173 research outputs found
Quantum Phase Transitions in Josephson Junction Chains
We investigate the quantum phase transition in a one-dimensional chain of
ultra-small superconducting grains, considering both the self- and junction
capacitances. At zero temperature, the system is transformed into a
two-dimensional system of classical vortices, where the junction capacitance
introduces anisotropy in the interaction between vortices. This leads to the
superconductor-insulator transition of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless
type, as the ratios of the Josephson coupling energy to the charging energies
are varied. It is found that the junction capacitance plays a role similar to
that of dissipation and tends to suppress quantum fluctuations; nevertheless
the insulator region survives even for arbitrarily large values of the junction
capacitance.Comment: REVTeX+5 EPS figures, To appear in PRB Rapid
Escape from a zero current state in a one dimensional array of Josephson junctions
A long one dimensional array of small Josephson junctions exhibits Coulomb
blockade of Cooper pair tunneling. This zero current state exists up to a
switching voltage, Vsw, where there is a sudden onset of current. In this paper
we present histograms showing how Vsw changes with temperature for a long array
and calculations of the corresponding escape rates. Our analysis of the problem
is based on the existence of a voltage dependent energy barrier and we do not
make any assumptions about its shape. The data divides up into two temperature
regimes, the higher of which can be explained with Kramers thermal escape
model. At low temperatures the escape becomes independent of temperature.Comment: 4 pages 5 figure
Parity Effect and Charge Binding Transition in Submicron Josephson Junction Arrays
We reconsider the issue of Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition
into an insulating state in the Coulomb-dominated Josephson junction arrays. We
show that previously predicted picture of the Cooper-pair BKT transtion at T =
T_2 is valid only under the condition that T_2 is considerably below the
parity-effect temperature (which is usually almost 10 times below the value of
superconductive transition temperature), and even in this case it is not a
rigorous phase transition but only a crossover, whereas the real phase
transition takes place at T_1 = T_2/4. Our theory is in agreement with
available experimental data on Coulomb-dominated Josephson arrays and also
sheds some light on the origin of unusual reentrant temperature dependence of
resistivity in the array with nearly-criticial ratio of Coulomb to Josephson
energies.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, to be published in JETP Letters, April 9
Quantum superconductor-metal transition in a proximity array
A theory of the zero-temperature superconductor-metal transition is developed
for an array of superconductive islands (of size d) coupled via a disordered
two-dimensional conductor with the dimensionless conductance g>>1. At T=0
macroscopically superconductive state of the array with the lattice spacing
b>>d is destroyed at g < g_c \approx 0.1 ln^2(b/d). At high temperatures the
normal-state resistance between neighboring islands at b=b_c is much smaller
than h/4e^2.Comment: RevTeX, 7 pages, 2 eps figure
Top-transmon: hybrid superconducting qubit for parity-protected quantum computation
Qubits constructed from uncoupled Majorana fermions are protected from
decoherence, but to perform a quantum computation this topological protection
needs to be broken. Parity-protected quantum computation breaks the protection
in a minimally invasive way, by coupling directly to the fermion parity of the
system --- irrespective of any quasiparticle excitations. Here we propose to
use a superconducting charge qubit in a transmission line resonator (a socalled
transmon) to perform parity-protected rotations and read-out of a topological
(top) qubit. The advantage over an earlier proposal using a flux qubit is that
the coupling can be switched on and off with exponential accuracy, promising a
reduced sensitivity to charge noise.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Quantum Glass Transition in a Periodic Long-Range Josephson Array
We show that the ground state of the periodic long range Josephson array
frustrated by magnetic field is a glass for a sufficiently large Josephson
energies despite the absence of a quenched disorder. Like superconductors, this
glass state has non-zero phase stiffness and Meissner response; for smaller
Josephson energies the glass "melts" and the ground state loses the phase
stiffness and becomes insulating. We find the critical scaling behavior near
this quantum phase transition: the excitation gap vanishes as (J-J_c)^2, the
frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility behaves as \chi(\omega) ~
\sqrt{\omega}\ln{\omega}.Comment: 9 pages, Latex, 3 figures in separated eps-file
First experimental evidence of one-dimensional plasma modes in superconducting thin wires
We have studied niobium superconducting thin wires deposited onto a
SrTiO substrate. By measuring the reflection coefficient of the wires,
resonances are observed in the superconducting state in the 130 MHz to 4 GHz
range. They are interpreted as standing wave resonances of one-dimensional
plasma modes propagating along the superconducting wire. The experimental
dispersion law, versus , presents a linear dependence over the
entire wave vector range. The modes are softened as the temperature increases
close the superconducting transition temperature. Very good agreement are
observed between our data and the dispersion relation predicted by Kulik and
Mooij and Sch\"on.Comment: Submitted to Physical review Letter
Magnetic-field-dependent zero-bias diffusive anomaly in Pb oxide-n-InAs structures: Coexistence of two- and three-dimensional states
The results of experimental and theoretical studies of zero-bias anomaly
(ZBA) in the Pb-oxide-n-InAs tunnel structures in magnetic field up to 6T are
presented. A specific feature of the structures is a coexistence of the 2D and
3D states at the Fermi energy near the semiconductor surface. The dependence of
the measured ZBA amplitude on the strength and orientation of the applied
magnetic field is in agreement with the proposed theoretical model. According
to this model, electrons tunnel into 2D states, and move diffusively in the 2D
layer, whereas the main contribution to the screening comes from 3D electrons.Comment: 8 double-column pages, REVTeX, 9 eps figures embedded with epsf,
published versio
Electron Glass in Ultrathin Granular Al Films at Low Temperatures
Quench-condensed granular Al films, with normal-state sheet resistance close
to 10 k, display strong hysteresis and ultraslow, non-exponential
relaxation in the resistance when temperature is varied below 300 mK. The
hysteresis is nonlinear and can be suppressed by a dc bias voltage. The
relaxation time does not obey the Arrhenius form, indicating the existence of a
broad distribution of low energy barriers. Furthermore, large resistance
fluctuations, having a 1/f-type power spectrum with a low-frequency cut-off,
are observed at low temperatures. With decreasing temperature, the amplitude of
the fluctuation increases and the cut-off frequency decreases. These
observations combine to provide a coherent picture that there exists a new
glassy electron state in ultrathin granular Al films, with a growing
correlation length at low temperatures.Comment: RevTeX 3.1, 4 pages, 4 figures (EPS files) (Minor Additions
Coulombically Interacting Electrons in a One-dimensional Quantum Dot
The spectral properties of up to four interacting electrons confined within a
quasi one--dimensional system of finite length are determined by numerical
diagonalization including the spin degree of freedom. The ground state energy
is investigated as a function of the electron number and of the system length.
The limitations of a description in terms of a capacitance are demonstrated.
The energetically lowest lying excitations are physically explained as
vibrational and tunneling modes. The limits of a dilute, Wigner-type
arrangement of the electrons, and a dense, more homogeneous charge distribution
are discussed.Comment: 10 pages (excl. Figures), Figures added in POSTSCRIPT, LaTe
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