Fabrication of high-quality submicron Nb/Al--AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions

Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions are often used in the studies of macroscopic quantum phenomena and superconducting qubit applications of the Josephson devices. In this work, we describe a convenient and reliable process using electron beam lithography for the fabrication of high-quality, submicron-sized Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions. The technique follows the well-known selective Nb etching process and produces high-quality junctions with Vm=100 mV at 2.3 K for the typical critical current density of 2.2 kA/cm^2, which can be adjusted by controlling the oxygen pressure and oxidation time during the formation of the tunnelling barrier. We present the results of the temperature dependence of the sub-gap current and in-plane magnetic-field dependence of the critical current, and compare them with the theoretical predictions.     

Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb junctions with controllable critical current density for qubit application

Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions with controllable critical current density Jc are fabricated using the standard selective Nb etching process.Tunnel barriers are formed in different oxygen exposure conditions (oxygen pressure P and oxidation time t),giving rise to Jc ranging from 100 A/cm2 to above 2000 A/cm2.Jc shows a familiar linear dependence on P × t in logarithmic scales.We calculate the energy levels of the phaseand flux-type qubits using the achievable junction parameters and show that the fabricated Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions can be used conveniently for quantum computation applications in the future.     

Developing Josephson junction array chips for microvolt applications

Josephson junction array chips for microvolt applications have been designed and fabricated. A voltage step as small as 1 μV has been observed for a single junction in the array when it is driven by 483.59 MHz microwave. By selecting different parts of the array, it can output a voltage from 1 μV to 256 μV. The flat region of the voltage steps is over 200 μA.This kind of array is useful for potential microvolt applications.     

Matching effect in superconducting NbN thin film with a square lattice of holes

A square hole array is fabricated over a micro-bridge of NbN thin film by electron beam lithography and reactive ion milling. Magneto-resistance is measured across the micro-bridge filled with a hole array near the superconducting transition temperature. It is found that magneto-resistance minima occur when the number of vortices is an integer multiple or a fractional multiple of the number of holes. The temperature and the current dependences of the matching effect are studied.     

Abnormal magnetoresistance behavior in Nb thin film with rectangular arrays of antidots

Magnetoresistance in superconducting Nb films perforated with rectangular arrays of antidots (holes) is investigated at various temperatures and currents. Normally, the magnetoresistance increases with the increasing magnetic field. In this paper, we report a reverse behavior in a certain range of high fields after vortex reconfiguration transition, where the resistances at non-matching fields are smaller than those in the low field regime. This phenomenon is due to a strong caging effect, in which the interstitial vortices are trapped among the pinned multiquanta vortices. This effect is temperature and current dependent.     

Abnormal magnetoresistance behavior in Nb thin films with rectangular arrays of antidots

Magnetoresistance in superconducting Nb films perforated with rectangular arrays of antidots （holes） is investigated at various temperatures and currents. Normally, the magnetoresistance increases with the increasing magnetic field. In this paper, we report a reverse behavior in a certain range of high fields after vortex reconfiguration transition, where the resistances at non-matching fields are smaller than those in the low field regime. This phenomenon is due to a strong caging effect, in which the interstitial vortices are trapped among the pinned multiquanta vortices. This effect is temperature and current dependent.     

Phase escape of current-biased Josephson junctions

Switching current distributions of an Nb/Al--AlO_x/Nb Josephson junction are measured in a temperature range from 25~mK to 800~mK. We analyse the phase escape properties by using the theory of Larkin and Ovchinnikov (LO) which takes discrete energy levels into account. Our results show that the phase escape can be well described by the LO approach for temperatures near and below the crossover from thermal activation to macroscopic quantum tunneling. These results are helpful for further study of macroscopic quantum phenomena in Josephson junctions where discrete energy levels need to be considered.     

用于电压基准的Nb/NbxSi1-x/Nb约瑟夫森单结的研制

现代可编程约瑟夫森电压基准的核心器件是约瑟夫森结阵.目前最具有优势的约瑟夫森结阵是 Nb/Nb_xSi_1-x/Nb材料的结阵. Nb/Nb_xSi_1-x/Nb材料的约瑟夫森结 具有三层薄膜的制作过程简便, Nb和Nb_xSi_1-x刻蚀工艺相同以及Nb_xSi_1-x 势垒层成分可调等优点.中国计量科学研究院设计制作了Nb/Nb_xSi_1-x/Nb约瑟夫森单结. 通过在4.2 K低温下对所做单结进行直流电流-电压特性测量,观测到了清晰的超导隧穿电流和 从零电压态向电压态的跳变,最后就测量结果进行了分析讨论.此项工作属于国内首个开展 Nb/Nb_xSi_1-x/Nb材料约瑟夫森单结研究的工作.     

用于精密测量玻尔兹曼常数的量子电压噪声源芯片研制

量子噪声温度计系统可通过比较导体中电子运动的热噪声和量子电压参考噪声精密测量玻尔兹曼常数,其中量子电压噪声源所合成的量子电压参考噪声由一组超导约瑟夫森结阵产生.本文详细介绍了基于Nb/Nb_xSi_(1-x)/Nb约瑟夫森结的量子电压噪声源芯片的设计、制备及测试;采用脉冲驱动模式,合成了具有量子精度的100 kHz交流量子电压信号.结果表明:本文所研制的噪声温度计核心芯片已具备了合成交流电压的功能,可为后续玻尔兹曼常数精密定值、重新定义及复现热力学温度研究提供核心器件.