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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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

AC/DC current ratio in a current superimposition variable flux reluctance machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohara, Akira; Hirata, Katsuhiro; Niguchi, Noboru; Takahara, Kazuaki

2018-05-01

We have proposed a current superimposition variable flux reluctance machine for traction motors. The torque-speed characteristics of this machine can be controlled by increasing or decreasing the DC current. In this paper, we discuss an AC/DC current ratio in the current superimposition variable flux reluctance machine. The structure and control method are described, and the characteristics are computed using FEA in several AC/DC ratios.

A MEMS sensor for AC electric current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leland, Eli Sidney

This manuscript describes the development of a new MEMS sensor for the measurement of AC electric current. The sensor is comprised of a MEMS piezoelectric cantilever with a microscale permanent magnet mounted to the cantilever's free end. When placed near a wire carrying AC current, the magnet couples to the oscillating magnetic field surrounding the wire, causing the cantilever to deflect, and piezoelectric coupling produces a sinusoidal voltage proportional to the current in the wire. The sensor is itself passive, requiring no power supply to operate. It also operates on proximity and need only be placed near a current carrier in order to function. The sensor does not need to encircle the current carrier and it therefore can measure current in two-wire zip-cords without necessitating the separation of the two conductors. Applications for tins sensor include measuring residential and commercial electricity use and monitoring electric power distribution networks. An analytical model describing the behavior of the current sensor was developed. This model was also adapted to describe the power output of an energy scavenger coupled to a wire carrying AC current. A mesoscale sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 75 mV/A when measuring AC electric current in a zip-cord. A mesoscale energy scavenger produced 345 muW when coupled to a zip-cord carrying 13 A. MEMS current sensors were fabricated from aluminum nitride piezoelectric cantilevers and composite permanent magnets. The cantilevers were fabricated using a four-mask process. Microscale permanent magnets were dispenser-printed using NdFeB magnetic powder with an epoxy binder. The MEMS AC current sensor was interfaced with amplification circuitry and packaged inside an almninum enclosure. The sensor was also integrated with a mesoscale energy scavenger and power conditioning circuitry to create a fully self-powered current sensor. Unamplified sensitivity of the sensor was 0.1-1.1 mV/A when measuring currents in single

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.…

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Roebel assembled coated conductor cables (RACC): Ac-Losses and current carrying potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, A.; Heller, R.; Goldacker, W.; Kling, A.; Schmidt, C.

2008-02-01

Low ac-loss HTS cables for transport currents well above 1 kA are required for application in transformers and generators and are taken into consideration for future generations of fusion reactor coils. Coated conductors (CC) are suitable candidates for high field application at an operation temperature in the range 50-77 K. Ac-field applications require cables with low ac-losses and hence twisting of the individual strands. We solved this problem using the Roebel technique. Short lengths of Roebel bar cables were prepared from industrial DyBCO and YBCO-CC. Meander shaped tapes of 4 or 5 mm width with twist pitches of 123 or 127 mm were cut from the 10 or 12 mm wide CC tapes using a specially designed tool. Eleven or twelve of these strands were assembled to a cable. The electrical and mechanical connection of the tapes was achieved using a silver powder filled conductive epoxy resin. Ac-losses of a short sample in an external ac-field were measured as a function of frequency and field amplitude as well as the coupling current decay time constant. We discuss the results in terms of available theories and compare measured time constants in transverse field with measured coupling losses. Finally the potential of this cable type for ac-use is discussed with respect to ac-losses and current carrying capability.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Methods, systems and apparatus for controlling operation of two alternating current (AC) machines

DOEpatents

Gallegos-Lopez, Gabriel [Torrance, CA; Nagashima, James M [Cerritos, CA; Perisic, Milun [Torrance, CA; Hiti, Silva [Redondo Beach, CA

2012-06-05

A system is provided for controlling two alternating current (AC) machines via a five-phase PWM inverter module. The system comprises a first control loop, a second control loop, and a current command adjustment module. The current command adjustment module operates in conjunction with the first control loop and the second control loop to continuously adjust current command signals that control the first AC machine and the second AC machine such that they share the input voltage available to them without compromising the target mechanical output power of either machine. This way, even when the phase voltage available to either one of the machines decreases, that machine outputs its target mechanical output power.

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.

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.

Accounting for Dark Current Accumulated during Readout of Hubble's ACS/WFC Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryon, Jenna E.; Grogin, Norman A.; Coe, Dan A.; ACS Team

2018-06-01

We investigate the properties of excess dark current accumulated during the 100-second full-frame readout of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Wide Field Channel (WFC) detectors. This excess dark current, called "readout dark", gives rise to ambient background gradients and hot columns in each ACS/WFC image. While readout dark signal is removed from science images during the bias correction step in CALACS, the additional noise from the readout dark is currently not taken into account. We develop a method to estimate the readout dark noise properties in ACS/WFC observations. We update the error (ERR) extensions of superbias images to include the appropriate noise from the ambient readout dark gradient and stable hot columns. In recent data, this amounts to about 5 e-/pixel added variance in the rows farthest from the WFC serial registers, and about 7 to 30 e-/pixel added variance along the stable hot columns. We also flag unstable hot columns in the superbias data quality (DQ) extensions. The new reference file pipeline for ACS/WFC implements these updates to our superbias creation process.

Fabrication of superconductor-ferromagnet-insulator-superconductor Josephson junctions with critical current uniformity applicable to integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Hiroshi; Taniguchi, Soya; Ishikawa, Kouta; Akaike, Hiroyuki; Fujimaki, Akira

2017-03-01

Nb Josephson junctions (JJs) were fabricated with a Pd89Ni11 ferromagnetic interlayer and an AlO x tunnel barrier layer for use in large-scale superconducting integrated circuits. The junctions had a small critical current (I c) spread, where the standard deviation 1σ was less than 2% at 4.2 K for junctions with the same designed size. It was observed that the electrical behavior of the junctions could be controlled by manipulating the film thickness of the PdNi interlayer. The junctions behaved as a π-JJ for thicknesses of 9 and 11 nm, showing 1σ in the I c spread of 1.2% for 9 nm.

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.

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.

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 Icurrent 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.

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.

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)

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

Influence of thermal aging on AC leakage current in XLPE insulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Pulong; Song, Jiancheng; Tian, Muqin; Lei, Zhipeng; Du, Yakun

2018-02-01

Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) has been widely used as cable insulation material because of its excellent dielectric properties, thermal stability and solvent resistance. To understand the influence of thermal aging on AC leakage current in XLPE insulation, all XLPE specimens were aged in oven in temperature range from 120 °C to 150 °C, and a series of tests were conducted on these XLPE specimens in different aging stages to measure the characteristic parameters, such as complex permittivity, leakage current and complex dielectric modulus. In the experiments, the effects of thermal aging, temperature and frequency on the AC leakage current in XLPE insulation were studied by analyzing complex dielectric constant and dielectric relaxation modulus spectrum, the change of relaxation peak and activation energy. It has been found that the active part of leakage current increases sharply with the increase of aging degree, and the test temperature and frequency have an influence on AC leakage current but the influence of test temperature is mainly reflected in the low frequency region. In addition, it has been shown by the experiments that the reactive part of leakage current exhibits a strong frequency dependent characteristic in the testing frequency range from 10-2 Hz to 105 Hz, but the influence of test temperature and thermal aging on it is relatively small.

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.

Input-current shaped ac to dc converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The problem of achieving near unity power factor while supplying power to a dc load from a single phase ac source of power is examined. Power processors for this application must perform three functions: input current shaping, energy storage, and output voltage regulation. The methods available for performing each of these three functions are reviewed. Input current shaping methods are either active or passive, with the active methods divided into buck-like and boost-like techniques. In addition to large reactances, energy storage methods include resonant filters, active filters, and active storage schemes. Fast voltage regulation can be achieved by post regulation or by supplementing the current shaping topology with an extra switch. Some indications of which methods are best suited for particular applications concludes the discussion.

Power dissipation in HTS coated conductor coils under the simultaneous action of AC and DC currents and fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Boyang; Li, Chao; Geng, Jianzhao; Zhang, Xiuchang; Gawith, James; Ma, Jun; Liu, Yingzhen; Grilli, Francesco; Coombs, T. A.

2018-07-01

This paper presents a comprehensive alternating current (AC) loss study of a circular high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductor coil. The AC losses from a circular double pancake coil were measured using the electrical method. A 2D axisymmetric H -formulation model using the FEM package in COMSOL Multiphysics has been established to match the circular geometry of the coil used in the experiment. Three scenarios have been analysed: Scenario 1 with AC transport current and DC magnetic field (experiment and simulation); Scenario 2 with DC transport current and AC magnetic field (simulation); and Scenario 3 with AC transport current and AC magnetic field (simulation and experimental data support). The angular dependence analysis on the coil under a magnetic field with different orientation angle θ has been carried out for all three scenarios. For Scenario 3, the effect of the relative phase difference Δφ between the AC current and the AC field on the total AC loss of the coil has been investigated. In summary, a current/field/angle/phase dependent AC loss ( I , B , θ, Δφ) study of a circular HTS coil has been carried out. The obtained results provide useful indications for the future design and research of HTS AC systems.

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

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

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.

Numerical and theoretical evaluations of AC losses for single and infinite numbers of superconductor strips with direct and alternating transport currents in external AC magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajikawa, K.; Funaki, K.; Shikimachi, K.; Hirano, N.; Nagaya, S.

2010-11-01

AC losses in a superconductor strip are numerically evaluated by means of a finite element method formulated with a current vector potential. The expressions of AC losses in an infinite slab that corresponds to a simple model of infinitely stacked strips are also derived theoretically. It is assumed that the voltage-current characteristics of the superconductors are represented by Bean's critical state model. The typical operation pattern of a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) coil with direct and alternating transport currents in an external AC magnetic field is taken into account as the electromagnetic environment for both the single strip and the infinite slab. By using the obtained results of AC losses, the influences of the transport currents on the total losses are discussed quantitatively.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Characterization of AC current sensor based on giant magnetoresistance and coil for power meter design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhani, H. S.; Aminudin, A.; Waslaluddin

2018-05-01

Electric current is the basic variable of measurement in instrumentation system. One of the current measurements had been developed was based on magnetic sensor. Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) produces an output voltage when it detects the magnetic field from electric current flow. The purpose of this study was to characterize the response of GMR when variation number of coil was given. The characterization was the GMR voltage response to the AC current values from 0.01 A to 5.00 A. The linearity of the relation was reaching saturation point when the magnetic field measured higher than 10.5 Oe at room temperature. As the number of coil increased, the earlier saturation occurred. To see the sensitivity of the sensor response, the data graph was cut off at 1.56 A AC. From this research, we got single coil was ideal to measure electric current higher than 1.56 A AC, as the relation of GMR voltage to the current tended to maintain its linearity. For measurement of 1.56 A AC and less, coil number addition would increase the sensitivity of sensor response. This research hopefully will be benefit for further development using an electric current measurement based on GMR magnetic sensor for power meter design.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

International comparison of AC-DC current transfer standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heine, G.; Garcocz, M.; Waldmann, W.

2017-01-01

The measurements of the international comparison of ac-dc current transfer standards identified as EURAMET.EM-K12 started in June 2012 and were completed in December 2014. Twenty NMIs in the EURAMET region and one NMI in the AFRIMET region took part: BEV (Austria), CMI (Czech Republic), PTB (Germany), METAS (Switzerland), JV (Norway), UME (Turkey), GUM (Poland), IPQ (Portugal), CEM (Spain), INRIM (Italy), SP (Sweden), DANIAmet-MI-Trescal (Denmark), BIM (Bulgaria), MKEH (Hungary), SIQ (Slovenia), LNE (France), NSAI NML (Ireland), VSL (The Netherlands), NPL (United Kingdom), Metrosert (Estonia), NIS (Egypt). The comparison was proposed to link the National Metrology Institutes organised in EURAMET to the key comparison CCEM-K12. The ac-dc current transfer difference of each travelling standard had been measured at its nominal current 10 mA and 5 A at the following frequencies: 10 Hz, 55 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz. The test points were selected to link the results with the equivalent CCEM Key Comparison (CCEM-K12), through five NMIs participating in both EURAMET and CCEM key comparisons (PTB, JV, NPL, SP and BEV). The report shows the degree of equivalence in the EURAMET region and also the degree of equivalence with the corresponding CCEM reference value. 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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…

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.

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.

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

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

Enhancing critical current density of cuprate superconductors

DOEpatents

Chaudhari, Praveen

2015-06-16

The present invention concerns the enhancement of critical current densities in cuprate superconductors. Such enhancement of critical current densities include using wave function symmetry and restricting movement of Abrikosov (A) vortices, Josephson (J) vortices, or Abrikosov-Josephson (A-J) vortices by using the half integer vortices associated with d-wave symmetry present in the grain boundary.

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.

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.

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.

Targeting the neurophysiology of cognitive systems with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

PubMed Central

Fröhlich, Flavio; Sellers, Kristin K.; Cordle, Asa L.

2015-01-01

Cognitive impairment represents one of the most debilitating and most difficult symptom to treat of many psychiatric illnesses. Human neurophysiology studies have suggested specific pathologies of cortical network activity correlate with cognitive impairment. However, we lack (1) demonstration of causal relationships between specific network activity patterns and cognitive capabilities and (2) treatment modalities that directly target impaired network dynamics of cognition. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a novel non-invasive brain stimulation approach, may provide a crucial tool to tackle these challenges. We here propose that tACS can be used to elucidate the causal role of cortical synchronization in cognition and, eventually, to enhance pathologically weakened synchrony that may underlie cognitive deficits. To accelerate such development of tACS as a treatment for cognitive deficits, we discuss studies on tACS and cognition (all performed in healthy participants) according to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) of the National Institute of Mental Health. PMID:25547149

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Switch contact device for interrupting high current, high voltage, AC and DC circuits

DOEpatents

Via, Lester C.; Witherspoon, F. Douglas; Ryan, John M.

2005-01-04

A high voltage switch contact structure capable of interrupting high voltage, high current AC and DC circuits. The contact structure confines the arc created when contacts open to the thin area between two insulating surfaces in intimate contact. This forces the arc into the shape of a thin sheet which loses heat energy far more rapidly than an arc column having a circular cross-section. These high heat losses require a dramatic increase in the voltage required to maintain the arc, thus extinguishing it when the required voltage exceeds the available voltage. The arc extinguishing process with this invention is not dependent on the occurrence of a current zero crossing and, consequently, is capable of rapidly interrupting both AC and DC circuits. The contact structure achieves its high performance without the use of sulfur hexafluoride.

INSTRUMENTATION AND TECHNIQUES. A SELF-CONTAINED, REGULATED, BURST-FIRING CONSTANT-CURRENT AC SHOCK GENERATOR

EPA Science Inventory

A line- and load-regulated constant-current ac shock generator has been designed for animal behavior experiments. The self-contained unit has four operating modes, amplitude adjustment, and a leakage current detection circuit. A unique feature of this generator is that the good l...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eddy Current Rail Inspection Using AC Bridge Techniques.

PubMed

Liu, Ze; Koffman, Andrew D; Waltrip, Bryan C; Wang, Yicheng

2013-01-01

AC bridge techniques commonly used for precision impedance measurements have been adapted to develop an eddy current sensor for rail defect detection. By using two detection coils instead of just one as in a conventional sensor, we can balance out the large baseline signals corresponding to a normal rail. We have significantly enhanced the detection sensitivity of the eddy current method by detecting and demodulating the differential signal of the two coils induced by rail defects, using a digital lock-in amplifier algorithm. We have also explored compensating for the lift-off effect of the eddy current sensor due to vibrations by using the summing signal of the detection coils to measure the lift-off distance. The dominant component of the summing signal is a constant resulting from direct coupling from the excitation coil, which can be experimentally determined. The remainder of the summing signal, which decreases as the lift-off distance increases, is induced by the secondary eddy current. This dependence on the lift-off distance is used to calibrate the differential signal, allowing for a more accurate characterization of the defects. Simulated experiments on a sample rail have been performed using a computer controlled X-Y moving table with the X-axis mimicking the train's motion and the Y-axis mimicking the train's vibrational bumping. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the new detection method.

