Enhanced coherence of a quantum doublet coupled to Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid leads

We use boundary field theory to describe the phases accessible to a tetrahedral qubit coupled to Josephson junction chains acting as Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid leads. We prove that, in a pertinent range of the fabrication and control parameters, an attractive finite coupling fixed point emerges due to the geometry of the composite Josephson junction network. We show that this new stable phase is characterized by the emergence of a quantum doublet which is robust not only against the noise in the external control parameters (magnetic flux, gate voltage) but also against the decoherence induced by the coupling of the tetrahedral qubit with the superconducting leads. We provide protocols allowing to read and to manipulate the state of the emerging quantum doublet and argue that a tetrahedral Josephson junction network operating near the new finite coupling fixed point may be fabricated with today?s technologies.     

Y-junction of superconducting Josephson chains

We show that, for pertinent values of the fabrication and control parameters, an attractive finite coupling fixed point emerges in the phase diagram of a Y-junction of superconducting Josephson chains. The new fixed point arises only when the dimensionless flux f piercing the central loop of the network equals π   and, thus, does not break time-reversal invariance; for f≠π$f\ne \pi$, only the strongly coupled fixed point survives as a stable attractive fixed point. Phase slips (instantons) have a crucial role in establishing this transition: we show indeed that, at f=π$f=\pi$, a new set of instantons—the W-instantons—comes into play to destabilize the strongly coupled fixed point. Finally, we provide a detailed account of the Josephson current–phase relationship along the arms of the network, near each one of the allowed fixed points. Our results evidence remarkable similarities between the phase diagram accessible to a Y-junction of superconducting Josephson chains and the one found in the analysis of quantum Brownian motion on frustrated planar lattices.     

Efficient simulation of resistively shunted Josephson junctions

We present a cluster algorithm for resistively shunted Josephson junctions or similar physical systems, which dramatically improves sampling efficiency, and apply it to the superconductor-to-metal transition in a single junction. Measuring the temperature dependence of the zero bias resistance, we confirm that the critical point does not depend on the strength of the Josephson coupling. However, we find that the correlation exponents vary continuously along the phase boundary, indicating that the Schmid-Bulgadaev transition is a line of fixed points.     

Energy Band and Josephson Dynamics of Spin-Orbit Coupled Bose——Einstein Condensates

We theoretically investigate the energy band structure and Josephson dynamics of a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well potential. We study the energy band structure and the corresponding tunneling dynamics of the system by properly adjusting the SO coupling, Raman coupling, Zeeman field and atomic interactions. The coupled effects of SO coupling, Raman coupling, Zeeman field and atomic interactions lead to the appearance of complex energy band structure including the loop structure. Particularly, the emergence of the loop structure in energy band also depends on SO coupling, Raman coupling, Zeeman field and atomic interactions. Correspondingly, the Josephson dynamics of the system are strongly related to the energy band structure. Especially, the emergence of the loop structure results in complex tunneling dynamics, including suppression-revival transitions and self-trapping of atoms transfer between two spin states and two wells. This engineering provides a possible means for studying energy level and corresponding dynamics of two-species SO coupled BECs.     

Anomalous Josephson current in junctions with spin polarizing quantum point contacts

We consider a ballistic Josephson junction with a quantum point contact in a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The point contact acts as a spin filter when embedded in a circuit with normal electrodes. We show that with an in-plane external magnetic field an anomalous supercurrent appears even for zero phase difference between the superconducting electrodes. In addition, the external field induces large critical current asymmetries between the two flow directions, leading to supercurrent rectifying effects.     

Macroscopic quantum interference effects in superconducting multiterminal microstructures

We review the macroscopic quantum phenomena in superconducting microstructures based on multiterminal junctions. The multiterminal Josephson junction presents a system in which the weak coupling takes place between several massive superconducting banks (terminals). Compared with the conventional (two-terminal) junctions such systems have additional degrees of freedom and a corresponding set of control parameters, preset transport currents and (or) applied magnetic fluxes. The general phenomenological theory of multiterminal Josephson junctions is presented. The specific multichannel interference effects (studied theoretically and experimentally) are described for two microstructures: the four-terminal SQUID and a system consisting of two weakly coupled superconducting rings.     

