated increase in GFP mRNA accumulation. In addition, we have identified AC4 of Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus and AC2 of Indian cassava mosaic virus as suppressors of PTGS, indicating that geminiviruses evolved differently in regard to interaction with the host. The specific and different roles played by these AC2 and AC4 proteins of cassava geminiviruses in regulating anti-PTGS activity and their relation to synergism are discussed. PMID:15308741

  15. Lamin A/C Haploinsufficiency Modulates the Differentiation Potential of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

    PubMed Central

    Sehgal, Poonam; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Kumaran, R. Ileng; Kumar, Satish; Parnaik, Veena K.

    2013-01-01

    Background Lamins are structural proteins that are the major determinants of nuclear architecture and play important roles in various nuclear functions including gene regulation and cell differentiation. Mutations in the human lamin A gene cause a spectrum of genetic diseases that affect specific tissues. Most available mouse models for laminopathies recapitulate disease symptoms for muscle diseases and progerias. However, loss of human lamin A/C also has highly deleterious effects on fetal development. Hence it is important to understand the impact of lamin A/C expression levels on embryonic differentiation pathways. Methodology and Principal Findings We have investigated the differentiation potential of mouse embryonic stem cells containing reduced levels of lamin A/C by detailed lineage analysis of embryoid bodies derived from these cells by in vitro culture. We initially carried out a targeted disruption of one allele of the mouse lamin A/C gene (Lmna). Undifferentiated wild-type and Lmna+/− embryonic stem cells showed similar expression of pluripotency markers and cell cycle profiles. Upon spontaneous differentiation into embryoid bodies, markers for visceral endoderm such as α-fetoprotein were highly upregulated in haploinsufficient cells. However, neuronal markers such as β-III tubulin and nestin were downregulated. Furthermore, we observed a reduction in the commitment of Lmna+/− cells into the myogenic lineage, but no discernible effects on cardiac, adipocyte or osteocyte lineages. In the next series of experiments, we derived embryonic stem cell clones expressing lamin A/C short hairpin RNA and examined their differentiation potential. These cells expressed pluripotency markers and, upon differentiation, the expression of lineage-specific markers was altered as observed with Lmna+/− embryonic stem cells. Conclusions We have observed significant effects on embryonic stem cell differentiation to visceral endoderm, neuronal and myogenic lineages upon

  16. 21 CFR 880.6320 - AC-powered medical examination light.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered medical examination light. 880.6320... Miscellaneous Devices § 880.6320 AC-powered medical examination light. (a) Identification. An AC-powered medical examination light is an AC-powered device intended for medical purposes that is used to illuminate body...

  17. Quantification of toxins in a Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton cultivar and its potential effects on the honey bee Apis mellifera L.

    PubMed

    Han, Peng; Niu, Chang-Ying; Lei, Chao-Liang; Cui, Jin-Jie; Desneux, Nicolas

    2010-11-01

    Transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is increasingly planted throughout China. However, negative effects of this cultivar on the honey bee Apis mellifera L., the most important pollinator for cultivated ecosystem, remained poorly investigated. The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential side effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen from cotton on young adult honey bees A. mellifera L. Two points emphasized the significance of our study: (1) A higher expression level of insecticidal protein Cry1Ac in pollen tissues was detected (when compared with previous reports). In particular, Cry1Ac protein was detected at 300 ± 4.52 ng g(-1) [part per billion (ppb)] in pollen collected in July, (2) Effects on chronic mortality and feeding behaviour in honey bees were evaluated using a no-choice dietary feeding protocol with treated pollen, which guarantee the highest exposure level to bees potentially occurring in natural conditions (worst case scenario). Tests were also conducted using imidacloprid-treated pollen at a concentration of 48 ppb as positive control for sublethal effect on feeding behaviour. Our results suggested that Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen carried no lethal risk for honey bees. However, during a 7-day oral exposure to the various treatments (transgenic, imidacloprid-treated and control), honey bee feeding behaviour was disturbed and bees consumed significantly less CCRI41 cotton pollen than in the control group in which bees were exposed to conventional cotton pollen. It may indicate an antifeedant effect of CCRI41 pollen on honey bees and thus bees may be at risk because of large areas are planted with transgenic Bt cotton in China. This is the first report suggesting a potential sublethal effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of risk assessment for bees as well as for directions of future work involving risk assessment of CCRI41 cotton.

  18. The Effects of the Toxic Cyanobacterium Limnothrix (Strain AC0243) on Bufo marinus Larvae

    PubMed Central

    Daniels, Olivia; Fabbro, Larelle; Makiela, Sandrine

    2014-01-01

    Limnothrix (strain AC0243) is a cyanobacterium, which has only recently been identified as toxin producing. Under laboratory conditions, Bufo marinus larvae were exposed to 100,000 cells mL−1 of Limnothrix (strain AC0243) live cultures for seven days. Histological examinations were conducted post mortem and revealed damage to the notochord, eyes, brain, liver, kidney, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and heart. The histopathological results highlight the toxicological impact of this strain, particularly during developmental stages. Toxicological similarities to β-N-Methylamino-l-alanine are discussed. PMID:24662524

  19. Low frequency critical current noise and two level system defects in Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nugroho, Christopher Daniel

    The critical current in a Josephson junction is known to exhibit a 1/falpha low frequency noise. Implemented as a superconducting qubit, this low frequency noise can lead to decoherence. While the 1/f noise has been known to arise from an ensemble of two level systems connected to the tunnel barrier, the precise microscopic nature of these TLSs remain a mystery. In this thesis we will present measurements of the 1/f alpha low frequency noise in the critical current and tunneling resistance of Al-AlOx-Al Josephson junctions. Measurements in a wide range of resistively shunted and unshunted junctions confirm the equality of critical current and tunneling resistance noise. That is the critical current fluctuation corresponds to fluctuations of the tunneling resistance. In not too small Al-AlOx-Al junctions we have found that the fractional power spectral density scales linearly with temperature. We confirmed that the 1/falpha power spectrum is the result of a large number of two level systems modulating the tunneling resistance. At small junction areas and low temperatures, the number of thermally active TLSs is insufficient to integrate out a featureless 1/ f spectral shape. By analyzing the spectral variance in small junction areas, we have been able to deduce the TLS defect density, n ≈ 2.53 per micrometer squared per Kelvin spread in the TLS energy per factor e in the TLS lifetimes. This density is consistent with the density of tunneling TLSs found in glassy insulators, as well as the density deduced from coherent TLSs interacting at qubit frequencies. The deduced TLS density combined with the magnitude of the 1/f power spectral density in large area junctions, gives an average TLS effective area, A ˜ 0.3 nanometer squared. In ultra small tunnel junctions, we have studied the time-domain dynamics of isolated TLSs. We have found a TLS whose dynamics is described by the quantum tunneling between the two localized wells, and a one-phonon absorption

  20. Aggregation of model amyloid insulin protein in crowding environments and under ac-electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Zhongli; Jing, Benxin; Murray, Brian; Sorci, Mirco; Belfort, Georges; Zhu, Y.

    2013-03-01

    In vitro experiments have been widely used to characterize the misfolding/unfolding pathway characteristic of amylodogenic proteins. Conversion from natively folded amyloidogenic proteins to oligomers via nucleation is the accepted path to fibril formation upon heating over a certain lag time period. In this work, we investigate the effect of crowing environment and external electric fields on the pathway and kinetics of insulin, a well-established amyloid model protein by single fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging. With added co-solutes, such as glycerol and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), to mimic the cellular crowding environments, we have observed that the lag time can be significantly prolonged. The lag time increases with increasing co-solute concentration, yet showing little dependence on solution viscosity. Conversely, applied ac-electric fields can considerably shorten the lag timewhen a critical ac-voltage is exceeded. The strong dependence of lag time on ac-frequency over a narrow range of 500 Hz-5 kHz indicates the effect of ac-electroosmosis on the diffusion controlled process of insulin nucleation. Yet, no conformational structure is detected with insulin under applied ac-fields, suggesting the equivalence of ac-polarization to the conventional thermal activation process for insulin aggregation. These finding suggest that at least the aggregation kinetics of insulin can be altered by local solution condition or external stimuli, which gives new insight to the treatment of amyloid related diseases.

