Probing noise in flux qubits via macroscopic resonant tunneling

Macroscopic resonant tunneling between the two lowest lying states of a bistable rf SQUID is used to characterize noise in a flux qubit. Measurements of the incoherent decay rate as a function of flux bias revealed a Gaussian-shaped profile that is not peaked at the resonance point but is shifted to a bias at which the initial well is higher than the target well. The rms amplitude of the noise, which is proportional to the dephasing rate 1/tauphi, was observed to be weakly dependent on temperature below 70 mK. Analysis of these results indicates that the dominant source of low energy flux noise in this device is a quantum mechanical environment in thermal equilibrium.     

Flux noise near the Berezinski\overset{\lower0.5em\hbox{-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition

The flux noise in Josephson junction arrays is studied in the critical regime above the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. In proximity-coupled arrays a local Ohmic damping for the phases is relevant, giving rise to anomalous vortex diffusion and a dynamic scaling of the flux noise in the critical region. The flux noise exhibits a crossover from white to 1/f noise at a frequency ω_ξ∝ξ^?z with a dynamic exponent z=2.     

Influence of the dc vortex velocity field on flux flow noise

Measurements on low-pinning Nb foils prepared with geometrically well-defined pinning structures show that flux flow noise originates not only by direct interaction of vortices with pinning sites, but also by plastic deformation of the FLL in weak pinning regions. This noise depends on the properties of the dc flux flow velocity field.     

Macroscopic resonant tunneling in the presence of low frequency noise

We develop a theory of macroscopic resonant tunneling of flux in a double-well potential in the presence of realistic flux noise with a significant low-frequency component. The rate of incoherent flux tunneling between the wells exhibits resonant peaks, the shape and position of which reflect qualitative features of the noise, and can thus serve as a diagnostic tool for studying the low-frequency flux noise in SQUID qubits. We show, in particular, that the noise-induced renormalization of the first resonant peak provides direct information on the temperature of the noise source and the strength of its quantum component.     

Decoherence of flux qubits due to 1/f flux noise

We have investigated decoherence in Josephson-junction flux qubits. Based on the measurements of decoherence at various bias conditions, we discriminate contributions of different noise sources. We present a Gaussian decay function extracted from the echo signal as evidence of dephasing due to 1/f flux noise whose spectral density is evaluated to be about (10(-6)Phi0)2/Hz at 1 Hz. We also demonstrate that, at an optimal bias condition where the noise sources are well decoupled, the coherence observed in the echo measurement is limited mainly by energy relaxation of the qubit.     

Ocean dynamic noise energy flux directivity in the 400 Hz to 700 Hz frequency band

Results of field studies of underwater dynamic noise energy flux directivity at two wind speeds, 6 m/s and 12 m/s, in the 400 Hz to 700 Hz frequency band in the deep open ocean are presented. The measurements were made by a freely drifting telemetric combined system at 500 m depth. Statistical characteristics of the horizontal and vertical dynamic noise energy flux directivity are considered as functions of wind speed and direction. Correlation between the horizontal dynamic noise energy flux direction and that of the wind was determined; a mechanism of the horizontal dynamic noise energy flux generation is related to the initial noise field scattering on ocean surface waves.     

超导磁通量子比特低频磁通噪声的测量

在极低温下,我们对基于Nb／AlOx／Nb约瑟夫森结构成的超导磁通量子比特进行了测量,从粒子在双势阱的分布率和磁通的关系曲线中,分析得到了低频磁通噪声强度SФ（1Hz）．进一步我们测量了在不同温度下的SФ（1Hz）,结果表明在49．4mK到400mK温度区间,SФ（1Hz）随温度呈平方关系增长．     

噪声源非均匀分布海洋环境噪声水平声能流理论分析

研究水平非均匀分布噪声源所产生的各向异性海洋环境噪声场声能流。提出一种混合型非均匀分布噪声源模型,理论分析并数值计算了此模型情况下的环境噪声场水平声能流。结果表明:非均匀分布噪声源引起的海洋环境噪声场具有显著非零平均水平声能流;不同接收点的水平声能流明显不同;其幅度和方向取决于各个局部海域不等强度声源产生的合成噪声声能流矢量和。研究了两接收点间噪声的声压和振速水平分量、振速水平分量归一化相关系数随两接收点间距的关系,各量之间表现出较强相关性,为分析水下矢量声场目标探测技术性能提供理论依据。      

What are the instrumentation requirements for measuring the isotopic composition of net ecosystem exchange of CO2 using eddy covariance methods?