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.

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

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

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.

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).

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

Radiation Power as Function of Current in Wall-stabilized AC Arc of Water-cooled Vortex Type with Small Caliber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwao, Toru; Naito, Yuto; Shimizu, Yuta; Yamamoto, Shinji

2016-10-01

The problem of an emergency large-scale lighting with the high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp is the lack of radiation intensity because of inappropriate energy balance. Some researchers have researched that the radiation power depended on the arc temperature increases with increasing the current. However, the heat loss and the erosion of the electrode as well as the radiation power increases with increasing the current excessively. AC current replaces alternately the cathode and the anode. Thus, it is possible to avoid the concentration of the heat transfer to the anode. Moreover, the lamp efficiency decreases with increasing the current excessively because of ultra violet rays increment. It is necessary to control the temperature distribution with controlling the current and radius. In this paper, the radiation power as a function of the current in the wall-stabilized AC arc of water-cooled vortex type with small caliber was measured. As a result, the radiation power increased with increasing the current and appropriate wall radius. The radiation of AC arc is smaller than it of DC arc. And, the erosion of electrode decreases.

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.

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.

Calculation of AC loss in two-layer superconducting cable with equal currents in the layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdogan, Muzaffer

2016-12-01

A new method for calculating AC loss of two-layer SC power transmission cables using the commercial software Comsol Multiphysics, relying on the approach of the equal partition of current between the layers is proposed. Applying the method to calculate the AC-loss in a cable composed of two coaxial cylindrical SC tubes, the results are in good agreement with the analytical ones of duoblock model. Applying the method to calculate the AC-losses of a cable composed of a cylindrical copper former, surrounded by two coaxial cylindrical layers of superconducting tapes embedded in an insulating medium with tape-on-tape and tape-on-gap configurations are compared. A good agreement between the duoblock model and the numerical results for the tape-on-gap cable is observed.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Current-induced SQUID behavior of superconducting Nb nano-rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-06-01

The critical temperature in a superconducting ring changes periodically with the magnetic flux threading it, giving rise to the well-known Little-Parks magnetoresistance oscillations. Periodic changes of the critical current in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), consisting of two Josephson junctions in a ring, lead to a different type of magnetoresistance oscillations utilized in detecting extremely small changes in magnetic fields. Here we demonstrate current-induced switching between Little-Parks and SQUID magnetoresistance oscillations in a superconducting nano-ring without Josephson junctions. Our measurements in Nb nano-rings show that as the bias current increases, the parabolic Little-Parks magnetoresistance oscillations become sinusoidal and eventually transform into oscillations typical of a SQUID. We associate this phenomenon with the flux-induced non-uniformity of the order parameter along a superconducting nano-ring, arising from the superconducting leads (‘arms’) attached to it. Current enhanced phase slip rates at the points with minimal order parameter create effective Josephson junctions in the ring, switching it into a SQUID.

Correlation between audible noise and corona current generated by AC corona discharge in time and frequency domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xuebao; Wang, Jing; Li, Yinfei; Zhang, Qian; Lu, Tiebing; Cui, Xiang

2018-06-01

Corona-generated audible noise is induced by the collisions between space charges and air molecules. It has been proven that there is a close correlation between audible noise and corona current from DC corona discharge. Analysis on the correlation between audible noise and corona current can promote the cognition of the generation mechanism of corona discharge. In this paper, time-domain waveforms of AC corona-generated audible noise and corona current are measured simultaneously. The one-to-one relationship between sound pressure pulses and corona current pulses can be found and is used to remove the interferences from background noise. After the interferences are removed, the linear correlated relationships between sound pressure pulse amplitude and corona current pulse amplitude are obtained through statistical analysis. Besides, frequency components at the harmonics of power frequency (50 Hz) can be found both in the frequency spectrums of audible noise and corona current through frequency analysis. Furthermore, the self-correlation relationships between harmonic components below 400 Hz with the 50 Hz component are analyzed for audible noise and corona current and corresponding empirical formulas are proposed to calculate the harmonic components based on the 50 Hz component. Finally, based on the AC corona discharge process and generation mechanism of audible noise and corona current, the correlation between audible noise and corona current in time domain and frequency domain are interpreted qualitatively. Besides, with the aid of analytical expressions of periodic square waves, sound pressure pulses, and corona current pulses, the modulation effects from the AC voltage on the pulse trains are used to interpret the generation of the harmonic components of audible noise and corona current.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

An Annotated Bibliography of High-Voltage Direct-Current Transmission and Flexible AC Transmission (FACTS) Devices, 1991-1993.

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

Litzenberger, Wayne; Lava, Val

1994-08-01

References are contained for HVDC systems, converter stations and components, overhead transmission lines, cable transmission, system design and operations, simulation of high voltage direct current systems, high-voltage direct current installations, and flexible AC transmission system (FACTS).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Fractional Modeling of the AC Large-Signal Frequency Response in Magnetoresistive Current Sensors

PubMed Central

Arias, Sergio Iván Ravello; Muñoz, Diego Ramírez; Moreno, Jaime Sánchez; Cardoso, Susana; Ferreira, Ricardo; de Freitas, Paulo Jorge Peixeiro

2013-01-01

Fractional calculus is considered when derivatives and integrals of non-integer order are applied over a specific function. In the electrical and electronic domain, the transfer function dependence of a fractional filter not only by the filter order n, but additionally, of the fractional order α is an example of a great number of systems where its input-output behavior could be more exactly modeled by a fractional behavior. Following this aim, the present work shows the experimental ac large-signal frequency response of a family of electrical current sensors based in different spintronic conduction mechanisms. Using an ac characterization set-up the sensor transimpedance function Zt(if) is obtained considering it as the relationship between sensor output voltage and input sensing current, Zt(jf)=Vo,sensor(jf)/Isensor(jf). The study has been extended to various magnetoresistance sensors based in different technologies like anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), giant magnetoresistance (GMR), spin-valve (GMR-SV) and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). The resulting modeling shows two predominant behaviors, the low-pass and the inverse low-pass with fractional index different from the classical integer response. The TMR technology with internal magnetization offers the best dynamic and sensitivity properties opening the way to develop actual industrial applications. PMID:24351648

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Modeling And Simulation Of Electrical Prevenion System Using Arduino Uno,Gsm Modem, And Acs712 Current Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khair, Ummul; Jabbar Lubis, Abdul; Agustha, Indra; Dharmawati; Zulfin, M.

2017-12-01

The current electricity needs is very primary, all objects including electronics require power, it encourages people not to be able to save electricity so the theft of electric power would be done. The use of ACS712 current sensor as the sensor with arduino uno would find out the power consumption continuously and prevent the theft of electricity because of the use of electricity which has been determined by PLN and the people fetl that it is not enough for every house, so the author made a tool for prevention of theft of electric power by using the arduino uno, buzzer, ACS712 current sensor, lcd, and relay then the power usage can be controlled according to the use to prevent the occurrence of theft of electricity so the use can be seen directly on the lcd 16x2and GSM modem to give information to employees of PLN so that it can reduceelectrical theft by the public.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Alpha Power Increase After Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation at Alpha Frequency (α-tACS) Reflects Plastic Changes Rather Than Entrainment

PubMed Central

Vossen, Alexandra; Gross, Joachim; Thut, Gregor

2015-01-01

Background Periodic stimulation of occipital areas using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha (α) frequency (8–12 Hz) enhances electroencephalographic (EEG) α-oscillation long after tACS-offset. Two mechanisms have been suggested to underlie these changes in oscillatory EEG activity: tACS-induced entrainment of brain oscillations and/or tACS-induced changes in oscillatory circuits by spike-timing dependent plasticity. Objective We tested to what extent plasticity can account for tACS-aftereffects when controlling for entrainment “echoes.” To this end, we used a novel, intermittent tACS protocol and investigated the strength of the aftereffect as a function of phase continuity between successive tACS episodes, as well as the match between stimulation frequency and endogenous α-frequency. Methods 12 healthy participants were stimulated at around individual α-frequency for 11–15 min in four sessions using intermittent tACS or sham. Successive tACS events were either phase-continuous or phase-discontinuous, and either 3 or 8 s long. EEG α-phase and power changes were compared after and between episodes of α-tACS across conditions and against sham. Results α-aftereffects were successfully replicated after intermittent stimulation using 8-s but not 3-s trains. These aftereffects did not reveal any of the characteristics of entrainment echoes in that they were independent of tACS phase-continuity and showed neither prolonged phase alignment nor frequency synchronization to the exact stimulation frequency. Conclusion Our results indicate that plasticity mechanisms are sufficient to explain α-aftereffects in response to α-tACS, and inform models of tACS-induced plasticity in oscillatory circuits. Modifying brain oscillations with tACS holds promise for clinical applications in disorders involving abnormal neural synchrony. PMID:25648377

Alpha Power Increase After Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation at Alpha Frequency (α-tACS) Reflects Plastic Changes Rather Than Entrainment.

PubMed

Vossen, Alexandra; Gross, Joachim; Thut, Gregor

2015-01-01

Periodic stimulation of occipital areas using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha (α) frequency (8-12 Hz) enhances electroencephalographic (EEG) α-oscillation long after tACS-offset. Two mechanisms have been suggested to underlie these changes in oscillatory EEG activity: tACS-induced entrainment of brain oscillations and/or tACS-induced changes in oscillatory circuits by spike-timing dependent plasticity. We tested to what extent plasticity can account for tACS-aftereffects when controlling for entrainment "echoes." To this end, we used a novel, intermittent tACS protocol and investigated the strength of the aftereffect as a function of phase continuity between successive tACS episodes, as well as the match between stimulation frequency and endogenous α-frequency. 12 healthy participants were stimulated at around individual α-frequency for 11-15 min in four sessions using intermittent tACS or sham. Successive tACS events were either phase-continuous or phase-discontinuous, and either 3 or 8 s long. EEG α-phase and power changes were compared after and between episodes of α-tACS across conditions and against sham. α-aftereffects were successfully replicated after intermittent stimulation using 8-s but not 3-s trains. These aftereffects did not reveal any of the characteristics of entrainment echoes in that they were independent of tACS phase-continuity and showed neither prolonged phase alignment nor frequency synchronization to the exact stimulation frequency. Our results indicate that plasticity mechanisms are sufficient to explain α-aftereffects in response to α-tACS, and inform models of tACS-induced plasticity in oscillatory circuits. Modifying brain oscillations with tACS holds promise for clinical applications in disorders involving abnormal neural synchrony. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

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.

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.

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.

Optimization of spin-torque switching using AC and DC pulses

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

Dunn, Tom; Kamenev, Alex; Fine Theoretical Physics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

2014-06-21

We explore spin-torque induced magnetic reversal in magnetic tunnel junctions using combined AC and DC spin-current pulses. We calculate the optimal pulse times and current strengths for both AC and DC pulses as well as the optimal AC signal frequency, needed to minimize the Joule heat lost during the switching process. The results of this optimization are compared against numeric simulations. Finally, we show how this optimization leads to different dynamic regimes, where switching is optimized by either a purely AC or DC spin-current, or a combination AC/DC spin-current, depending on the anisotropy energies and the spin-current polarization.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Nonlinear AC susceptibility, surface and bulk shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Beek, C. J.; Indenbom, M. V.; D'Anna, G.; Benoit, W.

1996-02-01

We calculate the nonlinear AC response of a thin superconducting strip in perpendicular field, shielded by an edge current due to the geometrical barrier. A comparison with the results for infinite samples in parallel field, screened by a surface barrier, and with those for screening by a bulk current in the critical state, shows that the AC response due to a barrier has general features that are independent of geometry, and that are significantly different from those for screening by a bulk current in the critical state. By consequence, the nonlinear (global) AC susceptibility can be used to determine the origin of magnetic irreversibility. A comparison with experiments on a Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ crystal shows that in this material, the low-frequency AC screening at high temperature is mainly due to the screening by an edge current, and that this is the unique source of the nonlinear magnetic response at temperatures above 40 K.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hybrid superconducting a.c. current limiter extrapolation 63 kV-1 250 A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tixador, P.; Levêque, J.; Brunet, Y.; Pham, V. D.

1994-04-01

Following the developement of a.c. superconducting wires a.c. current superconducting limiters have emerged. These limiters limit the fault currents nearly instantaneously, without detection nor order giver and may be suitable for high voltages. They are based on the natural transition from the superconducting state to the normal resistive state by overstepping the critical current of a superconducting coil which limits or triggers the limitation. Our limiter device consists essentially of two copper windings coupled through a saturable magnetic circuit and of a non inductively wound superconducting coil with a reduced current compared to the line current. This design allows a simple superconducting cable and reduced cryogenic losses but the dielectric stresses are high during faults. A small model (150 V/50 A) has experimentally validated our design. An industrial scale current limiter is designed and the comparisons between this design and other superconducting current limiters are given. Les courants de court-circuit sur les grands réseaux électriques ne cessent d'augmenter. Dans ce contexte sont apparus les limiteurs supraconducteurs de courant suite au développement des brins supraconducteurs alternatifs. Ces limiteurs peuvent limiter les courants de défaut presque instantanément, sans détection de défaut ni donneur d'ordre et ils sont extrapolables aux hautes tensions. Ils sont fondés sur la transition naturelle de l'état supraconducteur à l'état normal très résistif par dépassement du courant critique d'un enroulement supraconducteur qui limite ou déclenche la limitation. Notre limiteur est composé de deux enroulements en cuivre couplés par un circuit magnétique saturable et d'une bobine supraconductrice à courant réduit par rapport au courant de la ligne. Cette conception permet un câble supraconducteur simple et des pertes cryogéniques réduites mais les contraintes diélectriques en régime de défaut sont importantes. Une maquette

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Methods, systems and apparatus for controlling operation of two alternating current (AC) machines

DOEpatents

Gallegos-Lopez, Gabriel [Torrance, CA; Nagashima, James M [Cerritos, CA; Perisic, Milun [Torrance, CA; Hiti, Silva [Redondo Beach, CA

2012-02-14

A system is provided for controlling two AC machines. The system comprises a DC input voltage source that provides a DC input voltage, a voltage boost command control module (VBCCM), a five-phase PWM inverter module coupled to the two AC machines, and a boost converter coupled to the inverter module and the DC input voltage source. The boost converter is designed to supply a new DC input voltage to the inverter module having a value that is greater than or equal to a value of the DC input voltage. The VBCCM generates a boost command signal (BCS) based on modulation indexes from the two AC machines. The BCS controls the boost converter such that the boost converter generates the new DC input voltage in response to the BCS. When the two AC machines require additional voltage that exceeds the DC input voltage required to meet a combined target mechanical power required by the two AC machines, the BCS controls the boost converter to drive the new DC input voltage generated by the boost converter to a value greater than the DC input voltage.

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

Post-Flash Validation of the new ACS/WFC Subarrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellini, A.; Grogin, N. A.; Lim, P. L.; Golimowski, D.

2017-05-01

We made use of the new ACS/WFC subarray images of CAL-14410, taken taken with a large range of flash exposure times (0.1-30 seconds), to probe the temporal stability of the reference flash file and to validate the current post-flash correction pipeline of CALACS and ACS DESTRIPE PLUS on the new subarray modes. No statistically-significant deviations are found between the new post-flashed subarray exposures and the flash reference file, indicating that the LED lamp used to post-flash ACS images has been stable over several years. The current calibration pipelines (both CALACS and ACS DESTRIPE PLUS can be successfully used with the new subarray modes.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

I-BIEM calculations of the frequency dispersion and ac current distribution at disk and ring-disk electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahan, Boris D.