  1. Bi-directional flow induced by an AC electroosmotic micropump with DC voltage bias.

    PubMed

    Islam, Nazmul; Reyna, Jairo

    2012-04-01

    This paper discusses the principle of biased alternating current electroosmosis (ACEO) and its application to move the bulk fluid in a microchannel, as an alternative to mechanical pumping methods. Previous EO-driven flow research has looked at the effect of electrode asymmetry and transverse traveling wave forms on the performance of electroosmotic pumps. This paper presents an analysis that was conducted to assess the effect of combining an AC signal with a DC (direct current) bias when generating the electric field needed to impart electroosmosis (EO) within a microchannel. The results presented here are numerical and experimental. The numerical results were generated through simulations performed using COMSOL 3.5a. Currently available theoretical models for EO flows were embedded in the software and solved numerically to evaluate the effects of channel geometry, frequency of excitation, electrode array geometry, and AC signal with a DC bias on the flow imparted on an electrically conducting fluid. Simulations of the ACEO flow driven by a constant magnitude of AC voltage over symmetric electrodes did not indicate relevant net flows. However, superimposing a DC signal over the AC signal on the same symmetric electrode array leads to a noticeable net forward flow. Moreover, changing the polarity of electrical signal creates a bi-directional flow on symmetrical electrode array. Experimental flow measurements were performed on several electrode array configurations. The mismatch between the numerical and experimental results revealed the limitations of the currently available models for the biased EO. However, they confirm that using a symmetric electrode array excited by an AC signal with a DC bias leads to a significant improvement in flow rates in comparison to the flow rates obtained in an asymmetric electrode array configuration excited just with an AC signal. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Time-evolution of photon heat current through series coupled two mesoscopic Josephson junction devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Wen-Ting; Zhao, Hong-Kang; Wang, Jian

    2018-03-01

    Photon heat current tunneling through a series coupled two mesoscopic Josephson junction (MJJ) system biased by dc voltages has been investigated by employing the nonequilibrium Green’s function approach. The time-oscillating photon heat current is contributed by the superposition of different current branches associated with the frequencies of MJJs ω j (j = 1, 2). Nonlinear behaviors are exhibited to be induced by the self-inductance, Coulomb interaction, and interference effect relating to the coherent transport of Cooper pairs in the MJJs. Time-oscillating pumping photon heat current is generated in the absence of temperature difference, while it becomes zero after time-average. The combination of ω j and Coulomb interactions in the MJJs determines the concrete heat current configuration. As the external and intrinsic frequencies ω j and ω 0 of MJJs match some specific combinations, resonant photon heat current exhibits sinusoidal behaviors with large amplitudes. Symmetric and asymmetric evolutions versus time t with respect to ω 1 t and ω 2 t are controlled by the applied dc voltages of V 1 and V 2. The dc photon heat current formula is a special case of the general time-dependent heat current formula when the bias voltages are settled to zero. The Aharonov-Bohm effect has been investigated, and versatile oscillation structures of photon heat current can be achieved by tuning the magnetic fluxes threading through separating MJJs.

  3. Photon-detections via probing the switching current shifts of Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yiwen; Zhou, Pinjia; Wei, Lianfu; Zhang, Beihong; Wei, Qiang; Zhai, Jiquan; Xu, Weiwei; Cao, Chunhai

    2015-08-01

    Phenomenally, Cooper pairs can be broken up by external energy and thus the Cooper-pair density in the superconducting electrodes of a Josephson junction (JJ) under radiation can be lowered accordingly. Therefore, by probing the shift of the switching current through the junction, the radiation power absorbed by the superconductors can be detected. Here, we experimentally demonstrate weak optical detections in two types of JJs: Al/AlOx/Al junction (Al-J) and Nb/AlOx/Nb junction (Nb-J), with the superconducting transition temperatures Tc ≈ 1.2K and 6.8 K respectively. The photon-induced switching current shifts are measured at ultra-low temperature (T ≈ 16mK) in order to significantly suppress thermal noises. It is observed that the Al-J has a higher sensitivity than the Nb-J, which is expected since Al has a smaller superconducting gap energy than Nb. The minimum detectable optical powers (at 1550 nm) with the present Al-J and Nb-J are measured as 8 pW and 2 nW respectively, and the noise equivalent power (NEP) are estimated to be 7 ×10-11W /√{ Hz } (for Nb-J) and 3 ×10-12W /√{ Hz } (for Al-J). We also find that the observed switching current responses are dominated by the photon-induced thermal effects. Several methods are proposed to further improve the device sensitivity, so that the JJ based devices can be applicable in photon detections.

  4. Electroosmotic Flow Driven by DC and AC Electric Fields in Curved Microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jia-Kun; Luo, Win-Jet; Yang, Ruey-Jen

    2006-10-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate electroosmotic flows driven by externally applied DC and AC electric fields in curved microchannels. For the DC electric driving field, the velocity distribution and secondary flow patterns are investigated in microchannels with various curvature ratios. We use the Dean number to describe the curvature effect of the flow field in DC electric field. The result implies that the effect of curvatures and the strength of the secondary flows become get stronger when the curvature ratio of C/A (where C is the radius of curvature of the microchannel and A is the half-height of rectangular curved tube.) is smaller. For the AC electric field, the velocity distribution and secondary flow patterns are investigated for driving frequencies in the range of 2.0 kHz (\\mathit{Wo}=0.71) to 11 kHz (\\mathit{Wo}=1.66). The numerical results reveal that the velocity at the center of the microchannel becomes lower at higher frequencies of the AC electric field and the strength of the secondary flow decreases. When the applied frequency exceeds 3.0 kHz (\\mathit{Wo}=0.87), vortices are no longer observed at the corners of the microchannel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the secondary flow induced at higher AC electric field frequencies has virtually no effect on the axial flow field in the microchannel.

  5. Microfabrication of low-loss lumped-element Josephson circuits for non-reciprocal and parametric devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cicak, Katarina; Lecocq, Florent; Ranzani, Leonardo; Peterson, Gabriel A.; Kotler, Shlomi; Teufel, John D.; Simmonds, Raymond W.; Aumentado, Jose

    Recent developments in coupled mode theory have opened the doors to new nonreciprocal amplification techniques that can be directly leveraged to produce high quantum efficiency in current measurements in microwave quantum information. However, taking advantage of these techniques requires flexible multi-mode circuit designs comprised of low-loss materials that can be implemented using common fabrication techniques. In this talk we discuss the design and fabrication of a new class of multi-pole lumped-element superconducting parametric amplifiers based on Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions on silicon or sapphire. To reduce intrinsic loss in these circuits we utilize PECVD amorphous silicon as a low-loss dielectric (tanδ 5 ×10-4), resulting in nearly quantum-limited directional amplification.

  6. Challenges and solutions in medically managed ACS in the Asia-Pacific region: expert recommendations from the Asia-Pacific ACS Medical Management Working Group.

    PubMed

    Huo, Yong; Thompson, Peter; Buddhari, Wacin; Ge, Junbo; Harding, Scott; Ramanathan, Letchuman; Reyes, Eugenio; Santoso, Anwar; Tam, Li-Wah; Vijayaraghavan, Govindan; Yeh, Hung-I

    2015-03-15

    Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remain a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. International guidelines advocate invasive procedures in all but low-risk ACS patients; however, a high proportion of ACS patients in the APAC region receive solely medical management due to a combination of unique geographical, socioeconomic, and population-specific barriers. The APAC ACS Medical Management Working Group recently convened to discuss the ACS medical management landscape in the APAC region. Local and international ACS guidelines and the global and APAC clinical evidence-base for medical management of ACS were reviewed. Challenges in the provision of optimal care for these patients were identified and broadly categorized into issues related to (1) accessibility/systems of care, (2) risk stratification, (3) education, (4) optimization of pharmacotherapy, and (5) cost/affordability. While ACS guidelines clearly represent a valuable standard of care, the group concluded that these challenges can be best met by establishing cardiac networks and individual hospital models/clinical pathways taking into account local risk factors (including socioeconomic status), affordability and availability of pharmacotherapies/invasive facilities, and the nature of local healthcare systems. Potential solutions central to the optimization of ACS medical management in the APAC region are outlined with specific recommendations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Infrequent transposition of Ac in lettuce, Lactuca sativa.

    PubMed

    Yang, C H; Ellis, J G; Michelmore, R W

    1993-08-01

    The maize transposable element Activator (Ac) is being used to develop a transposon mutagenesis system in lettuce, Lactuca sativa. Two constructs containing the complete Ac from the waxy-m7 locus of maize were introduced into lettuce and monitored for activity using Southern analysis and PCR amplification of the excision site. No transposition of Ac was detected in over 32 transgenic R1 plants, although these constructs were known to provide frequent transposition in other species. Also, no transposition was observed in later generations. In subsequent experiments, transposition was detected in lettuce calli using constructs that allowed selection for excision events. In these constructs, the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene was interrupted by either Ac or Ds. Excision was detected as the ability of callus to grow on kanamycin. Synthesis of the transposase from the cDNA of Ac expressed from the T-DNA 2' promoter resulted in more frequent excision of Ds than was observed with the wild-type Ac. No excision was observed with Ds in the absence of the transposase. The excision events were confirmed by amplification of the excision site by PCR followed by DNA sequencing. Excision and reintegration were also confirmed by Southern analysis. Ac/Ds is therefore capable of transposition in at least calli of lettuce.

  8. Obtaining continuous BrAC/BAC estimates in the field: A hybrid system integrating transdermal alcohol biosensor, Intellidrink smartphone app, and BrAC Estimator software tools.