Better quantification of isotope ratios of atmosphere-ecosystem exchange of CO2 could substantially improve our ability to probe underlying physiological and ecological mechanisms controlling ecosystem carbon exchange, but the ability to make long-term continuous measurements of isotope ratios of exchange fluxes has been limited by measurement difficulties. In particular, direct eddy covariance methods have not yet been used for measuring the isotopic composition of ecosystem fluxes. In this article, we explore the feasibility of such measurements by (a) proposing a general criterion for judging whether a sensor's performance is sufficient for making such measurements (the criterion is met when the contribution of sensor error to the flux measurement error is comparable to or less than the contribution of meteorological noise inherently associated with turbulence flux measurements); (b) using data-based numerical simulations to quantify the level of sensor precision and stability required to meet this criterion for making direct eddy covariance measurements of the 13C/12C ratio of CO2 fluxes above a specific ecosystem (a mid-latitude temperate forest in central Massachusetts, USA); (c) testing whether the performance of a new sensor-a prototype pulsed quantum cascade laser (QCL) based isotope-ratio absorption spectrometer (and plausible improvements thereon)-is sufficient for meeting the criterion in this ecosystem. We found that the error contribution from a prototype sensor (approximately 0.2 per thousand, 1 SD of 10 s integrations) to total isoflux measurement error was comparable to (1.5 to 2x) the irreducible 'meteorological' noise inherently associated with turbulent flux measurements above this ecosystem (daytime measurement error SD of approximately 60% of flux versus meteorological noise of 30-40% for instantaneous half-hour fluxes). Our analysis also shows that plausible instrument improvements (increase of sensor precision to approximately 0.1 per thousand, 1 SD of 10 s integrations, and increased sensor stability during the half-hour needed to integrate eddy covariance measurements) should decrease the contribution of sensor error to the point where it is less than the contribution from meteorological noise. This suggests that new sensors using QCL-based isotope ratio absorption spectroscopy should make continuous long-term observations of the isotopic composition of CO2 fluxes via eddy covariance methods feasible.     

Quantum wire network with magnetic flux

The charge transport and the noise of a quantum wire network, made of three semi-infinite external leads attached to a ring crossed by a magnetic flux, are investigated. The system is driven away from equilibrium by connecting the external leads to heat reservoirs with different temperatures and/or chemical potentials. The properties of the exact scattering matrix of this configuration as a function of the momentum, the magnetic flux and the transmission along the ring are explored. We derive the conductance and the noise, describing in detail the role of the magnetic flux. In the case of weak coupling between the ring and the reservoirs, a resonant tunneling effect is observed. We also discover that a non-zero magnetic flux has a strong impact on the usual Johnson–Nyquist law for the pure thermal noise at small temperatures.     

Magnetism in SQUIDs at millikelvin temperatures

We have characterized the temperature dependence of the flux threading dc SQUIDs cooled to millikelvin temperatures. The flux increases as 1/T as temperature is lowered; moreover, the flux change is proportional to the density of trapped vortices. The data are compatible with the thermal polarization of surface spins in the trapped fields of the vortices. In the absence of trapped flux, we observe evidence of spin-glass freezing at low temperature. These results suggest an explanation for the universal 1/f flux noise in SQUIDs and superconducting qubits.     

Development of series SQUID array with on-chip filter for TES detector

A cold preamplifier based on superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUIDs)is currently the preferred readout technology for the low-noise transition edge sensor(TES).In this work,we have designed and fabricated a series SQUID array(SSA)amplifier for the TES detector readout circuit.In this SSA amplifier,each SQUID cell is composed of a first-order gradiometer formed using two equally large square washers,and an on-chip low pass filter(LPF)as a radiofrequency(RF)choke has been developed to reduce the Josephson oscillation interference between individual SQUID cells.In addition,a highly symmetric layout has been designed carefully to provide a fully consistent embedded electromagnetic environment and achieve coherent flux operation.The measured results show smooth V-Φcharacteristics and a swing voltage that increases linearly with increasing SQUID cell number N.A white flux noise level as low as 0.28μφ;/Hz;is achieved at 0.1 K,corresponding to a low current noise level of 7 pA/Hz;.We analyze the measured noise contribution at mK-scale temperatures and find that the dominant noise derives from a combination of the SSA intrinsic noise and the equivalent current noise of the room temperature electronics.     

Statistical characteristics of the dynamic noise energy flux in the ocean in the 400 to 700 Hz frequency band

Estimates and standard deviations of the azimuth and elevation angles are presented for the underwater dynamic noise energy flux vector in the deep open ocean in the frequency band from 400 to 700 Hz at wind speeds of 6 and 12 m/s. The measurements are performed by a freely drifting combined measuring system at a depth of 500 m. The mean horizontal and vertical angles of the energy flux vector and their standard deviations are estimated using different averaging times. For the averaging time, a limiting value of 60 s is obtained. The presence of a relation between the direction of near-surface wind and the propagation direction of the horizontal dynamic noise energy flux is revealed. It is suggested that the mechanism responsible for the generation of the horizontal mean dynamic noise energy flux is related to the scattering of the initial noise field by the rough ocean surface.     