1991-01-01

The Iterative Boundary Integral Equation Method (I-BIEM) has been applied to the problem of frequency dispersion at a disk electrode in a finite geometry. The I-BIEM permits the direct evaluation of the AC potential (a complex variable) using complex boundary conditions. The point spacing was made highly nonuniform, to give extremely high resolution in those regions where the variables change most rapidly, i.e., in the vicinity of the edge of the disk. Results are analyzed with respect to IR correction, equipotential surfaces, and reference electrode placement. The current distribution is also examined for a ring-disk configuration, with the ring and the disk at the same AC potential. It is shown that the apparent impedance of the disk is inductive at higher frequencies. The results are compared to analytic calculations from the literature, and usually agree to better than 0.001 percent.

I-BIEM calculations of the frequency dispersion and AC current distribution at disk and ring-disk electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahan, Boris D.

1991-01-01

The Iterative Boundary Integral Equation Method (I-BIEM) has been applied to the problem of frequency dispersion at a disk electrode in a finite geometry. The I-BIEM permits the direct evaluation of the AC potential (a complex variable) using complex boundary conditions. The point spacing was made highly nonuniform, to give extremely high resolution in those regions where the variables change most rapidly, i.e., in the vicinity of the edge of the disk. Results are analyzed with respect to IR correction, equipotential surfaces, and reference electrode placement. The current distribution is also examined for a ring-disk configuration, with the ring and the disk at the same AC potential. It is shown that the apparent impedance of the disk is inductive at higher frequencies. The results are compared to analytic calculations from the literature, and usually agree to better than 0.001 percent.

Non-oxidized porous silicon-based power AC switch peripheries.

PubMed

Menard, Samuel; Fèvre, Angélique; Valente, Damien; Billoué, Jérôme; Gautier, Gaël

2012-10-11

We present in this paper a novel application of porous silicon (PS) for low-power alternating current (AC) switches such as triode alternating current devices (TRIACs) frequently used to control small appliances (fridge, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, coffee makers, etc.). More precisely, it seems possible to benefit from the PS electrical insulation properties to ensure the OFF state of the device. Based on the technological aspects of the most commonly used AC switch peripheries physically responsible of the TRIAC blocking performances (leakage current and breakdown voltage), we suggest to isolate upper and lower junctions through the addition of a PS layer anodically etched from existing AC switch diffusion profiles. Then, we comment the voltage capability of practical samples emanating from the proposed architecture. Thanks to the characterization results of simple Al-PS-Si(P) structures, the experimental observations are interpreted, thus opening new outlooks in the field of AC switch peripheries.

Operation of AC Adapters Visualized Using Light-Emitting Diodes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regester, Jeffrey

2016-01-01

A bridge rectifier is a diamond-shaped configuration of diodes that serves to convert alternating current(AC) into direct current (DC). In our world of AC outlets and DC electronics, they are ubiquitous. Of course, most bridge rectifiers are built with regular diodes, not the light-emitting variety, because LEDs have a number of disadvantages. For…

AC Loss Measurements on a 2G YBCO Coil

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

Rey, Christopher M; Duckworth, Robert C; Schwenterly, S W

2011-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is collaborating with Waukesha Electric Systems (WES) to continue development of HTS power transformers. For compatibility with the existing power grid, a commercially viable HTS transformer will have to operate at high voltages in the range of 138 kV and above, and will have to withstand 550-kV impulse voltages as well. Second-generation (2G) YBCO coated conductors will be required for an economically-competitive design. In order to adequately size the refrigeration system for these transformers, the ac loss of these HTS coils must be characterized. Electrical AC loss measurements were conducted on a prototype highmore » voltage (HV) coil with co-wound stainless steel at 60 Hz in a liquid nitrogen bath using a lock-in amplifier technique. The prototype HV coil consisted of 26 continuous (without splice) single pancake coils concentrically centered on a stainless steel former. For ac loss measurement purposes, voltage tap pairs were soldered across each set of two single pancake coils so that a total of 13 separate voltage measurements could be made across the entire length of the coil. AC loss measurements were taken as a function of ac excitation current. Results show that the loss is primarily concentrated at the ends of the coil where the operating fraction of critical current is the highest and show a distinct difference in current scaling of the losses between low current and high current regimes.« less

Non-linear transfer characteristics of stimulation and recording hardware account for spurious low-frequency artifacts during amplitude modulated transcranial alternating current stimulation (AM-tACS).

PubMed

Kasten, Florian H; Negahbani, Ehsan; Fröhlich, Flavio; Herrmann, Christoph S

2018-05-31

Amplitude modulated transcranial alternating current stimulation (AM-tACS) has been recently proposed as a possible solution to overcome the pronounced stimulation artifact encountered when recording brain activity during tACS. In theory, AM-tACS does not entail power at its modulating frequency, thus avoiding the problem of spectral overlap between brain signal of interest and stimulation artifact. However, the current study demonstrates how weak non-linear transfer characteristics inherent to stimulation and recording hardware can reintroduce spurious artifacts at the modulation frequency. The input-output transfer functions (TFs) of different stimulation setups were measured. Setups included recordings of signal-generator and stimulator outputs and M/EEG phantom measurements. 6 th -degree polynomial regression models were fitted to model the input-output TFs of each setup. The resulting TF models were applied to digitally generated AM-tACS signals to predict the frequency of spurious artifacts in the spectrum. All four setups measured for the study exhibited low-frequency artifacts at the modulation frequency and its harmonics when recording AM-tACS. Fitted TF models showed non-linear contributions significantly different from zero (all p < .05) and successfully predicted the frequency of artifacts observed in AM-signal recordings. Results suggest that even weak non-linearities of stimulation and recording hardware can lead to spurious artifacts at the modulation frequency and its harmonics. These artifacts were substantially larger than alpha-oscillations of a human subject in the MEG. Findings emphasize the need for more linear stimulation devices for AM-tACS and careful analysis procedures, taking into account low-frequency artifacts to avoid confusion with effects of AM-tACS on the brain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

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.

Imaging of current density distributions with a Nb weak-link scanning nano-SQUID microscope

PubMed Central

Shibata, Yusuke; Nomura, Shintaro; Kashiwaya, Hiromi; Kashiwaya, Satoshi; Ishiguro, Ryosuke; Takayanagi, Hideaki

2015-01-01

Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are accepted as one of the highest magnetic field sensitive probes. There are increasing demands to image local magnetic fields to explore spin properties and current density distributions in a two-dimensional layer of semiconductors or superconductors. Nano-SQUIDs have recently attracting much interest for high spatial resolution measurements in nanometer-scale samples. Whereas weak-link Dayem Josephson junction nano-SQUIDs are suitable to miniaturization, hysteresis in current-voltage (I-V) characteristics that is often observed in Dayem Josephson junction is not desirable for a scanning microscope. Here we report on our development of a weak-link nano-SQUIDs scanning microscope with small hysteresis in I-V curve and on reconstructions of two-dimensional current density vector in two-dimensional electron gas from measured magnetic field. PMID:26459874

Imaging of current density distributions with a Nb weak-link scanning nano-SQUID microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Yusuke; Nomura, Shintaro; Kashiwaya, Hiromi; Kashiwaya, Satoshi; Ishiguro, Ryosuke; Takayanagi, Hideaki

2015-10-01

Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are accepted as one of the highest magnetic field sensitive probes. There are increasing demands to image local magnetic fields to explore spin properties and current density distributions in a two-dimensional layer of semiconductors or superconductors. Nano-SQUIDs have recently attracting much interest for high spatial resolution measurements in nanometer-scale samples. Whereas weak-link Dayem Josephson junction nano-SQUIDs are suitable to miniaturization, hysteresis in current-voltage (I-V) characteristics that is often observed in Dayem Josephson junction is not desirable for a scanning microscope. Here we report on our development of a weak-link nano-SQUIDs scanning microscope with small hysteresis in I-V curve and on reconstructions of two-dimensional current density vector in two-dimensional electron gas from measured magnetic field.

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.''

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.

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.

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.

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.

Evaluation of constant current alternating current iontophoresis for transdermal drug delivery.

PubMed

Yan, Guang; Li, S Kevin; Higuchi, William I

2005-12-10

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that alternating current (AC) iontophoresis can significantly decrease skin electric resistance and enhance the transport of charged permeants across skin. Flux variability of neutral permeants during AC iontophoresis was also found to be less than that of conventional direct current (DC) iontophoresis. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate flux enhancement of constant current AC transdermal iontophoresis and compare the AC flux with that of constant current DC iontophoresis. Iontophoresis studies of AC amplitude of 1, 2, and 5 mA were conducted in side-by-side diffusion cells with donor solution of 0.015, 0.15, and 1.0 M tetraethylammonium (TEA) chloride and receiver solution of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) using human epidermal membrane (HEM). Conventional constant current DC iontophoresis of 0.2 mA was also performed under similar conditions. TEA and mannitol were the model permeants. The following are the major findings in the present study. The flux of TEA increased proportionally with the AC current for all three TEA chloride concentrations and at the AC frequency used in the present study. When the permeant and its counter ion were the only ionic species in the donor chamber, the fluxes during DC iontophoresis were weakly dependent of its donor concentration. The fluxes of TEA during constant current AC iontophoresis were moderately related to the donor concentration with the highest TEA flux observed under the 1.0 M TEA chloride condition although the relationship between flux and donor concentration was not linear. A trend of decreasing electroosmotic transport with increasing donor TEA chloride concentration was observed with significant sample-to-sample variability during DC iontophoresis. Mannitol permeability was also observed to decrease with increasing TEA chloride concentration in the donor under the AC conditions, but data variability under AC was significantly smaller than that

System and method for determining stator winding resistance in an AC motor

DOEpatents

Lu, Bin [Kenosha, WI; Habetler, Thomas G [Snellville, GA; Zhang, Pinjia [Atlanta, GA; Theisen, Peter J [West Bend, WI

2011-05-31

A system and method for determining stator winding resistance in an AC motor is disclosed. The system includes a circuit having an input connectable to an AC source and an output connectable to an input terminal of an AC motor. The circuit includes at least one contactor and at least one switch to control current flow and terminal voltages in the AC motor. The system also includes a controller connected to the circuit and configured to modify a switching time of the at least one switch to create a DC component in an output of the system corresponding to an input to the AC motor and determine a stator winding resistance of the AC motor based on the injected DC component of the voltage and current.

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

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.

Low temperature properties of spin filter NbN/GdN/NbN Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massarotti, D.; Caruso, R.; Pal, A.; Rotoli, G.; Longobardi, L.; Pepe, G. P.; Blamire, M. G.; Tafuri, F.

2017-02-01

A ferromagnetic Josephson junction (JJ) represents a special class of hybrid system where different ordered phases meet and generate novel physics. In this work we report on the transport measurements of underdamped ferromagnetic NbN/GdN/NbN JJs at low temperatures. In these junctions the ferromagnetic insulator gadolinium nitride barrier generates spin-filtering properties and a dominant second harmonic component in the current-phase relation. These features make spin filter junctions quite interesting also in terms of fundamental studies on phase dynamics and dissipation. We discuss the fingerprints of spin filter JJs, through complementary transport measurements, and their implications on the phase dynamics, through standard measurements of switching current distributions. NbN/GdN/NbN JJs, where spin filter properties can be controllably tuned along with the critical current density (Jc), turn to be a very relevant term of reference to understand phase dynamics and dissipation in an enlarged class of JJs, not necessarily falling in the standard tunnel limit characterized by low Jc values.

In vitro and in vivo comparisons of constant resistance AC iontophoresis and DC iontophoresis.

PubMed

Li, S Kevin; Higuchi, William I; Zhu, Honggang; Kern, Steven E; Miller, David J; Hastings, Matthew S

2003-09-04

A previous in vitro constant electrical resistance alternating current (AC) iontophoresis study with human epidermal membrane (HEM) and a model neutral permeant has shown less inter- and intra-sample variability in iontophoretic transport relative to conventional constant direct current (DC) iontophoresis. The objectives of the present study were to address the following questions. (1) Can the skin electrical resistance be maintained at a constant level by AC in humans in vivo? (2) Are the in vitro data with HEM representative of those in vivo? (3) Does constant skin resistance AC iontophoresis have less inter- and intra-sample variability than conventional constant current DC iontophoresis in vivo? (4) What are the electrical and the barrier properties of skin during iontophoresis in vivo? In the present study, in vitro HEM experiments were carried out with the constant resistance AC and the conventional constant current DC methods using mannitol and glucose as the neutral model permeants. In vivo human experiments were performed using glucose as the permeant with a constant skin resistance AC only protocol and two conventional constant current DC methods (continuous constant current DC and constant current DC with its polarity alternated every 10 min with a 3:7 on:off duty cycle). Constant current DC iontophoresis was conducted with commercial constant current DC devices, and constant resistance AC iontophoresis was carried out by reducing and maintaining the skin resistance at a constant target value with AC supplied from a function generator. This study shows that (1) skin electrical resistance can be maintained at a constant level during AC iontophoresis in vivo; (2) HEM in vitro and human skin in vivo demonstrate similar electrical and barrier properties, and these properties are consistent with our previous findings; (3) there is general qualitative and semi-quantitative agreement between the HEM data in vitro and human skin data in vivo; and (4) constant

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Critical current of SF-NFS Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, I. I.; Klenov, N. V.; Bakursky, S. V.; Kupriyanov, M. Yu.; Golubov, A. A.

2015-02-01

The properties of SF-NFS sandwiches composed of two superconducting (S) electrodes separated by a weak-link region formed by a normal-metal (N) step with the thickness d N situated on the top of a lower S electrode and a ferromagnetic (F) layer with the thickness d F deposited onto the step and the remaining free surface of the lower electrode have been studied theoretically. It has been shown in the approximation of linearized semiclassical Usadel equations that the two-dimensional problem in the weak-link region can be reduced to two one-dimensional problems in its SFS and SNFS segments. The spatial distributions of the critical current density J c in the segments as a function of the layer thickness d F have been calculated. The dependences of the critical current I c of the structure on the magnitude of the magnetization vector M of the ferromagnetic layer have been found for various directions of the magnetization within the junction plane. It has been shown that these dependences are affected considerably by both the orientation of M and the spatial distribution of J c.

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.

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

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)

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.

Grain Refinement of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Weldments by AC Pulsing Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishore Babu, N.; Cross, C. E.

2012-11-01

The current study has investigated the influence of alternating current pulsing on the structure and mechanical properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy gas tungsten arc (GTA) weldments. Autogenous full penetration bead-on-plate GTA welds were made under a variety of conditions including variable polarity (VP), variable polarity mixed (VPM), alternating current (AC), and alternating current pulsing (ACPC). AC pulsing resulted in significant refinement of weld metal when compared with the unpulsed conditions. AC pulsing leads to relatively finer and more equiaxed grain structure in GTA welds. In contrast, VP, VPM, and AC welding resulted in predominantly columnar grain structures. The reason for this grain refinement may be attributed to the periodic variations in temperature gradient and solidification rate associated with pulsing as well as weld pool oscillation observed in the ACPC welds. The observed grain refinement was shown to result in an appreciable increase in fusion zone hardness, tensile strength, and ductility.

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.