    PubMed

    Luczak, Susan E; Hawkins, Ashley L; Dai, Zheng; Wichmann, Raphael; Wang, Chunming; Rosen, I Gary

    2018-08-01

    Biosensors have been developed to measure transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC), but converting TAC into interpretable indices of blood/breath alcohol concentration (BAC/BrAC) is difficult because of variations that occur in TAC across individuals, drinking episodes, and devices. We have developed mathematical models and the BrAC Estimator software for calibrating and inverting TAC into quantifiable BrAC estimates (eBrAC). The calibration protocol to determine the individualized parameters for a specific individual wearing a specific device requires a drinking session in which BrAC and TAC measurements are obtained simultaneously. This calibration protocol was originally conducted in the laboratory with breath analyzers used to produce the BrAC data. Here we develop and test an alternative calibration protocol using drinking diary data collected in the field with the smartphone app Intellidrink to produce the BrAC calibration data. We compared BrAC Estimator software results for 11 drinking episodes collected by an expert user when using Intellidrink versus breath analyzer measurements as BrAC calibration data. Inversion phase results indicated the Intellidrink calibration protocol produced similar eBrAC curves and captured peak eBrAC to within 0.0003%, time of peak eBrAC to within 18min, and area under the eBrAC curve to within 0.025% alcohol-hours as the breath analyzer calibration protocol. This study provides evidence that drinking diary data can be used in place of breath analyzer data in the BrAC Estimator software calibration procedure, which can reduce participant and researcher burden and expand the potential software user pool beyond researchers studying participants who can drink in the laboratory. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Bioinformatics and Astrophysics Cluster (BinAc)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krüger, Jens; Lutz, Volker; Bartusch, Felix; Dilling, Werner; Gorska, Anna; Schäfer, Christoph; Walter, Thomas

    2017-09-01

    BinAC provides central high performance computing capacities for bioinformaticians and astrophysicists from the state of Baden-Württemberg. The bwForCluster BinAC is part of the implementation concept for scientific computing for the universities in Baden-Württemberg. Community specific support is offered through the bwHPC-C5 project.

  10. 7 CFR 1737.31 - Area Coverage Survey (ACS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Area Coverage Survey (ACS). 1737.31 Section 1737.31... Studies-Area Coverage Survey and Loan Design § 1737.31 Area Coverage Survey (ACS). (a) The Area Coverage Survey (ACS) is a market forecast of service requirements of subscribers in a proposed service area. (b...

  11. 7 CFR 1737.31 - Area Coverage Survey (ACS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Area Coverage Survey (ACS). 1737.31 Section 1737.31... Studies-Area Coverage Survey and Loan Design § 1737.31 Area Coverage Survey (ACS). (a) The Area Coverage Survey (ACS) is a market forecast of service requirements of subscribers in a proposed service area. (b...

  12. 7 CFR 1737.31 - Area Coverage Survey (ACS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Area Coverage Survey (ACS). 1737.31 Section 1737.31... Studies-Area Coverage Survey and Loan Design § 1737.31 Area Coverage Survey (ACS). (a) The Area Coverage Survey (ACS) is a market forecast of service requirements of subscribers in a proposed service area. (b...

  13. 7 CFR 1737.31 - Area Coverage Survey (ACS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Area Coverage Survey (ACS). 1737.31 Section 1737.31... Studies-Area Coverage Survey and Loan Design § 1737.31 Area Coverage Survey (ACS). (a) The Area Coverage Survey (ACS) is a market forecast of service requirements of subscribers in a proposed service area. (b...

  14. 7 CFR 1737.31 - Area Coverage Survey (ACS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Studies-Area Coverage Survey and Loan Design § 1737.31 Area Coverage Survey (ACS). (a) The Area Coverage Survey (ACS) is a market forecast of service requirements of subscribers in a proposed service area. (b... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Area Coverage Survey (ACS). 1737.31 Section 1737.31...

  15. 21 CFR 880.5500 - AC-powered patient lift.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false AC-powered patient lift. 880.5500 Section 880.5500... Devices § 880.5500 AC-powered patient lift. (a) Identification. An AC-powered lift is an electrically powered device either fixed or mobile, used to lift and transport patients in the horizontal or other...

  16. 21 CFR 880.5500 - AC-powered patient lift.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false AC-powered patient lift. 880.5500 Section 880.5500... Devices § 880.5500 AC-powered patient lift. (a) Identification. An AC-powered lift is an electrically powered device either fixed or mobile, used to lift and transport patients in the horizontal or other...

  17. AC-electric field dependent electroformation of giant lipid vesicles.

    PubMed

    Politano, Timothy J; Froude, Victoria E; Jing, Benxin; Zhu, Yingxi

    2010-08-01

    Giant vesicles of larger than 5 microm, which have been of intense interest for their potential as drug delivery vehicles and as a model system for cell membranes, can be rapidly formed from a spin-coated lipid thin film under an electric field. In this work, we explore the AC-field dependent electroformation of giant lipid vesicles in aqueous media over a wide range of AC-frequency from 1 Hz to 1 MHz and peak-to-peak field strength from 0.212 V/mm to 40 V/mm between two parallel conducting electrode surfaces. By using fluorescence microscopy, we perform in-situ microscopic observations of the structural evolution of giant vesicles formed from spin-coated lipid films under varied uniform AC-electric fields. The real-time observation of bilayer bulging from the lipid film, vesicle growth and fusing further examine the critical role of AC-induced electroosmotic flow of surrounding fluids for giant vesicle formation. A rich AC-frequency and field strength phase diagram is obtained experimentally to predict the AC-electroformation of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of l-alpha-phosphatidylcholine, where a weak dependence of vesicle size on AC-frequency is observed at low AC-field voltages, showing decreased vesicle size with a narrowed size distribution with increased AC-frequency. Formation of vesicles was shown to be constrained by an upper field strength of 10 V/mm and an upper AC-frequency of 10 kHz. Within these parameters, giant lipid vesicles were formed predominantly unilamellar and prevalent across the entire electrode surfaces. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Breakdown of autoresonance due to separatrix crossing in dissipative systems: From Josephson junctions to the three-wave problem.

    PubMed

    Chacón, Ricardo

    2008-12-01

    Optimal energy amplification via autoresonance in dissipative systems subjected to separatrix crossings is discussed through the universal model of a damped driven pendulum. Analytical expressions of the autoresonance responses and forces as well as the associated adiabatic invariants for the phase space regions separated by the underlying separatrix are derived from the energy-based theory of autoresonance. Additionally, applications to a single Josephson junction, topological solitons in Frenkel-Kontorova chains, as well as to the three-wave problem in dissipative media are discussed in detail from the autoresonance analysis.

  19. The AC-120: The advanced commercial transport

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duran, David; Griffin, Ernest; Mendoza, Saul; Nguyen, Son; Pickett, Tim; Noernberg, Clemm

    1993-01-01

    The main objective of this design was to fulfill a need for a new airplane to replace the aging 100 to 150 passenger, 1500 nautical mile range aircraft such as the Douglas DC9 and Boeing 737-100 airplanes. After researching the future aircraft market, conducting extensive trade studies, and analysis on different configurations, the AC-120 Advanced Commercial Transport final design was achieved. The AC-120's main design features include the incorporation of a three lifting surface configuration which is powered by two turboprop engines. The AC-120 is an economically sensitive aircraft which meets the new FM Stage Three noise requirements, and has lower NO(x) emissions than current turbofan powered airplanes. The AC-120 also improves on its contemporaries in passenger comfort, manufacturing, and operating cost.

  20. Cry1Ac production is costly for native plants attacked by non-Cry1Ac-targeted herbivores in the field.

    PubMed

    McGale, Erica; Diezel, Celia; Schuman, Meredith C; Baldwin, Ian T

    2018-05-13

    Plants are the primary producers in most terrestrial ecosystems and have complex defense systems to protect their produce. Defense-deficient, high-yielding agricultural monocultures attract abundant nonhuman consumers, but are alternatively defended through pesticide application and genetic engineering to produce insecticidal proteins such as Cry1Ac (Bacillus thuringiensis). These approaches alter the balance between yield protection and maximization but have been poorly contextualized to known yield-defense trade-offs in wild plants. The native plant Nicotiana attenuata was used to compare yield benefits of plants transformed to be defenseless to those with a full suite of naturally evolved defenses, or additionally transformed to ectopically produce Cry1Ac. An insecticide treatment allowed us to examine yield under different herbivore loads in N. attenuata's native habitat. Cry1Ac, herbivore damage, and growth parameters were monitored throughout the season. Biomass and reproductive correlates were measured at season end. Non-Cry1Ac-targeted herbivores dominated on noninsecticide-treated plants, and increased the yield drag of Cry1Ac-producing plants in comparison with endogenously defended or undefended plants. Insecticide-sprayed Cry1Ac-producing plants lagged less in stalk height, shoot biomass, and flower production. In direct comparison with the endogenous defenses of a native plant, Cry1Ac production did not provide yield benefits for plants under observed herbivore loads in a field study. © 2018 The Authors New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