Interfacial spin Hall current in a Josephson junction with Rashba spin—orbit coupling

We theoretically investigate the spin transport properties of the Cooper pairs in a conventional Josephson junction with Rashba spin-orbit coupling considered in one of the superconducting leads.It is found that an angle-resolved spin supercurrent flows through the junction and a nonzero interfacial spin Hall current driven by the superconducting phase difference also appears at the interface.The physical origin of this is that the Rashba spin-orbit coupling can induce a triplet order parameter in the s-wave superconductor.The interfacial spin Hall current dependences on the system parameters are also discussed.     

Nanoscale superconducting quantum bits

Various physical systems were proposed for quantum information processing. Among those nanoscale devices appear most promising for integration in electronic circuits and large-scale applications. We discuss Josephson junction circuits in two regimes where they can be used for quantum computing. These systems combine intrinsic coherence of the superconducting state with control possibilities of single-charge circuits. In the regime where the typical charging energy dominates over the Josephson coupling, the low-temperature dynamics is limited to two states differing by a Cooper-pair charge on a superconducting island. In the opposite regime of prevailing Josephson energy, the phase (or flux) degree of freedom can be used to store and process quantum information. Under suitable conditions the system reduces to two states with different flux configurations. Several qubits can be joined together into a register. The quantum state of a qubit register can be manipulated by voltage and magnetic field pulses. The qubits are inevitably coupled to the environment. However, estimates of the phase coherence time show that many elementary quantum logic operations can be performed before the phase coherence is lost. In addition to manipulations, the final state of the qubits has to be read out. This quantum measurement process can be accomplished using a single-electron transistor for charge Josephson qubits, and a d.c.-SQUID for flux qubits. Recent successful experiments with superconducting qubits demonstrate for the first time quantum coherence in macroscopic systems.     

Enhancement of macroscopic quantum tunneling by Landau-Zener transitions

Motivated by recent realizations of qubits with a readout by macroscopic quantum tunneling in a Josephson junction, we study the problem of barrier penetration in the presence of coupling to a spin-1 / 2 system. It is shown that, when the diabatic potentials for fixed spin intersect in the barrier region, Landau-Zener transitions lead to an enhancement of the tunneling rate. The effect of these spin flips in imaginary time is in qualitative agreement with experimental observations.     

Topology-induced critical current enhancement in Josephson networks

We investigate the properties of Josephson junction networks with inhomogeneous architecture. The networks are shaped as “square comb” planar lattices on which Josephson junctions link superconducting islands arranged in the plane to generate the pertinent topology. Compared to the behavior of reference linear arrays, the temperature dependencies of the Josephson currents of the branches of the network exhibit relevant differences. The observed phenomena evidence new and surprising behavior of superconducting Josephson arrays.     

Spectroscopy of three-particle entanglement in a macroscopic superconducting circuit

We study the quantum mechanical behavior of a macroscopic, three-body, superconducting circuit. Microwave spectroscopy on our system, a resonator coupling two large Josephson junctions, produced complex energy spectra well explained by quantum theory over a large frequency range. By tuning each junction separately into resonance with the resonator, we first observe strong coupling between each junction and the resonator. Bringing both junctions together into resonance with the resonator, we find spectroscopic evidence for entanglement between all 3 degrees of freedom and suggest a new method for controllable coupling of distant qubits, a key step toward quantum computation.     

Spin-asymmetric Josephson effect

We propose that with ultracold Fermi gases one can realize a spin-asymmetric Josephson effect in which the two spin components of a Cooper pair are driven asymmetrically--corresponding to driving a Josephson junction of two superconductors with different voltages V(↑) and V(↓) for spin up and down electrons, respectively. We predict that the spin up and down components oscillate at the same frequency but with different amplitudes. Furthermore our results reveal that the standard interpretation of the Josephson supercurrent in terms of coherent bosonic pair tunneling is insufficient. We provide an intuitive interpretation of the Josephson supercurrent as interference in Rabi oscillations of pairs and single particles, the latter causing the asymmetry.     

Josephson effect through an isotropic magnetic molecule

We study the Josephson effect through a quantum dot magnet whose spin is isotropic and which is coupled to the dot electron spin via exchange coupling. We calculate the Andreev levels and the supercurrent and examine the intertwined effect of the exchange coupling, Kondo correlation, and superconductivity. The former suppresses Kondo correlations, which triggers phase transitions from the 0 to the pi state, but strong antiferromagnetic coupling restores the 0 state. The asymmetric phase diagram in the exchange coupling suggests that the coupling sign could be determined in experiments.     