Introducing high performance distributed logging service for ACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avarias, Jorge A.; López, Joao S.; Maureira, Cristián; Sommer, Heiko; Chiozzi, Gianluca

2010-07-01

The ALMA Common Software (ACS) is a software framework that provides the infrastructure for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and other projects. ACS, based on CORBA, offers basic services and common design patterns for distributed software. Every properly built system needs to be able to log status and error information. Logging in a single computer scenario can be as easy as using fprintf statements. However, in a distributed system, it must provide a way to centralize all logging data in a single place without overloading the network nor complicating the applications. ACS provides a complete logging service infrastructure in which every log has an associated priority and timestamp, allowing filtering at different levels of the system (application, service and clients). Currently the ACS logging service uses an implementation of the CORBA Telecom Log Service in a customized way, using only a minimal subset of the features provided by the standard. The most relevant feature used by ACS is the ability to treat the logs as event data that gets distributed over the network in a publisher-subscriber paradigm. For this purpose the CORBA Notification Service, which is resource intensive, is used. On the other hand, the Data Distribution Service (DDS) provides an alternative standard for publisher-subscriber communication for real-time systems, offering better performance and featuring decentralized message processing. The current document describes how the new high performance logging service of ACS has been modeled and developed using DDS, replacing the Telecom Log Service. Benefits and drawbacks are analyzed. A benchmark is presented comparing the differences between the implementations.

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.

The Josephson plasma resonance in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 in a tilted field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayrakci, S.; Tsui, Ophelia K. C.; Ong, N. P.; Kishio, K.; Watauchi, S.

1999-04-01

The dependence of the Josephson plasma frequency ωp in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 on a tilted field H is reported. Measurements over a large range of B and tilt angle θ allow a detailed comparison with a recent calculation by Koshelev. With a slight modification of the model, close agreement is obtained. From the fits, we find values for the in-plane correlation length and the zero-field critical current density Jc0 (4600 A/cm2 at 30 K). An analogy to Bragg diffraction is described, as well as a picture for the fractional-exponent behavior of ωp vs. H

System and method for determining stator winding resistance in an AC motor using motor drives

DOEpatents

Lu, Bin; Habetler, Thomas G; Zhang, Pinjia

2013-02-26

A system and method for determining the stator winding resistance of AC motors is provided. The system includes an AC motor drive having an input connectable to an AC source and an output connectable to an input terminal of an AC motor, a pulse width modulation (PWM) converter having switches therein to control current flow and terminal voltages in the AC motor, and a control system connected to the PWM converter. The control system generates a command signal to cause the PWM converter to control an output of the AC motor drive corresponding to an input to the AC motor, selectively generates a modified command signal to cause the PWM converter to inject a DC signal into the output of the AC motor drive, and determines a stator winding resistance of the AC motor based on the DC signal of at least one of the voltage and current.

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.

Numerical minimization of AC losses in coaxial coated conductor cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostila, L.; Suuriniemi, S.; Lehtonen, J.; Grasso, G.

2010-02-01

Power cables are one of the most promising applications for the superconducting coated conductors. In the AC use, only small resistive loss is generated, but the removal of the dissipated heat from the cryostat is inefficient due to the large temperature difference. The aim of this work is to minimize the AC losses in a multilayer coaxial cable, in which the tapes form current carrying cylinders. The optimized parameters are the tape numbers and lay angles in these cylinders. This work shows how to cope with the mechanical constraints for the lay angles and discrete tape number in optimization. Three common types of coaxial cables are studied here to demonstrate the feasibility of optimization, in which the AC losses were computed with a circuit analysis model formulated here for arbitrary phase currents, number of phases, and layers. Because the current sharing is practically determined by the inductances of the layers, the optima were obtained much faster by neglecting the nonlinear resistances caused by the AC losses. In addition, the example calculations show that the optimal cable structure do not usually depend on the AC loss model for the individual tapes. On the other hand, depending on the cable type, the losses of the optimized cables may be sensitive to the lay angles, and therefore, we recommend to study the sensitivity for the new cable designs individually.

Investigation of the transition of multicycle AC operation in ISTTOK under edge electrode biasing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaquias, A.; Henriques, R. B.; Silva, C.; Figueiredo, H.; Nedzelskiy, I. S.; Fernandes, H.; Sharma, R.; Plyusnin, V. V.

2017-11-01

In this paper we present recent results obtained on plasma edge electrode biasing during AC discharges. The goal is to obtain experimental evidence on a number of plasma parameters that can play a role during the AC transition on the repeatability and reproducibility of AC operation. The control of the plasma density in the quiescent phase is made just before the AC transition by means of positive edge biasing leading to a transitory improved of density (30%-40%). Gas puff experiments show that the increase of background gas pressure during discharge led to a better success of the AC transition. The experimental results indicate that the increase of density during the AC transition induced by edge biasing is followed by an electron temperature drop. The drop in electron temperature leads in most cases the formation of runaway electrons. It has been observed that the runaway population during discharge flattop depends on the interplay between gas content and plasma density and temperature. The results also confirm that the correct balance of external magnetic fields is crucial during the AC transition phase where drift electron currents are formed. The results from the heavy ion beam diagnostic show that the formation of plasma current during consecutive AC transitions is asymmetric. Numerical simulations indicate that for some particular conditions this result could be reproduced from assuming the presence of two counter-currents during AC transition.

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.

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

Superconducting shielded core reactor with reduced AC losses

DOEpatents

Cha, Yung S.; Hull, John R.

2006-04-04

A superconducting shielded core reactor (SSCR) operates as a passive device for limiting excessive AC current in a circuit operating at a high power level under a fault condition such as shorting. The SSCR includes a ferromagnetic core which may be either closed or open (with an air gap) and extends into and through a superconducting tube or superconducting rings arranged in a stacked array. First and second series connected copper coils each disposed about a portion of the iron core are connected to the circuit to be protected and are respectively wound inside and outside of the superconducting tube or rings. A large impedance is inserted into the circuit by the core when the shielding capability of the superconducting arrangement is exceeded by the applied magnetic field generated by the two coils under a fault condition to limit the AC current in the circuit. The proposed SSCR also affords reduced AC loss compared to conventional SSCRs under continuous normal operation.

Improved transistorized AC motor controller for battery powered urban electric passenger vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peak, S. C.

1982-01-01

An ac motor controller for an induction motor electric vehicle drive system was designed, fabricated, tested, evaluated, and cost analyzed. A vehicle performance analysis was done to establish the vehicle tractive effort-speed requirements. These requirements were then converted into a set of ac motor and ac controller requirements. The power inverter is a three-phase bridge using power Darlington transistors. The induction motor was optimized for use with an inverter power source. The drive system has a constant torque output to base motor speed and a constant horsepower output to maximum speed. A gear shifting transmission is not required. The ac controller was scaled from the base 20 hp (41 hp peak) at 108 volts dec to an expanded horsepower and battery voltage range. Motor reversal was accomplished by electronic reversal of the inverter phase sequence. The ac controller can also be used as a boost chopper battery charger. The drive system was tested on a dynamometer and results are presented. The current-controlled pulse width modulation control scheme yielded improved motor current waveforms. The ac controller favors a higher system voltage.

Hybrid inverter for HVDC/weak AC system interconnection

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

Tam, K.S.

1985-01-01

The concept of the hybrid converter is introduced. By independently controlling a naturally commutated converter (NCC) and an artificially commutated converter (ACC), real power and reactive power can be controlled independently. Alternatively, the ac bus voltage can be regulated without affecting the real power transfer. Independent control is feasible only within certain operating boundaries. Twelve pulse operation, sequential control, and complementary circuits may be viewed as variations of the hybrid converter. The concept of the hybrid converter is demonstrated by digital simulation. At the current state of technology, the NCC is best implemented by a 6-pulse bridge using thyristors asmore » the switching elements. A survey of power electronics applicable to HVDC applications reveals that the capacitively commutated current-sourced converters are either technically or economically better than the other alternatives for the implementation of the ACC. The digital simulation results show that the problems of operating an HVDC system into a weak ac system can be solved by using a hybrid inverter. A new control scheme, the zero Q control, is developed. With no reactive power interaction between the dc system and the ac system, the stability of the HVDC/weak ac system operation is significantly improved. System start-up and fault recovery is fast and stable.« less

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

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.

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.

Digital ac monitor

DOEpatents

Hart, George W.; Kern, Jr., Edward C.

1987-06-09

An apparatus and method is provided for monitoring a plurality of analog ac circuits by sampling the voltage and current waveform in each circuit at predetermined intervals, converting the analog current and voltage samples to digital format, storing the digitized current and voltage samples and using the stored digitized current and voltage samples to calculate a variety of electrical parameters; some of which are derived from the stored samples. The non-derived quantities are repeatedly calculated and stored over many separate cycles then averaged. The derived quantities are then calculated at the end of an averaging period. This produces a more accurate reading, especially when averaging over a period in which the power varies over a wide dynamic range. Frequency is measured by timing three cycles of the voltage waveform using the upward zero crossover point as a starting point for a digital timer.

Digital ac monitor

DOEpatents

Hart, G.W.; Kern, E.C. Jr.

1987-06-09

An apparatus and method is provided for monitoring a plurality of analog ac circuits by sampling the voltage and current waveform in each circuit at predetermined intervals, converting the analog current and voltage samples to digital format, storing the digitized current and voltage samples and using the stored digitized current and voltage samples to calculate a variety of electrical parameters; some of which are derived from the stored samples. The non-derived quantities are repeatedly calculated and stored over many separate cycles then averaged. The derived quantities are then calculated at the end of an averaging period. This produces a more accurate reading, especially when averaging over a period in which the power varies over a wide dynamic range. Frequency is measured by timing three cycles of the voltage waveform using the upward zero crossover point as a starting point for a digital timer. 24 figs.

AC current rectification in Nb films with or without symmetrical Nb/Ni periodic pinning arrays in perpendicular magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pryadun, Vladimir

2005-03-01

Rectification of AC current has been observed in plain superconducting Nb films and in Nb/Ni films with symmetric periodic pinning centers. The rectified DC voltage appears for various sample geometries (cross or strip) both along and transverse to the alternating current direction, is nearly anti-symmetric with perpendicular magnetic field and strongly dependent on temperature below Tc. Analyses of the data at different temperatures, drive frequencies from 100kHz to 150MHz and at the different sample sides [1] shows that not far below Tc the rectification phenomena can be understood in terms of generation of electric fields due to local excess of critical current. Further below Tc anisotropic pinning effects could also contribute to the rectification. [1] F.G.Aliev, et al., Cond. Mat.405656. Supported by Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid -CAM/07N/0050/2002

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.

AC losses and stability on large cable-in-conduit superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruzzone, Pierluigi

1998-12-01

The cable-in-conduit superconductors are preferred for applications where the AC losses and stability are a major concern, e.g., fusion magnets and SMES. A review of coupling currents loss results for both NbTi and Nb 3Sn cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) is presented and the AC loss relevant features are listed, with special emphasis for the role of the interstrand resistance and strand coating. The transient stability approach for CICCs is discussed and the analytical models are quoted as well as the relevant experimental database. The likely spectrum of transient disturbance in CICC is reviewed and the need to account for interstrand current sharing in the design is outlined. Eventually a practical criterion for the interstrand resistance is proposed to link the stability and AC loss design.

AC power generation from microbial fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobo, Fernanda Leite; Wang, Heming; Forrestal, Casey; Ren, Zhiyong Jason

2015-11-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) directly convert biodegradable substrates to electricity and carry good potential for energy-positive wastewater treatment. However, the low and direct current (DC) output from MFC is not usable for general electronics except small sensors, yet commercial DC-AC converters or inverters used in solar systems cannot be directly applied to MFCs. This study presents a new DC-AC converter system for MFCs that can generate alternating voltage in any desired frequency. Results show that AC power can be easily achieved in three different frequencies tested (1, 10, 60 Hz), and no energy storage layer such as capacitors was needed. The DC-AC converter efficiency was higher than 95% when powered by either individual MFCs or simple MFC stacks. Total harmonic distortion (THD) was used to investigate the quality of the energy, and it showed that the energy could be directly usable for linear electronic loads. This study shows that through electrical conversion MFCs can be potentially used in household electronics for decentralized off-grid communities.

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.

AC Loss Analysis of MgB2-Based Fully Superconducting Machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feddersen, M.; Haran, K. S.; Berg, F.

2017-12-01

Superconducting electric machines have shown potential for significant increase in power density, making them attractive for size and weight sensitive applications such as offshore wind generation, marine propulsion, and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion. Superconductors exhibit no loss under dc conditions, though ac current and field produce considerable losses due to hysteresis, eddy currents, and coupling mechanisms. For this reason, many present machines are designed to be partially superconducting, meaning that the dc field components are superconducting while the ac armature coils are conventional conductors. Fully superconducting designs can provide increases in power density with significantly higher armature current; however, a good estimate of ac losses is required to determine the feasibility under the machines intended operating conditions. This paper aims to characterize the expected losses in a fully superconducting machine targeted towards aircraft, based on an actively-shielded, partially superconducting machine from prior work. Various factors are examined such as magnet strength, operating frequency, and machine load to produce a model for the loss in the superconducting components of the machine. This model is then used to optimize the design of the machine for minimal ac loss while maximizing power density. Important observations from the study are discussed.

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

AC Conductivity and Dielectric Properties of Borotellurite Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha, T. A.; Azab, A. A.

2016-10-01

Borotellurite glasses with formula 60B2O3-10ZnO-(30 - x)NaF- xTeO2 ( x = 0 mol.%, 5 mol.%, 10 mol.%, and 15 mol.%) have been synthesized by thermal melting. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the glasses were amorphous. The glass density ( ρ) was determined by the Archimedes method at room temperature. The density ( ρ) and molar volume ( V m) were found to increase with increasing TeO2 content. The direct-current (DC) conductivity was measured in the temperature range from 473 K to 623 K, in which the electrical activation energy of ionic conduction increased from 0.27 eV to 0.48 eV with increasing TeO2 content from 0 mol.% to 15 mol.%. The dielectric parameters and alternating-current (AC) conductivity ( σ ac) were investigated in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz and temperature range from 300 K to 633 K. The AC conductivity and dielectric constant decreased with increasing TeO2 content from 0 mol.% to 15 mol.%.

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

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.

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

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.

ac propulsion system for an electric vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geppert, S.

1980-01-01

It is pointed out that dc drives will be the logical choice for current production electric vehicles (EV). However, by the mid-80's, there is a good chance that the price and reliability of suitable high-power semiconductors will allow for a competitive ac system. The driving force behind the ac approach is the induction motor, which has specific advantages relative to a dc shunt or series traction motor. These advantages would be an important factor in the case of a vehicle for which low maintenance characteristics are of primary importance. A description of an EV ac propulsion system is provided, taking into account the logic controller, the inverter, the motor, and a two-speed transmission-differential-axle assembly. The main barrier to the employment of the considered propulsion system in EV is not any technical problem, but inverter transistor cost.

Imaging of current distributions in superconducting thin film structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dönitz, Dietmar

2006-10-01

Local analysis plays an important role in many fields of scientific research. However, imaging methods are not very common in the investigation of superconductors. For more than 20 years, Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) has been successfully used at the University of Tübingen for studying of condensed matter phenomena, especially of superconductivity. In this thesis LTSEM was used for imaging current distributions in different superconducting thin film structures: - Imaging of current distributions in Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer, also known as SIFS junctions, showed inhomogeneous current transport over the junctions which directly led to an improvement in the fabrication process. An investigation of improved samples showed a very homogeneous current distribution without any trace of magnetic domains. Either such domains were not present or too small for imaging with the LTSEM. - An investigation of Nb/YBCO zigzag Josephson junctions yielded important information on signal formation in the LTSEM both for Josephson junctions in the short and in the long limit. Using a reference junction our signal formation model could be verified, thus confirming earlier results on short zigzag junctions. These results, which could be reproduced in this work, support the theory of d-wave symmetry in the superconducting order parameter of YBCO. Furthermore, investigations of the quasiparticle tunneling in the zigzag junctions showed the existence of Andreev bound states, which is another indication of the d-wave symmetry in YBCO. - The LTSEM study of Hot Electron Bolometers (HEB) allowed the first successful imaging of a stable 'Hot Spot', a self-heating region in HEB structures. Moreover, the electron beam was used to induce an - otherwise unstable - hot spot. Both investigations yielded information on the homogeneity of the samples. - An entirely new method of imaging the current distribution in superconducting interference devices

AC Electroosmotic Pumping in Nanofluidic Funnels.