  1. Ion trajectory simulations of axial ac dipolar excitation in the Orbitrap

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Guangxiang; Noll, Robert J.; Plass, Wolfgang R.; Hu, Qizhi; Perry, Richard H.; Cooks, R. Graham

    2006-07-01

    The newly developed version of the multi-particle ion trajectory simulation program, ITSIM 6.0, was applied to simulate ac dipolar excitation of ion axial motion in the Orbitrap. The Orbitrap inner and outer electrodes were generated in AutoCAD, a 3D drawing program. The electrode geometry was imported into the 3D field solver COMSOL; the field array was then imported into ITSIM 6.0. Ion trajectories were calculated by solving Newton's equations using Runge-Kutta integration methods. Compared to the analytical solution, calculated radial components of the field at the device's "equator" (z = 0) were within 0.5% and calculated axial components midway between the inner and outer electrodes were within 0.2%. The experiments simulated here involved the control of axial motion of ions in the Orbitrap by the application of dipolar ac signals to the split outer electrodes, as described in a recently published paper from this laboratory [Hu et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 110 (2006) 2682]. In these experiments, ac signal was applied at the axial resonant frequency of a selected ion. Axial excitation and eventual ion ejection resulted when the ac was in phase with, i.e., had 0° phase relative to ion axial motion. De-excitation of ion axial motion until the ions were at z = 0 and at rest with respect to the z-axis resulted if the applied ac was out of phase with ion motion, with re-excitation of ion axial motion occurring if the dipolar ac was continued beyond this point. Both de-excitation and re-excitation could be achieved mass-selectively and depended on the amplitude and duration (number of cycles) of the applied ac. The effects of ac amplitude, frequency, phase relative to ion motion, and bandwidth of applied waveform were simulated. All simulation results were compared directly with the experimental data and good agreement was observed. Such ion motion control experiments and their simulation provide the possibility to improve Orbitrap performance and to develop tandem mass

  2. Modeling AC ripple currents in HTS coated conductors by integral equations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grilli, Francesco; Xu, Zhihan

    2016-12-01

    In several HTS applications, the superconducting tapes experience the simultaneous presence of DC and AC excitations. For example in high-current DC cables, where the transport current is not perfectly constant, but it exhibits some ripples at different frequencies introduced by the rectification process (AC-DC conversion). These ripples give rise to dissipation, whose magnitude and possible influence on the device's cooling requirements need to be evaluated. Here we report a study of the AC losses in a HTS coated conductor subjected to DC currents and AC ripples simultaneously. The modeling approach is based on an integral equation method for thin superconductors: the superconducting tape is modeled as a 1-D object with a non-linear resistivity, which includes the dependence of the critical current density Jc on the magnetic field. The model, implemented in a commercial finite-element program, runs very fast (the simulation of one AC cycle typically takes a few seconds on standard desktop workstation): this allows simulating a large number of cycles and estimating when the AC ripple losses stabilize to a constant value. The model is used to study the influence of the flux creep power index n on the stabilization speed and on the AC loss values, as well as the effect of using a field-dependent Jc instead of a constant one. The simulations confirm that the dissipation level should not be a practical concern in HTS DC cables. At the same time, however, they reveal a strong dependence of the results upon the power index n and the form of Jc , which spurs the question whether the power-law is the most suitable description of the superconductor's electrical behavior for this kind of analysis.

  3. ACS from development to operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caproni, Alessandro; Colomer, Pau; Jeram, Bogdan; Sommer, Heiko; Chiozzi, Gianluca; Mañas, Miguel M.

    2016-08-01

    The ALMA Common Software (ACS), provides the infrastructure of the distributed software system of ALMA and other projects. ACS, built on top of CORBA and Data Distribution Service (DDS) middleware, is based on a Component- Container paradigm and hides the complexity of the middleware allowing the developer to focus on domain specific issues. The transition of the ALMA observatory from construction to operations brings with it that ACS effort focuses primarily on scalability, stability and robustness rather than on new features. The transition came together with a shorter release cycle and a more extensive testing. For scalability, the most problematic area has been the CORBA notification service, used to implement the publisher subscriber pattern because of the asynchronous nature of the paradigm: a lot of effort has been spent to improve its stability and recovery from run time errors. The original bulk data mechanism, implemented using the CORBA Audio/Video Streaming Service, showed its limitations and has been replaced with a more performant and scalable DDS implementation. Operational needs showed soon the difference between releases cycles for Online software (i.e. used during observations) and Offline software, which requires much more frequent releases. This paper attempts to describe the impact the transition from construction to operations had on ACS, the solution adopted so far and a look into future evolution.

  4. Control of effect on the nucleation rate for hen egg white lysozyme crystals under application of an external ac electric field.

    PubMed

    Koizumi, H; Uda, S; Fujiwara, K; Nozawa, J

    2011-07-05

    The effect of an external ac electric field on the nucleation rate of hen egg white lysozyme crystals increased with an increase in the concentration of the precipitant used, which enabled the design of an electric double layer (EDL) formed at the inner surface of the drop in the oil. This is attributed to the thickness of the EDL controlled by the ionic strength of the precipitant used. Control of the EDL formed at the interface between the two phases is important to establishing this novel technique for the crystallization of proteins under the application of an external ac electric field. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  5. Vortex states in a submicron Bi2212 crystal probed by intrinsic Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ooi, S.; Tachiki, M.; Mochiku, T.; Wang, H. B.; Komori, K.; Hirata, K.; Arisawa, S.

    2018-03-01

    To study the pancake-vortex states confined in a submicron Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y (Bi2212) crystal, we have measured the c-axis resistance and I-V characteristics of a stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions with a lateral dimension less than 1 µm. Although the stack was accidentally shunted by a parallel resistance of 7.5 kΩ, the I-V characteristics show homogeneous multiple branches after the subtraction of the component. The penetrations of single vortices into the submicron stack were clearly observed in the resistance measurements. A vortex phase diagram was constructed by mapping the c-axis resistance on an H-T plane. Temperature dependence of the first-vortex penetration field is consistent with the theoretical estimation on the formation of a pancake-vortex stack in the center of a superconducting strip.

  6. ACS and STEMI treatment: gender-related issues.

    PubMed

    Chieffo, Alaide; Buchanan, Gill Louise; Mauri, Fina; Mehilli, Julinda; Vaquerizo, Beatriz; Moynagh, Anouska; Mehran, Roxana; Morice, Marie-Claude

    2012-08-01

    Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death amongst women, with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) representing a significant proportion. It has been reported that in women presenting with ACS there is underdiagnosis and consequent undertreatment leading to an increase in hospital and long-term mortality. Several factors have to be taken into account, including lack of awareness both at patient and at physician level. Women are generally not aware of the cardiovascular risk and symptoms, often atypical, and therefore wait longer to seek medical attention. In addition, physicians often underestimate the risk of ACS in women leading to a further delay in accurate diagnosis and timely appropriate treatment, including cardiac catheterisation and primary percutaneous coronary intervention, with consequent delayed revascularisation times. It has been acknowledged by the European Society of Cardiology that gender disparities do exist, with a Class I, Level of Evidence B recommendation that both genders should be treated in the same way when presenting with ACS. However, there is still a lack of awareness and the mission of Women in Innovation, in association with Stent for Life, is to change the perception of women with ACS and to achieve prompt diagnosis and treatment.

  7. Effects of a diet containing genetically modified rice expressing the Cry1Ab/1Ac protein (Bacillus thuringiensis toxin) on broiler chickens.

    PubMed

    Li, Zeyang; Gao, Yang; Zhang, Minhong; Feng, Jinghai; Xiong, Yandan

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice expressing the Cry1Ab/1Ac protein on broiler chicken. The genetically modified (GM) Bt rice was compared with the corresponding non-GM rice regarding performance of feeding groups, their health status, relative organ weights, biochemical serum parameters and occurrence of Cry1Ab/1Ac gene fragments. One hundred and eighty day-old Arbor Acres female broilers with the same health condition were randomly allocated to the two treatments (6 replicate cages with 15 broilers in each cage per treatment). They received diets containing GM rice (GM group) or its parental non-GM rice (non-GM group) at 52-57% of the air-dried diet for 42 days. The results show that the transgenic rice had a similar nutrient composition as the non-GM rice and had no adverse effects on chicken growth, biochemical serum parameters and necropsy during the 42-day feeding period. In birds fed the GM rice, no transgenic gene fragments were detected in the samples of blood, liver, kidneys, spleen, jejunum, ileum, duodenum and muscle tissue. In conclusion, the results suggest that Bt rice expressing Cry1Ab/1Ac protein has no adverse effects on broiler chicken. Therefore, it can be considered as safe and used as feed source for broiler chicken.