Josephson effect without superconductivity: realization in quantum Hall bilayers

We show that a quantum Hall bilayer with the total filling nu = 1 should exhibit a dynamical regime similar to the flux flow in large Josephson junctions. This analogy may explain a conspicuous peak in the interlayer tunneling conductance [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5808 (2000)]. The flux flow is likely to be spatiotemporally chaotic at low-bias voltage, which will manifest itself through broadband noise. The peak position can be controlled by an in-plane magnetic field.     

Dephasing of a superconducting flux qubit

In order to gain a better understanding of the origin of decoherence in superconducting flux qubits, we have measured the magnetic field dependence of the characteristic energy relaxation time (T(1)) and echo phase relaxation time (T(2)(echo)) near the optimal operating point of a flux qubit. We have measured T(2)(echo) by means of the phase cycling method. At the optimal point, we found the relation T(2)(echo) approximately 2T(1). This means that the echo decay time is limited by the energy relaxation (T(1) process). Moving away from the optimal point, we observe a linear increase of the phase relaxation rate (1/T(2)(echo)) with the applied external magnetic flux. This behavior can be well explained by the influence of magnetic flux noise with a 1/f spectrum on the qubit.     

Model for 1/f Flux noise in SQUIDs and Qubits

We propose a model for 1/f flux noise in superconducting devices (f is frequency). The noise is generated by the magnetic moments of electrons in defect states which they occupy for a wide distribution of times before escaping. A trapped electron occupies one of the two Kramers-degenerate ground states, between which the transition rate is negligible at low temperature. As a result, the magnetic moment orientation is locked. Simulations of the noise produced by randomly oriented defects with a density of 5x10(17) m(-2) yield 1/f noise magnitudes in good agreement with experiments.     

Long time-base observations of surf noise

A year of surf noise observations in the very near shore region of La Jolla Shores beach are presented. Ambient sound levels and surface wave height were recorded for 9 min every hour from July 1997 through June 1998 at a monitoring station located 360 m seaward of the beach in 8-m deep water. Sound segments that were dominated by the noise from breaking surf formed the basis of a correlation analysis between surf noise level and wave height, wave period, wind speed, and mean water depth. The analysis shows that surf noise is primarily determined by wave height, and scales approximately with the wave height squared. The surface wave energy flux onto the beach also scales with wave height squared, leading to the conclusion that the conversion of the mechanical energy of the surface wave field into noise energy is approximately constant. In fact, the ratio of noise energy to surface wave energy flux varies by up to a factor of 3 over the range of energy fluxes considered (100-3000 W per m).     

Low irradiance background limited type-II superlattice MWIR M-barrier imager

We report a type-II superlattice mid-wave infrared 320×256 imager at 81 K with the M-barrier design that achieved background limited performance (BLIP) and ～99% operability. The 280 K blackbody's photon irradiance was limited by an aperture and a band-pass filter from 3.6 μm to 3.8 μm resulting in a total flux of ～5×10(12) ph.cm(-2).s(-1). Under these low-light conditions, and consequently the use of a 13.5 ms integration time, the imager was observed to be BLIP thanks to a ～5 pA dark current from the 27 μm wide pixels. The total noise was dominated by the photon flux and read-out circuit which gave the imager a noise equivalent input of ～5×10(10) ph.cm(-2).s(-1) and temperature sensitivity of 9 mK with F/2.3 optics. Excellent imagery obtained using a 1-point correction alludes to the array's uniform responsivity.     

Signatures of a noise-induced quantum phase transition in a mesoscopic metal ring

We study a mesoscopic ring with an inline quantum dot threaded by an Aharonov-Bohm flux. Zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic environment capacitively coupled to the ring, with omega(s) spectral density, can suppress tunneling through the dot, resulting in a quantum phase transition from an unpolarized to a polarized phase. We show that robust signatures of such a transition can be found in the response of the persistent current in the ring to the external flux as well as to the bias between the dot and the arm. Particular attention is paid to the experimentally relevant cases of Ohmic (s = 1) and sub-Ohmic (s = 1/2) noise.     

A three-dimensional physical model of MRI noise based on current noise sources in a conductor

Magnetic flux noise is generated by any conductor in equilibrium with a bath as a result of random fluctuating currents. A physical model of this flux noise is proposed, based on allowable current patterns in the conductor, which we describe as natural current modes. This model gives insight into the spatial characteristics of the magnetic noise which is encountered in a variety of magnetic measurements and imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).