PubMed

Kneller, Andrew R; Haywood, Daniel G; Jacobson, Stephen C

2016-06-21

We report efficient pumping of fluids through nanofluidic funnels when a symmetric AC waveform is applied. The asymmetric geometry of the nanofluidic funnel induces not only ion current rectification but also electroosmotic flow rectification. In the base-to-tip direction, the funnel exhibits a lower ion conductance and a higher electroosmotic flow velocity, whereas, in the tip-to-base direction, the funnel has a higher ion conductance and a lower electroosmotic flow velocity. Consequently, symmetric AC waveforms easily pump fluid through the nanofunnels over a range of frequencies, e.g., 5 Hz to 5 kHz. In our experiments, the nanofunnels were milled into glass substrates with a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument, and the funnel design had a constant 5° taper with aspect ratios (funnel tip width to funnel depth) of 0.1 to 1.0. We tracked ion current rectification by current-voltage (I-V) response and electroosmotic flow rectification by transport of a zwitterionic fluorescent probe. Rectification of ion current and electroosmotic flow increased with increasing electric field applied to the nanofunnel. Our results support three-dimensional simulations of ion transport and electroosmotic transport through nanofunnels, which suggest the asymmetric electroosmotic transport stems from an induced pressure at the junction of the nanochannel and nanofunnel tip.

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

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

Imaging ac losses in superconducting films via scanning Hall probe microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinner, Rafael B.; Moler, Kathryn A.; Feldmann, D. Matthew; Beasley, M. R.

2007-04-01

Various local probes have been applied to understanding current flow through superconducting films, which are often surprisingly inhomogeneous. Here, we show that magnetic imaging allows quantitative reconstruction of both current density J and electric field E resolved in time and space in a film carrying subcritical ac current. Current reconstruction entails inversion of the Biot-Savart law, while electric fields are reconstructed using Faraday’s law. We describe the corresponding numerical procedures, largely adapting existing work to the case of a strip carrying ac current, but including other methods of obtaining the complete electric field from the inductive portion determined by Faraday’s law. We also delineate the physical requirements behind the mathematical transformations. We then apply the procedures to images of a strip of YBa2Cu3O7-δ carrying an ac current at 400Hz . Our scanning Hall probe microscope produces a time series of magnetic images of the strip with 1μm spatial resolution and 25μs time resolution. Combining the reconstructed J and E , we obtain a complete characterization including local critical current density, E-J curves, and power losses. This analysis has a range of applications from fundamental studies of vortex dynamics to practical coated conductor development.

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

Current level detector

DOEpatents

Kerns, Cordon R.

1977-01-01

A device is provided for detecting the current level of a DC signal. It includes an even harmonic modulator to which a reference AC signal is applied. The unknown DC signal acts on the reference AC signal so that the output of the modulator includes an even harmonic whose amplitude is proportional to the unknown DC current.

Magnetic characteristics and AC losses of DC type-II superconductors under oscillating magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robert, B. C.; Ruiz, H. S.

2018-07-01

Remarkable features on the magnetic moment of type-II superconducting (SC) wires of cylindrical shape, subjected to direct current conditions (DC) and transverse oscillating (AC) magnetic fields, are reported. We show how for relatively low amplitudes of the applied magnetic field, B a , the superconducting wire rapidly develops a saturation state, | {M}p| , characterizing the limits of magnetization loops that exhibit a Boolean-like behaviour. Regardless of the premagnetization state of the SC wire, we show how after two cycles of magnetic relaxation, boolean-like ±M p states can be measured during the entire period of time from which the external magnetic field B 0 ranges from 0 to ±B a , with the signs rule defined by the sign of the slope ΔB 0y (t). In addition, for the practical implementation of SC DC wires sharing the right of way with AC lines, we report that for relatively low values of magnetic field, {B}a≤slant {B}P/2, being B P the analytical value for the full penetration field in absence of transport current, I tr, the use of semi-analytical approaches for the calculation of AC losses leads to a significant underestimation of the actual contribution of the induction losses. This phenomena is particularly relevant at dimensionless fields {b}a< 1-{i}a2/3, being b a = B a /B P and, i a = I a /I c the amplitude of an AC or DC transport current, due to the local motion of flux front profiles being dominated by the occurrence of transport current. On the other hand, we have found that regardless of the nature of the transport current, either be DC or AC, when a transverse oscillating magnetic field greater than the classical limit b a = (1 - i a ) is applied to the SC wire, the difference between the obtained AC losses in both situations results to be negligible indistinctly of the approach used, semi-analytical or numerical. Thus, the actual limits from which the estimation of the AC losses can be used as an asset for the deployment of DC SC wires

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.

Power factor control system for AC induction motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nola, F. J. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

A power factor control system for use with ac induction motors was designed which samples lines voltage and current through the motor and decreases power input to the motor proportional to the detected phase displacement between current and voltage. This system provides, less power to the motor, as it is less loaded.

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.

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.

Electromigration analysis of solder joints under ac load: A mean time to failure model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Wei; Basaran, Cemal

2012-03-01

In this study, alternating current (ac) electromigration (EM) degradation simulations were carried out for Sn95.5%Ag4.0%Cu0.5 (SAC405- by weight) solder joints. Mass transport analysis was conducted with viscoplastic material properties for quantifying damage mechanism in solder joints. Square, sine, and triangle current wave forms ac were used as input signals. dc and pulsed dc (PDC) electromigration analysis were conducted for comparison purposes. The maximum current density ranged from 2.2×106A/cm2 to 5.0×106A/cm2, frequency ranged from 0.05 Hz to 5 Hz with ambient temperature varying from 350 K to 450 K. Because the room temperature is nearly two-thirds of SAC solder joint's melting point on absolute temperature scale (494.15 K), viscoplastic material model is essential. Entropy based damage evolution model was used to investigate mean time to failure (MTF) behavior of solder joints subjected to ac stressing. It was observed that MTF was inversely proportional to ambient temperature T1.1 in Celsius and also inversely proportional to current density j0.27 in A/cm2. Higher frequency will lead to a shorter lifetime with in the frequency range we studied, and a relationship is proposed as MTF∝f-0.41. Lifetime of a solder joint subjected to ac is longer compared with dc and PDC loading conditions. By introducing frequency, ambient temperature and current density dependency terms, a modified MTTF equation was proposed for solder joints subjected to ac current stressing.

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

Method and apparatus for reducing the harmonic currents in alternating-current distribution networks

DOEpatents

Beverly, Leon H.; Hance, Richard D.; Kristalinski, Alexandr L.; Visser, Age T.

1996-01-01

An improved apparatus and method reduce the harmonic content of AC line and neutral line currents in polyphase AC source distribution networks. The apparatus and method employ a polyphase Zig-Zag transformer connected between the AC source distribution network and a load. The apparatus and method also employs a mechanism for increasing the source neutral impedance of the AC source distribution network. This mechanism can consist of a choke installed in the neutral line between the AC source and the Zig-Zag transformer.

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.

Method and system for a gas tube-based current source high voltage direct current transmission system

DOEpatents

She, Xu; Chokhawala, Rahul Shantilal; Bray, James William; Sommerer, Timothy John; Zhou, Rui; Zhang, Di

2017-08-29

A high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission system includes an alternating current (AC) electrical source and a power converter channel that includes an AC-DC converter electrically coupled to the electrical source and a DC-AC inverter electrically coupled to the AC-DC converter. The AC-DC converter and the DC-AC inverter each include a plurality of legs that includes at least one switching device. The power converter channel further includes a commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more switching devices. The commutating circuit is configured to "switch on" one of the switching devices during a first portion of a cycle of the H-bridge switching circuits and "switch off" the switching device during a second portion of the cycle of the first and second H-bridge switching circuits.

Method and apparatus for reducing the harmonic currents in alternating-current distribution networks

DOEpatents

Beverly, L.H.; Hance, R.D.; Kristalinski, A.L.; Visser, A.T.

1996-11-19

An improved apparatus and method reduce the harmonic content of AC line and neutral line currents in polyphase AC source distribution networks. The apparatus and method employ a polyphase Zig-Zag transformer connected between the AC source distribution network and a load. The apparatus and method also employs a mechanism for increasing the source neutral impedance of the AC source distribution network. This mechanism can consist of a choke installed in the neutral line between the AC source and the Zig-Zag transformer. 23 figs.

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.

Dielectrophoretic particle-particle interaction under AC electrohydrodynamic flow conditions.

PubMed

Lee, Doh-Hyoung; Yu, Chengjie; Papazoglou, Elisabeth; Farouk, Bakhtier; Noh, Hongseok M

2011-09-01

We used the Maxwell stress tensor method to understand dielectrophoretic particle-particle interactions and applied the results to the interpretation of particle behaviors under alternating current (AC) electrohydrodynamic conditions such as AC electroosmosis (ACEO) and electrothermal flow (ETF). Distinct particle behaviors were observed under ACEO and ETF. Diverse particle-particle interactions observed in experiments such as particle clustering, particles keeping a certain distance from each other, chain and disc formation and their rotation, are explained based on the numerical simulation data. The improved understanding of particle behaviors in AC electrohydrodynamic flows presented here will enable researchers to design better particle manipulation strategies for lab-on-a-chip applications. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electric fence standards comport with human data and AC limits.

PubMed

Kroll, Mark W; Perkins, Peter E; Panescu, Dorin

2015-08-01

The ubiquitous electric fence is essential to modern agriculture and has saved lives by reducing the number of livestock automobile collisions. Modern safety standards such as IEC 60335-2-76 and UL 69 have played a role in this positive result. However, these standards are essentially based on energy and power (RMS current), which have limited direct relationship to cardiac effects. We compared these standards to bioelectrically more relevant units of charge and average current in view of recent work on VF (ventricular fibrillation) induction and to existing IEC AC current limits. There are 3 limits for normal (low) pulsing rate: IEC energy limit, IEC current limit, and UL current limit. We then calculated the delivered charge allowed for each pulse duration for these limits and then compared them to a charge-based safety model derived from published human ventricular-fibrillation induction data. Both the IEC and UL also allow for rapid pulsing for up to 3 minutes. We calculated maximum outputs for various pulse durations assuming pulsing at 10, 20, and 30 pulses per second. These were then compared to standard utility power safety (AC) limits via the conversion factor of 7.4 to convert average current to RMS current for VF risk. The outputs of TASER electrical weapons (typically < 100 μC and ~100 μs duration) were also compared. The IEC and UL electric fence energizer normal rate standards are conservative in comparison with actual human laboratory experiments. The IEC and UL electric fence energizer rapid-pulsing standards are consistent with accepted IEC AC current limits for commercially used pulse durations.

A review of the quantum current standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, Nobu-Hisa; Nakamura, Shuji; Okazaki, Yuma

2016-03-01

The electric current, voltage, and resistance standards are the most important standards related to electricity and magnetism. Of these three standards, only the ampere, which is the unit of electric current, is an International System of Units (SI) base unit. However, even with modern technology, relatively large uncertainty exists regarding the generation and measurement of current. As a result of various innovative techniques based on nanotechnology and novel materials, new types of junctions for quantum current generation and single-electron current sources have recently been proposed. These newly developed methods are also being used to investigate the consistency of the three quantum electrical effects, i.e. the Josephson, quantum Hall, and single-electron tunneling effects, which are also known as ‘the quantum metrology triangle’. This article describes recent research and related developments regarding current standards and quantum-metrology-triangle experiments.

Diagnostics of the Fermilab Tevatron using an AC dipole

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

Miyamoto, Ryoichi

2008-08-01

The Fermilab Tevatron is currently the world's highest energy colliding beam facility. Its counter-rotating proton and antiproton beams collide at 2 TeV center-of-mass. Delivery of such intense beam fluxes to experiments has required improved knowledge of the Tevatron's beam optical lattice. An oscillating dipole magnet, referred to as an AC dipole, is one of such a tool to non-destructively assess the optical properties of the synchrotron. We discusses development of an AC dipole system for the Tevatron, a fast-oscillating (f ~ 20 kHz) dipole magnet which can be adiabatically turned on and off to establish sustained coherent oscillations of themore » beam particles without affecting the transverse emittance. By utilizing an existing magnet and a higher power audio amplifier, the cost of the Tevatron AC dipole system became relatively inexpensive. We discuss corrections which must be applied to the driven oscillation measurements to obtain the proper interpretation of beam optical parameters from AC dipole studies. After successful operations of the Tevatron AC dipole system, AC dipole systems, similar to that in the Tevatron, will be build for the CERN LHC. We present several measurements of linear optical parameters (beta function and phase advance) for the Tevatron, as well as studies of non-linear perturbations from sextupole and octupole elements.« less

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

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.

Intrinsic superspin Hall current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linder, Jacob; Amundsen, Morten; Risinggârd, Vetle

2017-09-01

We discover an intrinsic superspin Hall current: an injected charge supercurrent in a Josephson junction containing heavy normal metals and a ferromagnet generates a transverse spin supercurrent. There is no accompanying dissipation of energy, in contrast to the conventional spin Hall effect. The physical origin of the effect is an antisymmetric spin density induced among transverse modes ky near the interface of the superconductor arising due to the coexistence of p -wave and conventional s -wave superconducting correlations with a belonging phase mismatch. Our predictions can be tested in hybrid structures including thin heavy metal layers combined with strong ferromagnets and ordinary s -wave superconductors.

AC application of second generation HTS wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thieme, C. L. H.; Gagnon, K.; Voccio, J.; Aized, D.; Claassen, J.

2008-02-01

For the production of Second Generation (2G) YBCO High Temperature Superconductor wire American Superconductor uses a wide-strip MOD-YBCO/RABiTSTM process, a low-cost approach for commercial manufacturing. It can be engineered with a high degree of flexibility to manufacture practical 2G conductors with architectures and properties tailored for specific applications and operating conditions. For ac applications conductor and coil design can be geared towards low hysteretic losses. For applications which experience high frequency ac fields, the stabilizer needs to be adjusted for low eddy current losses. For these applications a stainless-steel laminate is used. An example is a Low Pass Filter Inductor which was developed and built in this work.

Fault current limiter

DOEpatents

Darmann, Francis Anthony

2013-10-08

A fault current limiter (FCL) includes a series of high permeability posts for collectively define a core for the FCL. A DC coil, for the purposes of saturating a portion of the high permeability posts, surrounds the complete structure outside of an enclosure in the form of a vessel. The vessel contains a dielectric insulation medium. AC coils, for transporting AC current, are wound on insulating formers and electrically interconnected to each other in a manner such that the senses of the magnetic field produced by each AC coil in the corresponding high permeability core are opposing. There are insulation barriers between phases to improve dielectric withstand properties of the dielectric medium.

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.

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.