  8. Parametric Amplifier and Oscillator Based on Josephson Junction Circuitry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, T.; Koshino, K.; Nakamura, Y.

    While the demand for low-noise amplification is ubiquitous, applications where the quantum-limited noise performance is indispensable are not very common. Microwave parametric amplifiers with near quantum-limited noise performance were first demonstrated more than 20 years ago. However, there had been little effort until recently to improve the performance or the ease of use of these amplifiers, partly because of a lack of any urgent motivation. The emergence of the field of quantum information processing in superconducting systems has changed this situation dramatically. The need to reliably read out the state of a given qubit using a very weak microwave probe within a very short time has led to renewed interest in these quantum-limited microwave amplifiers, which are already widely used as tools in this field. Here, we describe the quantum mechanical theory for one particular parametric amplifier design, called the flux-driven Josephson parametric amplifier, which we developed in 2008. The theory predicts the performance of this parametric amplifier, including its gain, bandwidth, and noise temperature. We also present the phase detection capability of this amplifier when it is operated with a pump power that is above the threshold, i.e., as a parametric phase-locked oscillator or parametron.

  9. Electrostatic coalescence system with independent AC and DC hydrophilic electrodes

    DOEpatents

    Hovarongkura, A. David; Henry, Jr., Joseph D.

    1981-01-01

    An improved electrostatic coalescence system is provided in which independent AC and DC hydrophilic electrodes are employed to provide more complete dehydration of an oil emulsion. The AC field is produced between an AC electrode array and the water-oil interface wherein the AC electrode array is positioned parallel to the interface which acts as a grounded electrode. The emulsion is introduced into the AC field in an evenly distributed manner at the interface. The AC field promotes drop-drop and drop-interface coalescence of the water phase in the entering emulsion. The continuous oil phase passes upward through the perforated AC electrode array and enters a strong DC field produced between closely spaced DC electrodes in which small dispersed droplets of water entrained in the continuous phase are removed primarily by collection at hydrophilic DC electrodes. Large droplets of water collected by the electrodes migrate downward through the AC electrode array to the interface. All phase separation mechanisms are utilized to accomplish more complete phase separation.

  10. Neutrophil elastase increases MUC5AC mRNA and protein expression in respiratory epithelial cells.

    PubMed

    Voynow, J A; Young, L R; Wang, Y; Horger, T; Rose, M C; Fischer, B M

    1999-05-01

    Chronic neutrophil-predominant inflammation and hypersecretion of mucus are common pathophysiological features of cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, and viral- or pollution-triggered asthma. Neutrophils release elastase, a serine protease, that causes increased mucin production and secretion. The molecular mechanisms of elastase-induced mucin production are unknown. We hypothesized that as part of this mechanism, elastase upregulates expression of a major respiratory mucin gene, MUC5AC. A549, a human lung carcinoma cell line that expresses MUC5AC mRNA and protein, and normal human bronchial epithelial cells in an air-liquid interface culture were stimulated with neutrophil elastase. Neutrophil elastase increased MUC5AC mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner in both cell culture systems. Neutrophil elastase treatment also increased MUC5AC protein levels in A549 cells. The mechanism of MUC5AC gene regulation by elastase was determined in A549 cells. The induction of MUC5AC gene expression required serine protease activity; other classes of proteases had no effect on MUC5AC gene expression. Neutrophil elastase increased MUC5AC mRNA levels by enhancing mRNA stability. This is the first report of mucin gene regulation by this mechanism.

  11. The effect of surface grain reversal on the AC losses of sintered Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Martina; Roth, Stefan; Gebert, Annett; Schultz, Ludwig; Gutfleisch, Oliver

    2015-02-01

    Sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets are exposed to AC magnetic fields in many applications, e.g. in permanent magnet electric motors. We have measured the AC losses of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets in a closed circuit arrangement using AC fields with root mean square-values up to 80 mT (peak amplitude 113 mT) over the frequency range 50 to 1000 Hz. Two magnet grades with different dysprosium content were investigated. Around the remanence point the low grade material (1.7 wt% Dy) showed significant hysteresis losses; whereas the losses in the high grade material (8.9 wt% Dy) were dominated by classical eddy currents. Kerr microscopy images revealed that the hysteresis losses measured for the low grade magnet can be mainly ascribed to grains at the sample surface with multiple domains. This was further confirmed when the high grade material was subsequently exposed to DC and AC magnetic fields. Here a larger number of surface grains with multiple domains are also present once the step in the demagnetization curve attributed to the surface grain reversal is reached and a rise in the measured hysteresis losses is evident. If in the low grade material the operating point is slightly offset from the remanence point, such that zero field is not bypassed, its AC losses can also be fairly well described with classical eddy current theory.

  12. Use of an AC/DC/AC Electrochemical Technique to Assess the Durability of Protection Systems for Magnesium Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Sen; McCune, Robert C.; Shen, Weidian; Wang, Yar-Ming

    One task under the U.S. Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP) "Magnesium Front End Research and Development" (MFERD) Project has been the evaluation of methodologies for the assessment of protective capability for a variety of proposed protection schemes for this hypothesized multi-material, articulated structure. Techniques which consider the entire protection system, including both pretreatments and topcoats are of interest. In recent years, an adaptation of the classical electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) approach using an intermediate cathodic DC polarization step (viz. AC/DC/AC) has been employed to accelerate breakdown of coating protection, specifically at the polymer-pretreatment interface. This work reports outcomes of studies to employ the AC/DC/AC approach for comparison of protective coatings to various magnesium alloys considered for front end structures. In at least one instance, the protective coating system breakdown could be attributed to the poorer intrinsic corrosion resistance of the sheet material (AZ31) relative to die-cast AM60B.

  13. Should fee-for-service be for all guideline-advocated acute coronary syndrome (ACS) care? Observations from the Snapshot ACS study.

    PubMed

    Briffa, Thomas G; Hammett, Christopher J; Cross, David B; Macisaac, Andrew I; Rankin, James M; Board, Neville; Carr, Bridie; Hyun, Karice K; French, John; Brieger, David B; Chew, Derek P

    2015-09-01

    The aim of the present study was to explore the association of health insurance status on the provision of guideline-advocated acute coronary syndrome (ACS) care in Australia. Consecutive hospitalisations of suspected ACS from 14 to 27 May 2012 enrolled in the Snapshot study of Australian and New Zealand patients were evaluated. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association of patient risk and insurance status with the receipt of care. In all, 3391 patients with suspected ACS from 247 hospitals (23 private) were enrolled in the present study. One-third of patients declared private insurance coverage; of these, 27.9% (304/1088) presented to private facilities. Compared with public patients, privately insured patients were more likely to undergo in-patient echocardiography and receive early angiography; furthermore, in those with a discharge diagnosis of ACS, there was a higher rate of revascularisation (P < 0.001). Each of these attracts potential fee-for-service. In contrast, proportionately fewer privately insured ACS patients were discharged on selected guideline therapies and were referred to a secondary prevention program (P = 0.056), neither of which directly attracts a fee. Typically, as GRACE (the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) risk score rose, so did the level of ACS care; however, propensity-adjusted analyses showed lower in-hospital adverse events among the insured group (odds ratio 0.68; 95% confidence interval 0.52-0.88; P = 0.004). Fee-for-service reimbursement may explain differences in the provision of selected guideline-advocated components of ACS care between privately insured and public patients.

  14. Origin of hydrogen-inclusion-induced critical current deviation in Nb/AlOx/Al/Nb Josephson junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinode, Kenji; Satoh, Tetsuro; Nagasawa, Shuichi; Hidaka, Mutsuo

    2010-04-01

    We investigated the mechanisms that change the critical current density (Jc) of Nb/AlOx/Al/Nb Josephson junctions due to the inclusion of hydrogen in the Nb electrodes. Our investigations were performed according to three aspects: the superconductivity change, the change in thickness of the barrier layer, and the change in the barrier height due to the electronic effect. The results are as follows: (a) the hydrogen-inclusion-accompanied changes in the superconductivity parameters, such as the junction gap voltage, were much less than those of the critical current density, (b) the effect of hydrogen inclusion on Jc varied depending on the electrodes, i.e., the upper electrode above the barrier layer was the most affected, (c) the junctions with increased Ics due to hydrogen exclusion showed the identical amount of decrease in the junction resistance measured at room temperature, and (d) the hydrogen exclusion from the junction electrodes had no influence on the Nb/Al/AlOx/Al/Nb junctions, which had an extra Al layer. Based on these results we conclude that the Jc change is mainly caused by the change in junction resistance. A one order of magnitude smaller effect is caused by the superconductivity change. We believe the Jc change is caused by a Nb work function increase due to the hydrogen inclusion, resulting in an increase in barrier height.

  15. 1998 Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements Digest. Proceedings.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelson, T. L.