Chaotic solitons in Sine-Gordon system

We extend the constant-variation method to the case of partial differential equations. Applying the method to periodically perturbed Sine-Gordon system, we find some novel solitons, which are embedded in a chaotic attractor and possess controllable velocity of motion. Taking periodically driven long Josephson junction as an example the corresponding chaotic region in parameter space and chaotic orbit are obtained analytically and numerically. Received 25 December 2000     

Transitions in two sinusoidally coupled Josephson junction rotators

We investigate the dynamics of two sinusoidally coupled Josephson junction rotators to provide a clear knowledge of the behaviors in different regions of the parameter space. The dynamical states are identified, and the transitions among these states are studied. The properties of the current–voltage curves are investigated. Further more, we observed the chaotic states in some regions of parameter space. We conjecture it may caused by the competition of two periodic potentials: one is the external field, another is the interacting of two particles.     

高温超导体中约瑟夫森涡旋流阻的振荡效应

通过数值计算耦合sine-Gordon方程组研究高温超导体中约瑟夫森涡旋的运动,得到约瑟夫森涡旋电压和流阻随平面磁场和驱动电流的变化规律.固定驱动电流,约瑟夫森涡旋电压和流阻随着磁场的增大出现周期性的振荡行为,振荡周期与每层约瑟夫森结中进入一个磁通量子相对应.分析和阐明了产生这种周期性振荡的原因. 关键词： 约瑟夫森涡旋 涡旋格子 高温超导     

Josephson effect between superconducting nanograins with discrete energy levels

We investigate the Josephson effect between two coupled superconductors, coupled by the tunneling of pairs of electrons, in the regime that their energy level spacing is comparable to the bulk superconducting gap, but neglecting any charging effects. In this regime, BCS theory is not valid, and the notion of a superconducting order parameter with a well-defined phase is inapplicable. Using the density matrix renormalization group, we calculate the ground state of the two coupled superconductors and extract the Josephson energy. The Josephson energy is found to display a reentrant behavior (decrease followed by increase) as a function of increasing level spacing. For weak Josephson coupling, a tight-binding approximation is introduced, which illustrates the physical mechanism underlying this reentrance in a transparent way. The DMRG method is also applied to two strongly coupled superconductors and allows a detailed examination of the limits of validity of the tight-binding model.Received: 8 September 2003, Published online: 28 May 2004PACS: 74.20.-z Theories and models of superconducting state - 74.78.-w Superconducting films and low-dimensional structures - 74.50. + r Tunneling phenomena; point contacts, weak links, Josephson effects     

Josephson current versus potential strength of the interface in ferromagnetic superconductors

Based on the scattering theory, we calculate the Josephson current in a junction between two ferromagnetic superconductors as a function of the interface potential z. We consider the ferromagnetic superconductor(FS) in three different Cooper pairing states: spin singlet s-wave pairing(SWP) state, spin triplet opposite spin pairing(OSP) state, and spin triplet equal spin pairing(ESP) state. We find that the critical Josephson current as a function of z shows clear differences among the SWP, OSP, and ESP states. The obtained results can be used as a useful tool for determining the pair symmetry of the ferromagnetic superconductors.     

Dynamics of a Ring of Diffusively Coupled Lorenz Oscillators

We study the dynamics of a finite chain of diffusively coupled Lorenz oscillators with periodic boundary conditions. Such rings possess infinitely many fixed states, some of which are observed to be stable. It is shown that there exists a stable fixed state in arbitrarily large rings for a fixed coupling strength. This suggests that coherent behavior in networks of diffusively coupled systems may appear at a coupling strength that is independent of the size of the network.     

Research on flux-flow oscillators induced different types of pinning potentials

We have studied dynamics of Josephson vortices in strongly coupled long Josephson junctions stack, such as an intrinsic Josephson junction, by numerical simulations based on coupled sine–Gordon equations considering a periodic pinning potential. In this report, we investigate flux-flow oscillators induced two types of pinning potentials. One is magnetic periodic pinning potential, the other is periodic bias currents. Our results demonstrate that the periodic pinning potential can develop the generated power of flux-flow oscillator in certain condition.