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)

An MRI-Compatible High Frequency AC Resistive Heating System for Homeothermic Maintenance in Small Animals

PubMed Central

Gomes, Ana L.; Kinchesh, Paul; Kersemans, Veerle; Allen, Philip D.; Smart, Sean C.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop an MRI-compatible resistive heater, using high frequency alternating current (AC), for temperature maintenance of anaesthetised animals. Materials and Methods An MRI-compatible resistive electrical heater was formed from narrow gauge wire connected to a high frequency (10–100 kHz) AC power source. Multiple gradient echo images covering a range of echo times, and pulse-acquire spectra were acquired with the wire heater powered using high frequency AC or DC power sources and without any current flowing in order to assess the sensitivity of the MRI acquisitions to the presence of current flow through the heater wire. The efficacy of temperature maintenance using the AC heater was assessed by measuring rectal temperature immediately following induction of general anaesthesia for a period of 30 minutes in three different mice. Results Images and spectra acquired in the presence and absence of 50–100 kHz AC through the wire heater were indistinguishable, whereas DC power created field shifts and lineshape distortions. Temperature lost during induction of anaesthesia was recovered within approximately 20 minutes and a stable temperature was reached as the mouse’s temperature approached the set target. Conclusion The AC-powered wire heater maintains adequate heat input to the animal to maintain body temperature, and does not compromise image quality. PMID:27806062

Nearly noiseless amplification of microwave signals with a Josephson parametric amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellanos-Beltran, Manuel

2009-03-01

A degenerate parametric amplifier transforms an incident coherent state by amplifying one of its quadrature components while deamplifying the other. This transformation, when performed by an ideal parametric amplifier, is completely deterministic and reversible; therefore the amplifier in principle can be noiseless. We attempt to realize a noiseless amplifier of this type at microwave frequencies with a Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA). To this end, we have built a superconducting microwave cavity containing many dc-SQUIDs. This arrangement creates a non-linear medium in a cavity and it is closely analogous to an optical parametric amplifier. In my talk, I will describe the current performance of this circuit, where I show I can amplify signals with less added noise than a quantum-limited amplifier that amplifies both quadratures. In addition, the JPA also squeezes the electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations by 10 dB. Finally, I will discuss our effort to put two such amplifiers in series in order to undo the first stage of squeezing with a second stage of amplification, demonstrating that the amplification process is truly reversible.[4pt] M. A. Castellanos-Beltran, K. D. Irwin, G. C. Hilton, L. R. Vale and K. W. Lehnert, Nature Physics, published on line, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nphys1090 (2008).

Variable-frequency inverter controls torque, speed, and braking in ac induction motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nola, F. J.

1974-01-01

Dc to ac inverter provides optimum frequency and voltage to ac induction motor, in response to different motor-load and speed requirements. Inverter varies slip frequency of motor in proportion to required torque. Inverter protects motor from high current surges, controls negative slip to apply braking, and returns energy stored in momentum of load to dc power source.

Theoretical evidence of maximum intracellular currents versus frequency in an Escherichia coli cell submitted to AC voltage.

PubMed

Xavier, Pascal; Rauly, Dominique; Chamberod, Eric; Martins, Jean M F

2017-04-01

In this work, the problem of intracellular currents in longilinear bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, suspended in a physiological medium and submitted to a harmonic voltage (AC), is analyzed using the Finite-Element-based software COMSOL Multiphysics. Bacterium was modeled as a cylindrical capsule, ended by semi-spheres and surrounded by a dielectric cell wall. An equivalent single-layer cell wall was defined, starting from the well-recognized three-shell modeling approach. The bacterium was considered immersed in a physiological medium, which was also taken into account in the modeling. A new complex transconductance was thus introduced, relating the complex ratio between current inside the bacterium and voltage applied between two parallel equipotential planes, separated by a realistic distance. When voltage was applied longitudinally relative to the bacterium main axis, numerical results in terms of frequency response in the 1-20 MHz range for E. coli cells revealed that transconductance magnitude exhibited a maximum at a frequency depending on the cell wall capacitance. This occurred in spite of the purely passive character of the model and could be explained by an equivalent electrical network giving very similar results and showing special conditions for lateral paths of the currents through the cell wall. It is shown that the main contribution to this behavior is due to the conductive part of the current. Bioelectromagnetics. 38:213-219, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Test plan for performance testing of the Eaton AC-3 electric vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crumley, R.; Heiselmann, H. W.

1985-04-01

An alternating current (ac) propulsion system for an electric vehicle was developed and tested. The test bed vehicle is a modified 1981 Mercury Lynx. The test plan was prepared specifically for the third modification to this test bed and identified as the Eaton AC-3. The scope of the testing done on the Eaton AC-3 includes coastdown and dynamometer tests but does not include environmental, on-road, or track testing. Coastdown testing is performed in accordance with SAE J-1263 (SAE Recommended Practice for Road Load Measurement and Dynamometer Simulation Using Coastdown Techniques).

A Generalised Fault Protection Structure Proposed for Uni-grounded Low-Voltage AC Microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bui, Duong Minh; Chen, Shi-Lin; Lien, Keng-Yu; Jiang, Jheng-Lun

2016-04-01

This paper presents three main configurations of uni-grounded low-voltage AC microgrids. Transient situations of a uni-grounded low-voltage (LV) AC microgrid (MG) are simulated through various fault tests and operation transition tests between grid-connected and islanded modes. Based on transient simulation results, available fault protection methods are proposed for main and back-up protection of a uni-grounded AC microgrid. In addition, concept of a generalised fault protection structure of uni-grounded LVAC MGs is mentioned in the paper. As a result, main contributions of the paper are: (i) definition of different uni-grounded LVAC MG configurations; (ii) analysing transient responses of a uni-grounded LVAC microgrid through line-to-line faults, line-to-ground faults, three-phase faults and a microgrid operation transition test, (iii) proposing available fault protection methods for uni-grounded microgrids, such as: non-directional or directional overcurrent protection, under/over voltage protection, differential current protection, voltage-restrained overcurrent protection, and other fault protection principles not based on phase currents and voltages (e.g. total harmonic distortion detection of currents and voltages, using sequence components of current and voltage, 3I0 or 3V0 components), and (iv) developing a generalised fault protection structure with six individual protection zones to be suitable for different uni-grounded AC MG configurations.

AC magnetic field measurement using a small flip coil system for rapid cycling AC magnets at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jianxin; Kang, Wen; Li, Shuai; Liu, Yudong; Liu, Yiqin; Xu, Shouyan; Guo, Xiaoling; Wu, Xi; Deng, Changdong; Li, Li; Wu, Yuwen; Wang, Sheng

2018-02-01

The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) has two major accelerator systems, a linear accelerator and a rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS). The RCS accelerator is used to accumulate and accelerate protons from the energy of 80 MeV to the design energy of 1.6 GeV at the repetition rate of 25 Hz, and extract the high energy beam to the target. The main magnets of the RCS accelerator are excited by AC current with DC bias. The magnetic field quality is very important for the RCS accelerator operation, since it should guarantee and focus a circulating beam. In order to characterize the AC magnets, a small flip coil measurement system has been developed and one of each type of AC magnets has been studied. The measurement system and selected measurement results are presented in this paper.

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.

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.

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, ...

AC losses in horizontally parallel HTS tapes for possible wireless power transfer applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Boyang; Geng, Jianzhao; Zhang, Xiuchang; Fu, Lin; Li, Chao; Zhang, Heng; Dong, Qihuan; Ma, Jun; Gawith, James; Coombs, T. A.

2017-12-01

This paper presents the concept of using horizontally parallel HTS tapes with AC loss study, and the investigation on possible wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. An example of three parallel HTS tapes was proposed, whose AC loss study was carried out both from experiment using electrical method; and simulation using 2D H-formulation on the FEM platform of COMSOL Multiphysics. The electromagnetic induction around the three parallel tapes was monitored using COMSOL simulation. The electromagnetic induction and AC losses generated by a conventional three turn coil was simulated as well, and then compared to the case of three parallel tapes with the same AC transport current. The analysis demonstrates that HTS parallel tapes could be potentially used into wireless power transfer systems, which could have lower total AC losses than conventional HTS coils.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Artificial neural networks for AC losses prediction in superconducting round filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leclerc, J.; Makong Hell, L.; Lorin, C.; Masson, P. J.

2016-06-01

An extensive and fast method to estimate superconducting AC losses within a superconducting round filament carrying an AC current and subjected to an elliptical magnetic field (both rotating and oscillating) is presented. Elliptical fields are present in rotating machine stators and being able to accurately predict AC losses in fully superconducting machines is paramount to generating realistic machine designs. The proposed method relies on an analytical scaling law (ASL) combined with two artificial neural network (ANN) estimators taking 9 input parameters representing the superconductor, external field and transport current characteristics. The ANNs are trained with data generated by finite element (FE) computations with a commercial software (FlexPDE) based on the widely accepted H-formulation. After completion, the model is validated through comparison with additional randomly chosen data points and compared for simple field configurations to other predictive models. The loss estimation discrepancy is about 3% on average compared to the FEA analysis. The main advantages of the model compared to FE simulations is the fast computation time (few milliseconds) which allows it to be used in iterated design processes of fully superconducting machines. In addition, the proposed model provides a higher level of fidelity than the scaling laws existing in literature usually only considering pure AC field.

A Comparison of Alternating Current and Direct Current Electrospray Ionization for Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Sarver, Scott A.; Gartner, Carlos A.; Chetwani, Nishant; Go, David B.; Dovichi, Norman J.

2014-01-01

A series of studies comparing the performance of alternating current electrospray ionization (AC ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) and direct current electrospray ionization (DC ESI) MS has been conducted, exploring the absolute signal intensity and signal-to-background ratios produced by both methods using caffeine and a model peptide as targets. Because the high-voltage AC signal was more susceptible to generating gas discharges, the operating voltage range of AC ESI was significantly smaller than that for DC ESI, such that the absolute signal intensities produced by DC ESI at peak voltages were 1 - 2 orders of magnitude greater than those for AC ESI. Using an electronegative nebulizing gas, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), instead of nitrogen (N2) increased the operating range of AC ESI by ~50%, but did not appreciably improve signal intensities. While DC ESI generated far greater signal intensities, both ionization methods produced comparable signal-to-background noise, with AC ESI spectra appearing qualitatively cleaner. A quantitative calibration analysis was performed for two analytes, caffeine and the peptide MRFA. AC ESI utilizing SF6 outperforms all other techniques for the detection of MRFA, producing chromatographic limits of detection nearly one order of magnitude lower than that of DC ESI utilizing N2, and one half that of DC ESI utilizing SF6. However, DC ESI outperforms AC ESI for the analysis of caffeine, indicating improvements in spectral quality may benefit certain compounds, or classes of compounds, on an individual basis. PMID:24464359

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

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.

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.

AC loss modelling and experiment of two types of low-inductance solenoidal coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Fei; Yuan, Weijia; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Zhenyu; Li, Jianwei; Venuturumilli, Sriharsha; Patel, Jay

2016-11-01

Low-inductance solenoidal coils, which usually refer to the nonintersecting type and the braid type, have already been employed to build superconducting fault current limiters because of their fast recovery and low inductance characteristics. However, despite their usage there is still no systematical simulation work concerning the AC loss characteristics of the coils built with 2G high temperature superconducting tapes perhaps because of their complicated structure. In this paper, a new method is proposed to simulate both types of coils with 2D axisymmetric models solved by H formulation. Following the simulation work, AC losses of both types of low inductance solenoidal coils are compared numerically and experimentally, which verify that the model works well in simulating non-inductive coils. Finally, simulation works show that pitch has significant impact to AC loss of both types of coils and the inter-layer separation has different impact to the AC loss of braid type of coil in case of different applied currents. The model provides an effective tool for the design optimisation of SFCLs built with non-inductive solenoidal coils.

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.

Time-multiplexed amplification in a hybrid-less and coil-less Josephson parametric converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdo, Baleegh; Chavez-Garcia, Jose M.; Brink, Markus; Keefe, George; Chow, Jerry M.

2017-02-01

Josephson parametric converters (JPCs) are superconducting devices capable of performing nondegenerate, three-wave mixing in the microwave domain without losses. One drawback limiting their use in scalable quantum architectures is the large footprint of the auxiliary circuit needed for their operation, in particular, the use of off-chip, bulky, broadband hybrids and magnetic coils. Here, we realize a JPC that eliminates the need for these bulky components. The pump drive and flux bias are applied in the Hybrid-Less, Coil-Less (HLCL) device through an on-chip, lossless, three-port power divider and an on-chip flux line, respectively. We show that the HLCL design considerably simplifies the circuit and reduces the footprint of the device while maintaining a comparable performance to state-of-the-art JPCs. Furthermore, we exploit the tunable bandwidth property of the JPC and the added capability of applying alternating currents to the flux line in order to switch the resonance frequencies of the device, hence demonstrating time-multiplexed amplification of microwave tones that are separated by more than the dynamical bandwidth of the amplifier. Such a measurement technique can potentially serve to perform a time-multiplexed, high-fidelity readout of superconducting qubits.

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.

Direct current power delivery system and method

DOEpatents

Zhang, Di; Garces, Luis Jose; Dai, Jian; Lai, Rixin

2016-09-06

A power transmission system includes a first unit for carrying out the steps of receiving high voltage direct current (HVDC) power from an HVDC power line, generating an alternating current (AC) component indicative of a status of the first unit, and adding the AC component to the HVDC power line. Further, the power transmission system includes a second unit for carrying out the steps of generating a direct current (DC) voltage to transfer the HVDC power on the HVDC power line, wherein the HVDC power line is coupled between the first unit and the second unit, detecting a presence or an absence of the added AC component in the HVDC power line, and determining the status of the first unit based on the added AC component.

Low AC Loss YBCO Coated Conductor Geometry by Direct Inkjet Printing

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

Rupich, Martin, Dr.; Duckworth, Robert, Dr.

The second generation (2G) high temperature superconductors (HTS) wire offers potential benefits for many electric power applications, including ones requiring filamentized conductors with low ac loss, such as transformers and fault current limiters. However, the use of 2G wire in these applications requires the development of both novel multi-filamentary conductor designs with lower ac losses and the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that enable the low-cost manufacturing of these filamentized architectures. This Phase I SBIR project focused on testing inkjet printing as a potential low-cost, roll-to-roll manufacturing technique to fabricate potential low ac loss filamentized architectures directly on the 2Gmore » template strips.« less

Photovoltaic system with improved AC connections and method of making same

DOEpatents

Cioffi, Philip Michael; Todorovic, Maja Harfman; Herzog, Michael Scott; Korman, Charles Steven; Doherty, Donald M.; Johnson, Neil Anthony

2018-02-13

An alternating current (AC) harness for a photovoltaic (PV) system includes a wire assembly having a first end and a second end, the wire assembly having a plurality of lead wires, and at least one AC connection module positioned at a location along a length of the wire assembly between the first end and the second end. Further, the at least one AC connection module includes a first connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a first PV module of the PV system. The at least one AC connection module also includes a second connection terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of lead wires of the wire assembly and constructed to electrically couple the wire assembly with an output of a second PV module of the PV system.

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

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.

Ag incorporated Mn3O4/AC nanocomposite based supercapacitor devices with high energy density and power density.

PubMed

Nagamuthu, S; Vijayakumar, S; Muralidharan, G

2014-12-14

Silver incorporated Mn3O4/amorphous carbon (AC) nanocomposites are synthesized by a green chemistry method. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the structural changes in Mn3O4/AC nanocomposites attributable to the addition of silver. Cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge and ac-impedance studies indicated that the Ag-Mn3O4/AC-5 electrode was the most suitable candidate for supercapacitor applications. From the galvanostatic charge-discharge studies, a higher specific capacitance of 981 F g(-1) at a specific current of 1 A g(-1) was obtained. An Ag-Mn3O4/AC-symmetric supercapacitor consisting of an Ag-incorporated Mn3O4/AC composite as an anode as well as a cathode, and an asymmetric supercapacitor consisting of an Ag-incorporated Mn3O4/AC composite as a cathode and an activated carbon as an anode have been fabricated. The symmetric device exhibits a specific cell capacitance of 72 F g(-1) at a specific current of 1 A g(-1) whereas the asymmetric device delivers a specific cell capacitance of 180 F g(-1) at a high current rate of 10 A g(-1). The asymmetric supercapacitor device yields a high energy density of 81 W h kg(-1). This is higher than that of lead acid batteries and comparable with that of nickel hydride batteries.

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.