    The following topics were dealt with: fundamental constants; caesium standards; AC-DC transfer; impedance measurement; length measurement; units; statistics; cryogenic resonators; time transfer; QED; resistance scaling and bridges; mass measurement; atomic fountains and clocks; single electron transport; Newtonian constant of gravitation; stabilised lasers and frequency measurements; cryogenic current comparators; optical frequency standards; high voltage devices and systems; international compatibility; magnetic measurement; precision power measurement; high resolution spectroscopy; DC transport standards; waveform acquisition and analysis; ion trap standards; optical metrology; quantised Hall effect; Josephson array comparisons; signal generation and measurement; Avogadro constant; microwave networks; wideband power standards; antennas, fields and EMC; quantum-based standards.

  16. Fibrillar disruption by AC electric field induced oscillation: A case study with human serum albumin.

    PubMed

    Sen, Shubhatam; Chakraborty, Monojit; Goley, Snigdha; Dasgupta, Swagata; DasGupta, Sunando

    2017-07-01

    The effect of oscillation induced by a frequency-dependent alternating current (AC) electric field to dissociate preformed amyloid fibrils has been investigated. An electrowetting-on-dielectric type setup has been used to apply the AC field of varying frequencies on preformed fibrils of human serum albumin (HSA). The disintegration potency has been monitored by a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The experimental results suggest that the frequency of the applied AC field plays a crucial role in the disruption of preformed HSA fibrils. The extent of stress generated inside the droplet due to the application of the AC field at different frequencies has been monitored as a function of the input frequency of the applied AC voltage. This has been accomplished by assessing the morphology deformation of the oscillating HSA fibril droplets. The shape deformation of the oscillating droplets is characterized using image analysis by measuring the dynamic changes in the shape dependent parameters such as contact angle and droplet footprint radius and the amplitude. It is suggested that the cumulative effects of the stress generated inside the HSA fibril droplets due to the shape deformation induced hydrodynamic flows and the torque induced by the intrinsic electric dipoles of protein due to their continuous periodic realignment in presence of the AC electric field results in the destruction of the fibrillar species. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. ACS Data Handbook v.6.0

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzaga, S.; et al.

    2011-03-01

    ACS was designed to provide a deep, wide-field survey capability from the visible to near-IR using the Wide Field Camera (WFC), high resolution imaging from the near-UV to near-IR with the now-defunct High Resolution Camera (HRC), and solar-blind far-UV imaging using the Solar Blind Camera (SBC). The discovery efficiency of ACS's Wide Field Channel (i.e., the product of WFC's field of view and throughput) is 10 times greater than that of WFPC2. The failure of ACS's CCD electronics in January 2007 brought a temporary halt to CCD imaging until Servicing Mission 4 in May 2009, when WFC functionality was restored. Unfortunately, the high-resolution optical imaging capability of HRC was not recovered.

  18. Soliton motion in a parametrically ac-driven damped Toda lattice

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rasmussen, K.O.; Malomed, B.A.; Bishop, A.R.

    We demonstrate that a staggered parametric ac driving term can support stable progressive motion of a soliton in a Toda lattice with friction, while an unstaggered driving force cannot. A physical context of the model is that of a chain of anharmonically coupled particles adsorbed on a solid surface of a finite size. The ac driving force is generated by a standing acoustic wave excited on the surface. Simulations demonstrate that the state left behind the moving soliton, with the particles shifted from their equilibrium positions, gradually relaxes back to the equilibrium state that existed before the passage of themore » soliton. The perturbation theory predicts that the ac-driven soliton exists if the amplitude of the drive exceeds a certain threshold. The analytical prediction for the threshold is in reasonable agreement with that found numerically. Collisions between two counterpropagating solitons is also simulated, demonstrating that the collisions are, effectively, fully elastic. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

  19. Microarray-based bioinformatics analysis of the combined effects of SiNPs and PbAc on cardiovascular system in zebrafish.

    PubMed

    Hu, Hejing; Zhang, Yannan; Shi, Yanfeng; Feng, Lin; Duan, Junchao; Sun, Zhiwei

    2017-10-01

    With rapid development of nanotechnology and growing environmental pollution, the combined toxic effects of SiNPs and pollutants of heavy metals like lead have received global attentions. The aim of this study was to explore the cardiovascular effects of the co-exposure of SiNPs and lead acetate (PbAc) in zebrafish using microarray and bioinformatics analysis. Although there was no other obvious cardiovascular malformation except bleeding phenotype, bradycardia, angiogenesis inhibition and declined cardiac output in zebrafish co-exposed of SiNPs and PbAc at NOAEL level, significant changes were observed in mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns. STC-GO analysis indicated that the co-exposure might have more toxic effects on cardiovascular system than that exposure alone. Key differentially expressed genes were discerned out based on the Dynamic-gene-network, including stxbp1a, ndfip2, celf4 and gsk3b. Furthermore, several miRNAs obtained from the miRNA-Gene-Network might play crucial roles in cardiovascular disease, such as dre-miR-93, dre-miR-34a, dre-miR-181c, dre-miR-7145, dre-miR-730, dre-miR-129-5p, dre-miR-19d, dre-miR-218b, dre-miR-221. Besides, the analysis of miRNA-pathway-network indicated that the zebrafish were stimulated by the co-exposure of SiNPs and PbAc, which might cause the disturbance of calcium homeostasis and endoplasmic reticulum stress. As a result, cardiac muscle contraction might be deteriorated. In general, our data provide abundant fundamental research clues to the combined toxicity of environmental pollutants and further in-depth verifications are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Transmission Technologies and Operational Characteristic Analysis of Hybrid UHV AC/DC Power Grids in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Zhang; Yanfeng, Gong

    2017-05-01

    In order to solve the contradiction between demand and distribution range of primary energy resource, Ultra High Voltage (UHV) power grids should be developed rapidly to meet development of energy bases and accessing of large-scale renewable energy. This paper reviewed the latest research processes of AC/DC transmission technologies, summarized the characteristics of AC/DC power grids, concluded that China’s power grids certainly enter a new period of large -scale hybrid UHV AC/DC power grids and characteristics of “strong DC and weak AC” becomes increasingly pro minent; possible problems in operation of AC/DC power grids was discussed, and interaction or effect between AC/DC power grids was made an intensive study of; according to above problems in operation of power grids, preliminary scheme is summarized as fo llows: strengthening backbone structures, enhancing AC/DC transmission technologies, promoting protection measures of clean energ y accessing grids, and taking actions to solve stability problems of voltage and frequency etc. It’s valuable for making hybrid UHV AC/DC power grids adapt to operating mode of large power grids, thus guaranteeing security and stability of power system.

  1. Coherent Charge Transport in Ballistic InSb Nanowire Josephson Junctions

    PubMed Central

    Li, S.; Kang, N.; Fan, D. X.; Wang, L. B.; Huang, Y. Q.; Caroff, P.; Xu, H. Q.

    2016-01-01

    Hybrid InSb nanowire-superconductor devices are promising for investigating Majorana modes and topological quantum computation in solid-state devices. An experimental realisation of ballistic, phase-coherent superconductor-nanowire hybrid devices is a necessary step towards engineering topological superconducting electronics. Here, we report on a low-temperature transport study of Josephson junction devices fabricated from InSb nanowires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and provide a clear evidence for phase-coherent, ballistic charge transport through the nanowires in the junctions. We demonstrate that our devices show gate-tunable proximity-induced supercurrent and clear signatures of multiple Andreev reflections in the differential conductance, indicating phase-coherent transport within the junctions. We also observe periodic modulations of the critical current that can be associated with the Fabry-Pérot interference in the nanowires in the ballistic transport regime. Our work shows that the InSb nanowires grown by molecular-beam epitaxy are of excellent material quality and hybrid superconducting devices made from these nanowires are highly desirable for investigation of the novel physics in topological states of matter and for applications in topological quantum electronics. PMID:27102689

  2. Correlating quantum decoherence and material defects in a Josephson qubit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hite, D. A.; McDermott, R.; Simmonds, R. W.; Cooper, K. B.; Steffen, M.; Nam, S.; Pappas, D. P.; Martinis, J. M.

    2004-03-01

    Superconducting tunnel junction devices are promising candidates for constructing quantum bits (qubits) for quantum computation because of their inherently low dissipation and ease of scalability by microfabrication. Recently, the Josephson phase qubit has been characterized spectroscopically as having spurious microwave resonators that couple to the qubit and act as a dominant source of decoherence. While the origin of these spurious resonances remains unknown, experimental evidence points to the material system of the tunnel barrier. Here, we focus on our materials research aimed at elucidating and eliminating these spurious resonators. In particular, we have studied the use of high quality Al films epitaxially grown on Si(111) as the base electrode of the tunnel junction. During each step in the Al/AlOx/Al trilayer growth, we have investigated the structure in situ by AES, AED and LEED. While tunnel junctions fabricated with these epitaxial base electrodes prove to be of non-uniform oxide thickness and too thin, I-V characteristics have shown a lowering of subgap currents by a factor of two. Transport measurements will be correlated with morphological structure for a number of devices fabricated with various degrees of crystalline quality.