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

Cryogenic Memories based on Spin-Singlet and Spin-Triplet Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gingrich, Eric

The last several decades have seen an explosion in the use and size of computers for scientific applications. The US Department of Energy has set an ExaScale computing goal for high performance computing that is projected to be unattainable by current CMOS computing designs. This has led to a renewed interest in superconducting computing as a means of beating these projections. One of the primary requirements of this thrust is the development of an efficient cryogenic memory. Estimates of power consumption of early Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) memory designs are on the order of MW, far too steep for any real application. Therefore, other memory concepts are required. S/F/S Josephson Junctions, a class of device in which two superconductors (S) are separated by one or more ferromagnetic layers (F) has shown promise as a memory element. Several different systems have been proposed utilizing either the spin-singlet or spin-triplet superconducting states. This talk will discuss the concepts underpinning these devices, and the recent work done to demonstrate their feasibility. This research is supported in part by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), via U.S. Army Research Office Contract W911NF-14-C-0115.

A new approach for AC loss reduction in HTS transformer using auxiliary windings, case study: 25 kA HTS current injection transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heydari, Hossein; Faghihi, Faramarz; Aligholizadeh, Reza

2008-01-01

AC loss is one of the important parameters in HTS (high temperature superconducting) AC devices. Among the HTS AC power devices, the transformer is an essential part in the electrical power system. The AC losses in an HTS tape depend on the magnetic field. One of the techniques usually adopted to mitigate the unwanted magnetic field is using a system of coils that produce a magnetic field opposite to the incident one, reducing the total magnetic field. In this paper adding two auxiliary windings to the HTS transformer to produce this opposite magnetic field is proposed. The proper use of these auxiliary windings could reduce the leakage flux and, therefore, the AC loss. A mathematical model is used to describe the behaviour of a transformer operating with auxiliary windings, based on the theory of electromagnetic coupled circuits. The influence of the auxiliary windings on the leakage field is studied by the finite element method (FEM) and the AC loss of an HTS transformer was calculated. Also, the simulation results show that employing auxiliary windings will improve the HTS transformer efficiency.

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...

Electromigration failures under bidirectional current stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Jiang; Cheung, Nathan W.; Hu, Chenming

1998-01-01

Electromigration failure under DC stress has been studied for more than 30 years, and the methodologies for accelerated DC testing and design rules have been well established in the IC industry. However, the electromigration behavior and design rules under time-varying current stress are still unclear. In CMOS circuits, as many interconnects carry pulsed-DC (local VCC and VSS lines) and bidirectional AC current (clock and signal lines), it is essential to assess the reliability of metallization systems under these conditions. Failure mechanisms of different metallization systems (Al-Si, Al-Cu, Cu, TiN/Al-alloy/TiN, etc.) and different metallization structures (via, plug and interconnect) under AC current stress in a wide frequency range (from mHz to 500 MHz) has been study in this paper. Based on these experimental results, a damage healing model is developed, and electromigration design rules are proposed. It shows that in the circuit operating frequency range, the "design-rule current" is the time-average current. The pure AC component of the current only contributes to self-heating, while the average (DC component) current contributes to electromigration. To ensure longer thermal-migration lifetime under high frequency AC stress, an additional design rule is proposed to limit the temperature rise due to self-joule heating.

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.

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.

Current sensor

DOEpatents

Yakymyshyn, Christopher Paul; Brubaker, Michael Allen; Yakymyshyn, Pamela Jane

2007-01-16

A current sensor is described that uses a plurality of magnetic field sensors positioned around a current carrying conductor. The sensor can be hinged to allow clamping to a conductor. The current sensor provides high measurement accuracy for both DC and AC currents, and is substantially immune to the effects of temperature, conductor position, nearby current carrying conductors and aging.

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.

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.

Numerical study on AC loss reduction of stacked HTS tapes by optimal design of flux diverter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guole; Zhang, Guomin; Jing, Liwei; Yu, Hui

2017-12-01

High temperature superconducting (HTS) coils are key parts of many AC applications, such as generators, superconducting magnetic energy storage and transformers. AC loss reduction in HTS coils is essential for the commercialization of these HTS devices. Magnetic material is generally used as the flux diverter in an effort to reduce the AC loss in HTS coils. To achieve the greatest reduction in the AC loss of the coils, the flux diverter should be made of a material with low loss and high saturated magnetic density, and the optimization of the geometric size and location of the flux diverter is required. In this paper, we chose Ni-alloy as the flux diverter, which can be processed into a specific shape and size. The influence of the shape and location of the flux diverter on the AC loss characteristics of stacked (RE)BCO tapes is investigated by use of a finite element method. Taking both the AC loss of the (RE)BCO coils and the ferromagnetic loss of the flux diverter into account, the optimal geometry of the flux diverter is obtained. It is found that when the applied current is at half the value of the critical current, the total loss of the HTS stack with the optimal flux diverter is only 18% of the original loss of the HTS stack without the flux diverter. Besides, the effect of the flux diverter on the critical current of the (RE)BCO stack is investigated.

Antiferromagnetic spin current rectifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khymyn, Roman; Tiberkevich, Vasil; Slavin, Andrei

2017-05-01

It is shown theoretically, that an antiferromagnetic dielectric with bi-axial anisotropy, such as NiO, can be used for the rectification of linearly-polarized AC spin current. The AC spin current excites two evanescent modes in the antiferromagnet, which, in turn, create DC spin current flowing back through the antiferromagnetic surface. Spin diode based on this effect can be used in future spintronic devices as direct detector of spin current in the millimeter- and submillimeter-wave bands. The sensitivity of such a spin diode is comparable to the sensitivity of modern electric Schottky diodes and lies in the range 102-103 V/W for 30 ×30 nm2 structure.

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.

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).

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

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

Dynamic characteristics of corona discharge generated under rainfall condition on AC charged conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Pengfei; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Zezhong; Chen, Shuiming; He, Jinliang

2017-12-01

By synchronous measurement of corona current and the water droplet deformation process on a conductor surface, different types of corona discharge are visualized when AC voltage is applied on a line-ground electrode system. The corona characteristics are closely related to the applied voltage and water supply rate. With the increase of AC voltage, the positive Taylor cone discharge firstly appears and then disappears, replaced by the dripping and crashing discharge. Furthermore, the number of pulses in each pulse train increases with the increase of applied voltage. The mechanism of the transfer from the positive Taylor cone discharge to the dripping and crashing discharge is found to be related to the oscillation process of the water droplet. The water supply rate also has a great influence on the characteristics of corona currents. The number of positive pulse trains increases linearly when the water supply rate gets larger, leading to a higher audible noise and radio interference level from the AC corona, which is quite different from that of the DC corona. The difference between the AC and DC coronas under rainfall conditions is analyzed finally.

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.

Temperature dependence of critical current and transport current losses of 4 mm YBCO coated conductors manufactured using nonmagnetic substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvitkovic, J.; Hatwar, R.; Pamidi, S. V.; Fleshler, S.; Thieme, C.

2015-12-01

The temperature dependence of the critical current and AC losses were measured on American Superconductor Corporation's (AMSC) second generation high temperature superconducting (2G HTS) wire produced by Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrate (RABiTS) and Metal Organic Deposition (MOD) process. Wires manufactured with two types of substrates were characterized. The magnetic substrate with composition Ni5a%W exhibits a magnetic signature and has non-negligible AC losses in AC power applications. A new nonmagnetic substrate with an alloy composition Ni9a%W has been developed by AMSC to address the AC losses in 2G HTS. The data presented show that the performance of the new conductor is identical to the conductor with magnetic substrate in terms of critical current density. The data on AC losses demonstrate the absence of ferromagnetic loss component in the new conductor and significantly reduced AC losses at low to moderate values of I/Ic. The reduced losses will translate into reduced capital costs and lower operating costs of superconducting electrical devices for AC applications.

Transverse Mode Dynamics of VCSELs Undergoing Current Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goorjian, Peter M.; Ning, C. Z.; Agrawal, Govind

2000-01-01

Transverse mode dynamics of a 20-micron-diameter vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) undergoing gain switching by deep current modulation is studied numerically. The direct current (dc) level is set slightly below threshold and is modulated by a large alternating current (ac). The resulting optical pulse train and transverse-mode patterns are obtained numerically. The ac frequency is varied from 2.5 GHz to 10 GHz, and the ac amplitude is varied from one-half to four times that of the dc level. At high modulation frequencies, a regular pulse train is not generated unless the ac amplitude is large enough. At all modulation frequencies, the transverse spatial profile switches from single-mode to multiple-mode pattern as the ac pumping level is increased. Optical pulse widths vary in the range 5-30 ps. with the pulse width decreasing when either the frequency is increased or the ac amplitude is decreased. The numerical modeling uses an approximation form of the semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations. Temporal evolution of the spatial profiles of the laser (and of carrier density) is determined without any assumptions about the type or number of modes. Keywords: VCSELs, current modulation, gain switching, transverse mode dynamics, computational modeling

Current-phase relations in low carrier density graphene Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kratz, Philip; Amet, Francois; Watson, Christopher; Moler, Kathryn; Ke, Chung; Borzenets, Ivan; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Deacon, Russell; Yamamoto, Michihisa; Bomze, Yuriy; Tarucha, Seigo; Finkelstein, Gleb

Ideal Dirac semimetals have the unique property of being gate tunable to arbitrarily low electron and hole carrier concentrations near the Dirac point, without suffering from conduction channel pinch-off or Fermi level pinning to band edges and deep-level charge traps, which are common in typical semiconductors. SNS junctions, where N is a Dirac semimetal, can provide a versatile platform for studying few-mode superconducting weak links, with potential device applications for superconducting logic and qubits. We will use an inductive readout technique, scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, to measure the current-phase relations of high-mobility graphene SNS junctions as a function of temperature and carrier density, complementing magnetic Fraunhofer diffraction analysis from transport measurements which previously have assumed sinusoidal current-phase relations for junction Andreev modes. Deviations from sinusoidal behavior convey information about resonant scattering processes, dissipation, and ballistic modes in few-mode superconducting weak links.

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

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...

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.

Superconducting-magnetic heterostructures: a method of decreasing AC losses and improving critical current density in multifilamentary conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glowacki, B. A.; Majoros, M.

2009-06-01

Magnetic materials can help to improve the performance of practical superconductors on the macroscale/microscale as magnetic diverters and also on the nanoscale as effective pinning centres. It has been established by numerical modelling that magnetic shielding of the filaments reduces AC losses in self-field conditions due to decoupling of the filaments and, at the same time, it increases the critical current of the composite. This effect is especially beneficial for coated conductors, in which the anisotropic properties of the superconductor are amplified by the conductor architecture. However, ferromagnetic coatings are often chemically incompatible with YBa2Cu3O7 and (Pb,Bi)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O9 conductors, and buffer layers have to be used. In contrast, in MgB2 conductors an iron matrix may remain in direct contact with the superconducting core. The application of superconducting-magnetic heterostructures requires consideration of the thermal and electromagnetic stability of the superconducting materials used. On one hand, magnetic materials reduce the critical current gradient across the individual filaments but, on the other hand, they often reduce the thermal conductivity between the superconducting core and the cryogen, which may cause destruction of the conductor in the event of thermal instability. A possible nanoscale method of improving the critical current density of superconducting conductors is the introduction of sub-micron magnetic pinning centres. However, the volumetric density and chemical compatibility of magnetic inclusions has to be controlled to avoid suppression of the superconducting properties.

Functional Regulation of an Autographa californica Nucleopolyhedrovirus-Encoded MicroRNA, AcMNPV-miR-1, in Baculovirus Replication

PubMed Central

Zhu, Mengxiao; Deng, Riqiang

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT An Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus-encoded microRNA (miRNA), AcMNPV-miR-1, downregulates the ac94 gene, reducing the production of infectious budded virions and accelerating the formation of occlusion-derived virions. In the current study, four viruses that constitutively overexpress AcMNPV-miR-1 were constructed to further explore the function of the miRNA. In addition to the ac94 gene, two new viral gene targets (ac18 and ac95) of AcMNPV-miR-1 were identified, and the possible interacting proteins were verified and tested. In the context of AcMNPV-miR-1 overexpression, ac18 was slightly upregulated, and ac95 was downregulated. Several interacting proteins were identified, and a functional pathway for AcMNPV-miR-1 was deduced. AcMNPV-miR-1 overexpression decreased budded virus infectivity, reduced viral DNA replication, accelerated polyhedron formation, and promoted viral infection efficiency in Trichoplusia ni larvae, suggesting that AcMNPV-miR-1 restrains virus infection of cells but facilitates virus infection of larvae. IMPORTANCE Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely reported as moderators or regulators of mammalian cellular processes, especially disease-related pathways in humans. However, the roles played by miRNAs encoded by baculoviruses, which infect numerous beneficial insects and agricultural pests, have rarely been described. To explore the actions of virus-encoded miRNAs, we investigated an miRNA encoded by Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV-miR-1). We previously identified this miRNA through the exogenous addition of AcMNPV-miR-1 mimics. In the current study, we constitutively overexpressed AcMNPV-miR-1 and analyzed the resultant effects to more comprehensively assess what is indeed the function of this miRNA during viral infection. In addition, we widely explored the target genes for the miRNA in the viral and host genomes and proposed a possible functional network for AcMNPV-miR-1, which provides a

Measurement of AC Losses in a Racetrack Superconducting Coil Made from YBCO Coated Conductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seiler, Eugen; Abrahamsen, Asger B.; Kováč, Ján; Wichmann, Mike; Træholt, Chresten

We present the results of transport measurements of AC losses in a racetrack shaped superconducting coil made from coated conductor tape. The outer dimensions of the coil are approximately 24 cm × 12 cm and it has 57 turns. The coil is impregnated with epoxy resin and fiberglass tape is used to insulate the individual turns and to improve the mechanical properties of the epoxy when exposed to thermal cycling. The coil is manufactured as a part of the field winding of a small synchronous generator; therefore stainless steel frames are installed on the inner and outer side of the winding to reinforce it. The AC loss is measured versus the transport current Ia with the coil immersed in liquid nitrogen. Measurements at frequencies 21 Hz, 36 Hz and 72 Hz are compared. The AC losses follow Ia2 dependence at low current amplitudes and Ia3 at high amplitudes. After cutting the inner steel frame the low amplitude losses are decreased, their frequency dependence is reduced but their dependence on the current remains unchanged.

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.

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).

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.

Experimental investigations of an AC pulse heating method for vehicular high power lithium-ion batteries at subzero temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jiangong; Sun, Zechang; Wei, Xuezhe; Dai, Haifeng; Gu, Weijun

2017-11-01

Effect of the AC (alternating current) pulse heating method on battery SoH (state of health) for large laminated power lithium-ion batteries at low temperature is investigated experimentally. Firstly, excitation current frequencies, amplitudes, and voltage limitations on cell temperature evolution are studied. High current amplitudes facilitate the heat accumulation and temperature rise. Low frequency region serves as a good innovation to heat the battery because of the large impedance. Wide voltage limitations also enjoy better temperature evolution owing to the less current modulation, but the temperature difference originated from various voltage limitations attenuates due to the decrement of impedance resulting from the temperature rise. Experiments with the thermocouple-embedded cell manifest good temperature homogeneity between the battery surface and interior during the AC heating process. Secondly, the cell capacity, Direct Current resistance and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy are all calibrated to assess the battery SoH after the hundreds of AC pulse heating cycles. Also, all cells are disassembled to investigate the battery internal morphology with the employment of Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy-Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy techniques. The results indicate that the AC heating method does not aggravate the cell degradation even in the low frequency range (0.5 Hz) under the normal voltage protection limitation.

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).

Thermal and ac electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid below room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Kader, M. M.; Basha, M. A. F.; Ramzy, G. H.; Aboud, A. I.