  3. High-frequency applications of high-temperature superconductor thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klein, N.

    2002-10-01

    High-temperature superconducting thin films offer unique properties which can be utilized for a variety of high-frequency device applications in many areas related to the strongly progressing market of information technology. One important property is an exceptionally low level of microwave absorption at temperatures attainable with low power cryocoolers. This unique property has initiated the development of various novel type of microwave devices and commercialized subsystems with special emphasis on application in advanced microwave communication systems. The second important achievement related to efforts in oxide thin and multilayer technology was the reproducible fabrication of low-noise Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconducting thin films. As a consequence of this achievement, several novel nonlinear high-frequency devices, most of them exploiting the unique features of the ac Josephson effect, have been developed and found to exhibit challenging properties to be utilized in basic metrology and Terahertz technology. On the longer timescale, the achievements in integrated high-temperature superconductor circuit technology may offer a strong potential for the development of digital devices with possible clock frequencies in the range of 100 GHz.

  4. ACS-Hach Programs: Supporting Excellence in High School Chemistry Teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, Terri

    2009-05-01

    In January 2009, the ACS received a gift of approximately $33 million from the Hach Scientific Foundation, the largest gift in the society's 133-year history. The foundation's programs will be continued by the ACS and will complement pre-existing ACS resources that support high school chemistry teaching. Three activities serve as the pillars of the ACS-Hach programs—the High School Chemistry Grant Program, the Second Career Teacher Scholarship Program, and the Land Grant University Scholars Program. Collectively, the ACS-Hach programs support high school chemistry teaching and learning by responding to the needs of both in-service and pre-service secondary teachers. The goals of each of the ACS-Hach programs align well with the ACS Mission—to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.

  5. ACS Presents Science Education Report to Congress.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krieger, James

    1989-01-01

    Discusses an American Chemical Society (ACS)'s report on science education which is a synthesis of a series of policies developed by ACS. Summarizes recommendations in four areas: elementary teacher education; pre-high school curricula; university research funding; and underrepresented populations. (YP)

  6. Quantum Hall effect in ac driven graphene: From the half-integer to the integer case

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Kai-He; Lim, Lih-King; Su, Gang; Weng, Zheng-Yu

    2018-01-01

    We theoretically study the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in graphene with an ac electric field. Based on the tight-binding model, the structure of the half-integer Hall plateaus at σxy=±(n +1 /2 ) 4 e2/h (n is an integer) gets qualitatively changed with the addition of new integer Hall plateaus at σxy=±n (4 e2/h ) starting from the edges of the band center regime towards the band center with an increasing ac field. Beyond a critical field strength, a Hall plateau with σxy=0 can be realized at the band center, hence fully restoring a conventional integer QHE with particle-hole symmetry. Within a low-energy Hamiltonian for Dirac cones merging, we show a very good agreement with the tight-binding calculations for the Hall plateau transitions. We also obtain the band structure for driven graphene ribbons to provide a further understanding on the appearance of the new Hall plateaus, showing a trivial insulator behavior for the σxy=0 state. In the presence of disorder, we numerically study the disorder-induced destruction of the quantum Hall states in a finite driven sample and find that qualitative features known in the undriven disordered case are maintained.

  7. Wideband Isolation by Frequency Conversion in a Josephson-Junction Transmission Line

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranzani, Leonardo; Kotler, Shlomi; Sirois, Adam J.; DeFeo, Michael P.; Castellanos-Beltran, Manuel; Cicak, Katarina; Vale, Leila R.; Aumentado, José

    2017-11-01

    Nonreciprocal transmission and isolation at microwave frequencies are important in many practical applications. In particular, compact isolators are useful in protecting sensitive quantum circuits operating at cryogenic temperatures from amplifier backaction and other environmental noise such as black-body radiation from higher temperature stages. However, the size of commercial cryogenic isolators limits the ability to measure multiple quantum circuits because of space constraints in typical dilution refrigerator systems. Furthermore, isolators usually require the use of ferrite components that cannot be integrated at the chip level and, since they also need large biasing magnetic fields, are incompatible with superconducting quantum circuits. In this work we show one way to accomplish isolation in a superconducting chip-scale device, a traveling-wave unidirectional frequency converter based on a parametrically pumped superconducting Josephson-junction transmission line, demonstrating better than 4.8 dB of inferred signal isolation from 6.6 to 11.4 GHz, with a maximum of 12 dB at 9.5 GHz. By using frequency diplexing techniques a conventional isolator could be implemented over this bandwidth.

  8. Increased long-flight activity triggered in beet armyworm by larval feeding on diet containing Cry1Ac protoxin.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xing Fu; Chen, Jian; Zhang, Lei; Sappington, Thomas W; Luo, Li Zhi

    2013-01-01

    Evaluating ecological safety and conducting pest risk analysis for transgenic crops are vitally important before their commercial planting. The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, a long-distance migratory insect pest, is not a direct target of transgenic Cry1Ac-expressing cotton in China, but nevertheless it has recently become an important pest. Migrants leaving their natal field arrive in other appropriate habitat far away in a short time, often followed by larval outbreaks. S. exigua has low susceptibility to Cry1Ac. However, our results from laboratory experiments identified (i) sublethal effects of Cry1Ac protoxin on larval development rate, larval and pupal weight, and adult lifetime fecundity, and (ii) increased long-flight behavior triggered by Cry1Ac which may contribute to larval outbreaks elsewhere. No significant differences in larval mortality, pupation rate, adult emergence rate, longevity, pre-oviposition period, or oviposition period were observed between controls and larvae fed on artificial diet incorporating a low concentration of Cry1Ac protoxin. The negative sublethal effects on some developmental and reproductive traits and lack of effect on others suggest they do not contribute to the observed severity of S. exigua outbreaks after feeding on Cry1Ac cotton. Interestingly, the percentage of long fliers increased significantly when larvae were reared on diet containing either of two low-dose treatments of Cry1Ac, suggesting a possible increased propensity to disperse long distances triggered by Cry1Ac. We hypothesize that negative effects on development and reproduction caused by Cry1Ac in the diet are offset by increased flight propensity triggered by the poor food conditions, thereby improving the chances of escaping adverse local conditions before oviposition. Increased long-flight propensity in turn may amplify the area damaged by outbreak populations. This phenomenon might be common in other migratory insect pests receiving sublethal doses

  9. Increased Long-Flight Activity Triggered in Beet Armyworm by Larval Feeding on Diet Containing Cry1Ac Protoxin

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Xing Fu; Chen, Jian; Zhang, Lei; Sappington, Thomas W.; Luo, Li Zhi

    2013-01-01

    Evaluating ecological safety and conducting pest risk analysis for transgenic crops are vitally important before their commercial planting. The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, a long-distance migratory insect pest, is not a direct target of transgenic Cry1Ac-expressing cotton in China, but nevertheless it has recently become an important pest. Migrants leaving their natal field arrive in other appropriate habitat far away in a short time, often followed by larval outbreaks. S. exigua has low susceptibility to Cry1Ac. However, our results from laboratory experiments identified (i) sublethal effects of Cry1Ac protoxin on larval development rate, larval and pupal weight, and adult lifetime fecundity, and (ii) increased long-flight behavior triggered by Cry1Ac which may contribute to larval outbreaks elsewhere. No significant differences in larval mortality, pupation rate, adult emergence rate, longevity, pre-oviposition period, or oviposition period were observed between controls and larvae fed on artificial diet incorporating a low concentration of Cry1Ac protoxin. The negative sublethal effects on some developmental and reproductive traits and lack of effect on others suggest they do not contribute to the observed severity of S. exigua outbreaks after feeding on Cry1Ac cotton. Interestingly, the percentage of long fliers increased significantly when larvae were reared on diet containing either of two low-dose treatments of Cry1Ac, suggesting a possible increased propensity to disperse long distances triggered by Cry1Ac. We hypothesize that negative effects on development and reproduction caused by Cry1Ac in the diet are offset by increased flight propensity triggered by the poor food conditions, thereby improving the chances of escaping adverse local conditions before oviposition. Increased long-flight propensity in turn may amplify the area damaged by outbreak populations. This phenomenon might be common in other migratory insect pests receiving sublethal doses

  10. Input current shaped ac-to-dc converters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    Input current shaping techniques for ac-to-dc converters were investigated. Input frequencies much higher than normal, up to 20 kHz were emphasized. Several methods of shaping the input current waveform in ac-to-dc converters were reviewed. The simplest method is the LC filter following the rectifier. The next simplest method is the resistor emulation approach in which the inductor size is determined by the converter switching frequency and not by the line input frequency. Other methods require complicated switch drive algorithms to construct the input current waveshape. For a high-frequency line input, on the order of 20 kHz, the simple LC cannot be discarded so peremptorily, since the inductor size can be compared with that for the resistor emulation method. In fact, since a dc regulator will normally be required after the filter anyway, the total component count is almost the same as for the resistor emulation method, in which the filter is effectively incorporated into the regulator.

  11. Individual differences and specificity of prefrontal gamma frequency-tACS on fluid intelligence capabilities.

    PubMed

    Santarnecchi, E; Muller, T; Rossi, S; Sarkar, A; Polizzotto, N R; Rossi, A; Cohen Kadosh, R

    2016-02-01

    Emerging evidence suggests that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an effective, frequency-specific modulator of endogenous brain oscillations, with the potential to alter cognitive performance. Here, we show that reduction in response latencies to solve complex logic problem indexing fluid intelligence is obtained through 40 Hz-tACS (gamma band) applied to the prefrontal cortex. This improvement in human performance depends on individual ability, with slower performers at baseline receiving greater benefits. The effect could have not being explained by regression to the mean, and showed task and frequency specificity: it was not observed for trials not involving logical reasoning, as well as with the application of low frequency 5 Hz-tACS (theta band) or non-periodic high frequency random noise stimulation (101-640 Hz). Moreover, performance in a spatial working memory task was not affected by brain stimulation, excluding possible effects on fluid intelligence enhancement through an increase in memory performance. We suggest that such high-level cognitive functions are dissociable by frequency-specific neuromodulatory effects, possibly related to entrainment of specific brain rhythms. We conclude that individual differences in cognitive abilities, due to acquired or developmental origins, could be reduced during frequency-specific tACS, a finding that should be taken into account for future individual cognitive rehabilitation studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Effects of Transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI Cotton on Non-Target Mealybug Pest Ferrisia virgata and Its Predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Hongsheng; Zhang, Yuhong; Liu, Ping; Xie, Jiaqin; He, Yunyu; Deng, Congshuang; De Clercq, Patrick; Pang, Hong

    2014-01-01

    Recently, several invasive mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) have rapidly spread to Asia and have become a serious threat to the production of cotton including transgenic cotton. Thus far, studies have mainly focused on the effects of mealybugs on non-transgenic cotton, without fully considering their effects on transgenic cotton and trophic interactions. Therefore, investigating the potential effects of mealybugs on transgenic cotton and their key natural enemies is vitally important. A first study on the effects of transgenic cotton on a non-target mealybug, Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was performed by comparing its development, survival and body weight on transgenic cotton leaves expressing Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) with those on its near-isogenic non-transgenic line. Furthermore, the development, survival, body weight, fecundity, adult longevity and feeding preference of the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was assessed when fed F. virgata maintained on transgenic cotton. In order to investigate potential transfer of Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins via the food chain, protein levels in cotton leaves, mealybugs and ladybirds were quantified. Experimental results showed that F. virgata could infest this bivalent transgenic cotton. No significant differences were observed in the physiological parameters of the predator C. montrouzieri offered F. virgata reared on transgenic cotton or its near-isogenic line. Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins were detected in transgenic cotton leaves, but no detectable levels of both proteins were present in the mealybug or its predator when reared on transgenic cotton leaves. Our bioassays indicated that transgenic cotton poses a negligible risk to the predatory coccinellid C. montrouzieri via its prey, the mealybug F. virgata. PMID:24751821

  13. Effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton on non-target mealybug pest Ferrisia virgata and its predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

    PubMed

    Wu, Hongsheng; Zhang, Yuhong; Liu, Ping; Xie, Jiaqin; He, Yunyu; Deng, Congshuang; De Clercq, Patrick; Pang, Hong

    2014-01-01

    Recently, several invasive mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) have rapidly spread to Asia and have become a serious threat to the production of cotton including transgenic cotton. Thus far, studies have mainly focused on the effects of mealybugs on non-transgenic cotton, without fully considering their effects on transgenic cotton and trophic interactions. Therefore, investigating the potential effects of mealybugs on transgenic cotton and their key natural enemies is vitally important. A first study on the effects of transgenic cotton on a non-target mealybug, Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was performed by comparing its development, survival and body weight on transgenic cotton leaves expressing Cry1Ac (Bt toxin) + CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor) with those on its near-isogenic non-transgenic line. Furthermore, the development, survival, body weight, fecundity, adult longevity and feeding preference of the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was assessed when fed F. virgata maintained on transgenic cotton. In order to investigate potential transfer of Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins via the food chain, protein levels in cotton leaves, mealybugs and ladybirds were quantified. Experimental results showed that F. virgata could infest this bivalent transgenic cotton. No significant differences were observed in the physiological parameters of the predator C. montrouzieri offered F. virgata reared on transgenic cotton or its near-isogenic line. Cry1Ac and CpTI proteins were detected in transgenic cotton leaves, but no detectable levels of both proteins were present in the mealybug or its predator when reared on transgenic cotton leaves. Our bioassays indicated that transgenic cotton poses a negligible risk to the predatory coccinellid C. montrouzieri via its prey, the mealybug F. virgata.

  14. 21 CFR 880.5100 - AC-powered adjustable hospital bed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. 880.5100... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL HOSPITAL AND PERSONAL USE DEVICES General Hospital and Personal Use Therapeutic Devices § 880.5100 AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. (a) Identification. An AC-powered...

  15. 21 CFR 880.5100 - AC-powered adjustable hospital bed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. 880.5100... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL HOSPITAL AND PERSONAL USE DEVICES General Hospital and Personal Use Therapeutic Devices § 880.5100 AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. (a) Identification. An AC-powered...

  16. 21 CFR 880.5100 - AC-powered adjustable hospital bed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. 880.5100... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL HOSPITAL AND PERSONAL USE DEVICES General Hospital and Personal Use Therapeutic Devices § 880.5100 AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. (a) Identification. An AC-powered...

  17. 21 CFR 880.5100 - AC-powered adjustable hospital bed.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. 880.5100... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES GENERAL HOSPITAL AND PERSONAL USE DEVICES General Hospital and Personal Use Therapeutic Devices § 880.5100 AC-powered adjustable hospital bed. (a) Identification. An AC-powered...

  18. Influences of Cry1Ac broccoli on larval survival and oviposition of diamondback moth.

    PubMed

    Yi, Dengxia; Cui, Shusong; Yang, Limei; Fang, Zhiyuan; Liu, Yumei; Zhuang, Mu; Zhang, Yangyong

    2015-01-01

    Larval survival and oviposition behavior of three genotypes of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), (homozygous Cry1Ac-susceptibile, Cry1Ac-resistant, and their F1 hybrids), on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) broccoli expressing different levels of Cry1Ac protein were evaluated in laboratory. These Bt broccoli lines were designated as relative low, medium, and high, respectively, according to the Cry1Ac content. Untransformed brocccoli plants were used as control. Larval survival of diamondback moth on non-Bt leaves was not significantly different among the three genotypes. The Cry1Ac-resistant larvae could survive on the low level of Bt broccoli plants, while Cry1Ac-susceptible and F1 larvae could not survive on them. The three genotypes of P. xylostella larvae could not survive on medium and high levels of Bt broccoli. In oviposition choice tests, there was no significant difference in the number of eggs laid by the three P. xylostella genotypes among different Bt broccoli plants. The development of Cry1Ac-susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant P. xylostella on intact Bt plants was also tested in greenhouse. All susceptible P. xylostella larvae died on all Bt plants, while resistant larvae could survive on broccoli, which expresses low Cry1Ac protein under greenhouse conditions. The results of the greenhouse trials were similar to that of laboratory tests. This study indicated that high dose of Bt toxins in broccoli cultivars or germplasm lines is required for effective resistance management. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

  19. Ac-immobilized, a stable source of Activator transposase that mediates sporophytic and gametophytic excision of Dissociation elements in maize.

    PubMed

    Conrad, Liza J; Brutnell, Thomas P

    2005-12-01

    We have identified and characterized a novel Activator (Ac) element that is incapable of excision yet contributes to the canonical negative dosage effect of Ac. Cloning and sequence analysis of this immobilized Ac (Ac-im) revealed that it is identical to Ac with the exception of a 10-bp deletion of sequences at the left end of the element. In screens of approximately 6800 seeds, no germinal transpositions of Ac-im were detected. Importantly, Ac-im catalyzes germinal excisions of a Ds element resident at the r1 locus resulting in the recovery of independent transposed Ds insertions in approximately 4.5% of progeny kernels. Many of these transposition events occur during gametophytic development. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Ac-im transactivates multiple Ds insertions in somatic tissues including those in reporter alleles at bronze1, anthocyaninless1, and anthocyaninless2. We propose a model for the generation of Ac-im as an aberrant transposition event that failed to generate an 8-bp target site duplication and resulted in the deletion of Ac end sequences. We also discuss the utility of Ac-im in two-component Ac/Ds gene-tagging programs in maize.

  20. 21 CFR 888.1240 - AC-powered dynamometer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false AC-powered dynamometer. 888.1240 Section 888.1240 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 888.1240 AC-powered dynamometer. (a...