2018-06-01

In this study, we investigated the thermal and alternating current (ac) electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid. Based on data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, we detected two endothermic transitions at ≈ 213 K and ≈265.41 K. The weakening of hydrogen bonds as the temperature increased appeared to be the main cause of these phase transitions. We also recorded the melting point at about 475.5 K. Both the ac conductivity (σac) and complex dielectric constant (ε∗ = ε ' - jε ' ') were studied as functions of temperature over the frequency range from 1 kHz to 100 kHz. We observed significant variations in the thermal and electrical properties before and after the transition temperature at 265.41 K. The conduction mechanism responsible for the ac electrical properties before this transition was due to overlapping large polarons. These novel results are expected to have impacts on the application of organic semiconductors and dielectrics.

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.

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.

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.

Enhancement of macroscopic quantum tunneling in the higher-order phase switches of Bi2212 intrinsic Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitano, Haruhisa; Yamaguchi, Ayami; Takahashi, Yusaku; Umegai, Shunpei; Watabe, Yuji; Ohnuma, Haruka; Hosaka, Kazutaka; Kakehi, Daiki

2018-03-01

The macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) in the current-biased intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) of high-T c cuprates has attracted much attention for decades. Although the MQT for the phase switches from the zero to the first voltage state (1st SW) in the multiple-branched I-V curves is well explained by the conventional theory, the occurrence of MQT for the higher order switches such as the switch from the 1st to 2nd voltage state (2nd SW) has been still debated. Here, we present an experimental study on the phase switches of small IJJs fabricated from underdoped Bi2Sr2(Ca,Y)Cu2Oy. We observed the single photon transition between quantized energy levels in the 3rd phase switches at 59.15 GHz and 2 K. The comparison with the previous studies on the nearly optimal-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy clearly suggests a possibility that the MQT rate for the higher-order phase switches is commonly enhanced by the effective suppression of the energy barrier for the higher-order phase escape due to the phase-running state after the 1st SW, in spite of the large difference in a critical current density and T c.

Novel dielectric reduces corona breakdown in ac capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loehner, J. L.

1972-01-01

Dielectric system was developed which consists of two layers of 25-gage paper separated by one layer of 50-gage polypropylene to reduce corona breakdown in ac capacitors. System can be used in any alternating current application where constant voltage does not exceed 400 V rms. With a little research it could probably be increased to 700 to 800 V rms.

Effective Leadership and Management of an ACS Injury Prevention Program: Current Opinions and Perspectives From Where the Rubber Meets the Road.

PubMed

Wolfe, Elizabeth S; Bryant, Elizabeth A

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) mandates that each verified trauma center must have an injury prevention coordinator (IPC); however, Chapter 18 in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient (2014) provides minimal information on how to effectively lead or manage an injury prevention (IP) program. This opinion article addresses 3 fundamental components of an effective IP program: (1) construction of an innovative vision of IP programming using current technology; (2) intentional investment and involvement; and (3) stakeholder leadership, engagement, and sustainability. This article also provides leadership and management methods from other professions both within and outside of the health care field that can be translated into sustainable IP program planning, implementation, and longevity.

Current distribution and ac susceptibility response of a thin superconducting disc in an axial field: a theoretical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aruna, S. A.; Zhang, P.; Lin, F. Y.; Ding, S. Y.; Yao, X. X.

2000-04-01

Within the framework of the thermally activated process of the flux line or flux line bundles, and by time integration of the 1D equation of motion of the circulating current density icons/Journals/Common/vecJ" ALT="vecJ" ALIGN="TOP"/> (icons/Journals/Common/rho" ALT="rho" ALIGN="TOP"/> ,t ), which is suitable for thin superconducting films (R >>d ,icons/Journals/Common/le" ALT="le" ALIGN="TOP"/> icons/Journals/Common/lambda" ALT="lambda" ALIGN="TOP"/> ), we present numerical calculations of the current profiles, magnetization hysteresis loops and ac susceptibility icons/Journals/Common/chi" ALT="chi" ALIGN="TOP"/> n = icons/Journals/Common/chi" ALT="chi" ALIGN="TOP"/> ´n +iicons/Journals/Common/chi" ALT="chi" ALIGN="TOP"/> ´´n for n = 1, 3 and 5 of a thin disc immersed in an axial time-dependent external magnetic field Ba (t ) = Bdc +Bac cos(2icons/Journals/Common/pi" ALT="pi" ALIGN="TOP"/> icons/Journals/Common/nu" ALT="nu" ALIGN="TOP"/> t ). Our calculated results are compared with those of the critical state model (CSM) and found to prove the approximate validity of the CSM below the irreversibility field. The differences between our computed results and those of the CSM are also discussed.

Threshold fluctuations in a superconducting current-carrying bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marychev, P. M.; Vodolazov, D. Yu

2017-07-01

We calculate the energy of threshold fluctuation δ {F}{{thr}} which triggers the transition of a superconducting current-carrying bridge to the resistive state. We show that the dependence δ {F}{{thr}}{(I)\\propto {I}{{dep}}{\\hslash }(1-I/{I}{{dep}})}5/4/e, found by Langer and Ambegaokar for a long bridge with length L\\gg ξ , holds far below the critical temperature in both dirty and clean limits (here I dep is the depairing current of the bridge and ξ is a coherence length). We also find that even a ‘weak’ local defect (leading to a small suppression of the critical current of the bridge {I}{{c}}≲ {I}{{dep}}) provides δ {F}{{thr}}\\propto {I}{{c}}{\\hslash }{(1-I/{I}{{c}})}3/2/e, typical for a short bridge with L\\ll ξ or a Josephson junction.

System and method for monitoring and controlling stator winding temperature in a de-energized AC motor

DOEpatents

Lu, Bin [Kenosha, WI; Luebke, Charles John [Sussex, WI; Habetler, Thomas G [Snellville, GA; Zhang, Pinjia [Atlanta, GA; Becker, Scott K [Oak Creek, WI

2011-12-27

A system and method for measuring and controlling stator winding temperature in an AC motor while idling is disclosed. The system includes a circuit having an input connectable to an AC source and an output connectable to an input terminal of a multi-phase AC motor. The circuit further includes a plurality of switching devices to control current flow and terminal voltages in the multi-phase AC motor and a controller connected to the circuit. The controller is configured to activate the plurality of switching devices to create a DC signal in an output of the motor control device corresponding to an input to the multi-phase AC motor, determine or estimate a stator winding resistance of the multi-phase AC motor based on the DC signal, and estimate a stator temperature from the stator winding resistance. Temperature can then be controlled and regulated by DC injection into the stator windings.

Demodulation circuit for AC motor current spectral analysis

DOEpatents

Hendrix, Donald E.; Smith, Stephen F.

1990-12-18

A motor current analysis method for the remote, noninvasive inspection of electric motor-operated systems. Synchronous amplitude demodulation and phase demodulation circuits are used singly and in combination along with a frequency analyzer to produce improved spectral analysis of load-induced frequencies present in the electric current flowing in a motor-driven system.

Established and potential physiological roles of bicarbonate-sensing soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) in aquatic animals

PubMed Central

Tresguerres, Martin; Barott, Katie L.; Barron, Megan E.; Roa, Jinae N.

2014-01-01

Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) is a recently recognized source of the signaling molecule cyclic AMP (cAMP) that is genetically and biochemically distinct from the classic G-protein-regulated transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs). Mammalian sAC is distributed throughout the cytoplasm and it may be present in the nucleus and inside mitochondria. sAC activity is directly stimulated by HCO3−, and sAC has been confirmed to be a HCO3− sensor in a variety of mammalian cell types. In addition, sAC can functionally associate with carbonic anhydrases to act as a de facto sensor of pH and CO2. The two catalytic domains of sAC are related to HCO3−-regulated adenylyl cyclases from cyanobacteria, suggesting the cAMP pathway is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for sensing CO2 levels and/or acid/base conditions. Reports of sAC in aquatic animals are still limited but are rapidly accumulating. In shark gills, sAC senses blood alkalosis and triggers compensatory H+ absorption. In the intestine of bony fishes, sAC modulates NaCl and water absorption. And in sea urchin sperm, sAC may participate in the initiation of flagellar movement and in the acrosome reaction. Bioinformatics and RT-PCR results reveal that sAC orthologs are present in most animal phyla. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the physiological roles of sAC in aquatic animals and suggests additional functions in which sAC may be involved. PMID:24574382

Critical current simulation in granular superconductors above the percolation threshold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedinger, Roland

1992-02-01

In the phase-coherent regime without applied external magnetic field, the critical superconducting current is limited by intragranular junctions which behave like Josephson junctions. We study the percolation aspects specific to lattices of such junctions and/or the mixing of superconductor with normal grains by averaging over configurations. We illustrate on 2 and 3 dimensional examples. The power laws valid near the percolation threshold are valid well above it, in two and three dimensions. We discuss the other models limiting the superconducting current, the vortex creep and superconducting order parameter fluctuations. Dans la limite de champ magnétique nul et de cohérence de phase du paramètre d'ordre supraconducteur, le courant supraconducteur maximal dans un réseau est limité par les jonctions intergranulaires qui se comportent comme des jonctions Josephson. Nous analysons les problèmes de percolation spécifiques aux réseaux de jonctions et du mélange de grains normaux et supraconducteurs. Nous donnons des exemples bidimensionnels et tridimensionnels ; après moyenne sur les configurations et analyse en taille finie, nous montrons que les lois de puissance valables au voisinage du seuil de percolation s'étendent sur un grand domaine au-delà du seuil de percolation, à deux et trois dimensions. Nous discutons les autres modèles limitant le courant supraconducteur, ancrage de vortex et fluctuations du paramètre d'ordre.

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

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.

Solid-state circuit breaker with current-limiting characteristic using a superconducting coil

DOEpatents

Boenig, H.J.

1982-08-16

A thyristor bridge interposes an ac source and a load. A series connected DC source and superconducting coil within the bridge biases the thyristors thereof so as to permit bidirectional ac current flow therethrough under normal operating conditions. Upon a fault condition a control circuit triggers the thyristors so as to reduce ac current flow therethrough to zero in less than two eyeles and to open the bridge thereafter. Upon a temporary overload condition the control circuit triggers the thyristors so as to limit ac current flow therethrough to an acceptable level.

Solid-state circuit breaker with current limiting characteristic using a superconducting coil

DOEpatents

Boenig, Heinrich J.

1984-01-01

A thyristor bridge interposes an ac source and a load. A series connected DC source and superconducting coil within the bridge biases the thyristors thereof so as to permit bidirectional ac current flow therethrough under normal operating conditions. Upon a fault condition a control circuit triggers the thyristors so as to reduce ac current flow therethrough to zero in less than two cycles and to open the bridge thereafter. Upon a temporary overload condition the control circuit triggers the thyristors so as to limit ac current flow therethrough to an acceptable level.

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.

Cavity mode enhancement of terahertz emission from equilateral triangular microstrip antennas of the high-T c superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 + δ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerkoney, Daniel P.; Reid, Candy; Doty, Constance M.; Gramajo, Ashley; Campbell, Tyler D.; Morales, Manuel A.; Delfanazari, Kaveh; Tsujimoto, Manabu; Kashiwagi, Takanari; Yamamoto, Takashi; Watanabe, Chiharu; Minami, Hidetoshi; Kadowaki, Kazuo; Klemm, Richard A.

2017-01-01

We study the transverse magnetic (TM) electromagnetic cavity mode wave functions for an ideal equilateral triangular microstrip antenna (MSA) exhibiting C 3v point group symmetry. When the C 3v operations are imposed upon the antenna, the TM(m,n) modes with wave vectors \\propto \\sqrt{{{m}2}+nm+{{n}2}} are much less dense than commonly thought. The R 3 operations restrict the integral n and m to satisfy |m-n| =3p , where p≥slant 0 and p≥slant 1 for the modes even and odd under reflections about the three mirror planes, respectively. We calculate the forms of representative wave functions and the angular dependence of the output power when these modes are excited by the uniform and non-uniform ac Josephson current sources in thin, ideally equilateral triangular MSAs employing the intrinsic Josephson junctions in the high transition temperature T c superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2 {{\\text{O}}8+δ} , and fit the emissions data from an earlier sample for which the C 3v symmetry was apparently broken.

Cavity mode enhancement of terahertz emission from equilateral triangular microstrip antennas of the high-T c superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 + δ.

PubMed

Cerkoney, Daniel P; Reid, Candy; Doty, Constance M; Gramajo, Ashley; Campbell, Tyler D; Morales, Manuel A; Delfanazari, Kaveh; Tsujimoto, Manabu; Kashiwagi, Takanari; Yamamoto, Takashi; Watanabe, Chiharu; Minami, Hidetoshi; Kadowaki, Kazuo; Klemm, Richard A

2017-01-11

We study the transverse magnetic (TM) electromagnetic cavity mode wave functions for an ideal equilateral triangular microstrip antenna (MSA) exhibiting C 3v point group symmetry. When the C 3v operations are imposed upon the antenna, the TM(m,n) modes with wave vectors [Formula: see text] are much less dense than commonly thought. The R 3 operations restrict the integral n and m to satisfy [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for the modes even and odd under reflections about the three mirror planes, respectively. We calculate the forms of representative wave functions and the angular dependence of the output power when these modes are excited by the uniform and non-uniform ac Josephson current sources in thin, ideally equilateral triangular MSAs employing the intrinsic Josephson junctions in the high transition temperature T c superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 [Formula: see text], and fit the emissions data from an earlier sample for which the C 3v symmetry was apparently broken.

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...

Design versions of HTS three-phase cables with the minimized value of AC losses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altov, V. A.; Balashov, N. N.; Degtyarenko, P. N.; Ivanov, S. S.; Kopylov, S. I.; Lipa, DA; Samoilenkov, S. V.; Sytnikov, V. E.; Zheltov, V. V.

2018-03-01

Design versions of HTS three-phase cables consisting of 2G HTS tapes have been investigated by the numerical simulation method with the aim of AC losses minimization. Two design versions of cables with the coaxial and extended rectangular cross-section shape are considered – the non-sectioned and sectioned one. In the latter each cable phase consists of sections connected in parallel. The optimal dimensions of sections and order of their alteration are chosen by appropriate calculations. The model used takes into account the current distribution between the sections and its non-uniformity within each single HTS tape as well. The following characteristics are varied: design version, dimension, positioning of extra copper layer in a cable, design of HTS tapes themselves and their mutual position. The dependence of AC losses on the latter two characteristics is considered in details, and the examples of cable designs optimized by the total set of characteristics for the medium class of voltages (10 – 60 kV) are given. At the critical current JC=5.1 кA per phase and current amplitudes lower than 0.85JC, the level of total AC losses does not exceed the natural cryostat heat losses.

Calibration of low-temperature ac susceptometers with a copper cylinder standard

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

Chen, D.-X.; Skumryev, V.

2010-02-15

A high-quality low-temperature ac susceptometer is calibrated by comparing the measured ac susceptibility of a copper cylinder with its eddy-current ac susceptibility accurately calculated. Different from conventional calibration techniques that compare the measured results with the known property of a standard sample at certain fixed temperature T, field amplitude H{sub m}, and frequency f, to get a magnitude correction factor, here, the electromagnetic properties of the copper cylinder are unknown and are determined during the calibration of the ac susceptometer in the entire T, H{sub m}, and f range. It is shown that the maximum magnitude error and the maximummore » phase error of the susceptometer are less than 0.7% and 0.3 deg., respectively, in the region T=5-300 K and f=111-1111 Hz at H{sub m}=800 A/m, after a magnitude correction by a constant factor as done in a conventional calibration. However, the magnitude and phase errors can reach 2% and 4.3 deg. at 10 000 and 11 Hz, respectively. Since the errors are reproducible, a large portion of them may be further corrected after a calibration, the procedure for which is given. Conceptual discussions concerning the error sources, comparison with other calibration methods, and applications of ac susceptibility techniques are presented.« less