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At least 253 records · Page 14

Dual-Edge Signaling Logic

The single-pulse nature of Josephson junction (JJ) logic functions makes logic design harder to do and not at all familiar to pretty much all people who might want to design using JJs—in effect, logic zeros are missing and the logic must be somewhat more complex in implementation to ‘get around’ that. One result of the single-sided logic is that a constant clock function is needed for most all the individual logic functions and gates in current JJ design styles to work. The resultant clock distribution is thus large and takes a large proportion of the logic energy. Here is a proposal for a different kind of logic design style and function that may well overcome most of the difficulties mentioned above. If the logic functionality shown here can actually be brought to life, it would be interesting to assess its impact in area, in energy usage, ease of design, etc.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Supercurrent decay in ballistic magnetic Josephson junctions

We investigate transport properties of ballistic magnetic Josephson junctions and establish that suppression of supercurrent is an intrinsic property of the junctions, even in absence of disorder. By studying the role of ferromagnet thickness, magnetization, and crystal orientation we show how the supercurrent decays exponentially with thickness and identify two mechanisms responsible for the effect: (i) large exchange splitting may gap out minority or majority carriers leading to the suppression of Andreev reflection in the junction, (ii) loss of synchronization between different modes due to the significant dispersion of the quasiparticle velocity with the transverse momentum. Our results for Nb/Ni/Nb junctions are in good agreement with recent experimental studies. Our approach combines density functional theory and the Bogoliubov-de Gennes model and opens a path for material composition optimization in magnetic Josephson junctions and superconducting magnetic spin valves.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Radiative properties of an artificial atom coupled to a Josephson-junction array

We study the radiative properties—the Lamb shift, Purcell decay rate, and spontaneous emission dynamics—of an artificial atom coupled to a long, multimode cavity formed by an array of Josephson junctions. Introducing a tunable coupling element between the atom and the array, we demonstrate that such a system can exhibit a crossover from a perturbative to a nonperturbative regime of light-matter interaction as one strengthens the coupling between the atom and the Josephson-junction array. As a consequence, the concept of spontaneous emission as the occupation of the local atomic site being governed by a single complex-valued exponent breaks down. This breakdown, we show, can be interpreted in terms of formation of hybrid atom-resonator modes with radiative losses that are nontrivially related to the effective coupling between individual modes. We develop a singular function expansion approach for the description of the open quantum system dynamics in such a multimode nonperturbative regime. This modal framework generalizes the normal-mode description of quantum fields in a finite volume, incorporating exact radiative losses and incident quantum noise at the delimiting surface. Our results are pertinent to recent experiments with Josephson atoms coupled to high-impedance Josephson-junction arrays.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Growth and Nanofabrication of All-Perovskite Superconducting/Ferromagnetic/Superconducting Junctions

We fabricate and study experimentally all-perovskite-oxide superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator/superconductor (S/FI/S) tunnel junctions made out of the high-temperature cuprate superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−y} (YBCO) and the colossal magnetoresistive manganite LaMnO{sub 3} (LMO) in the ferromagnetic insulator state. YBCO/LMO/YBCO heterostructures with different LMO thicknesses (5, 10, and 20 nm) are grown epitaxially via pulsed laser deposition. Nanoscale S/FI/S junctions with sizes down to 300 nm are made by three-dimensional nano-sculpturing with focused ion beam. Junctions with a thick (20 nm) LMO barrier exhibit a large negative magnetoresistance below T{sub Curie}∼160 K, typical for colossal magnetoresistive manganites, as well as a kink in the current-voltage characteristics at large bias (V∼1–2 Volts), attributed to Zener-type tunneling. However, they do not show a measurable Josephson current. On the contrary, junctions with the thinnest 5-nm LMO barrier exhibit a large supercurrent and no signs of magnetism. The latter may indicate the presence of pinholes due to thickness inhomogeneity and/or a ∼ 2 nm dead magnetic layer at the YBCO / LMO interface caused, e.g., by interdiffusion or strain. The junction with an intermediate 10-nm LMO barrier exhibited a desired S/FI/S junction behavior with significant negative magnetoresistance and signatures of a small Josephson current.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Integrating atomic layer deposition and ultra-high vacuum physical vapor deposition for in situ fabrication of tunnel junctions

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a promising technique for growing ultrathin, pristine dielectrics on metal substrates, which is essential to many electronic devices. Tunnel junctions are an excellent example which require a leak-free, ultrathin dielectric tunnel barrier of typical thickness around 1 nm between two metal electrodes. A challenge in the development of ultrathin dielectric tunnel barriers using ALD is controlling the nucleation of dielectrics on metals with minimal formation of native oxides at the metal surface for high-quality interfaces between the tunnel barrier and metal electrodes. This poses a critical need for integrating ALD with ultra-high vacuum (UHV) physical vapor deposition. In order to address these challenges, a viscous-flow ALD chamber was designed and interfaced to an UHV magnetron sputtering chamber via a load lock. A sample transportation system was implemented for in situ sample transfer between the ALD, load lock, and sputtering chambers. Using this integrated ALD-UHV sputtering system, superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) Nb-Al/Al{sub 2}O{sub 2}/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions were fabricated with tunnel barriers of thickness varied from sub-nm to ∼1 nm. The suitability of using an Al wetting layer for initiation of the ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tunnel barrier was investigated with ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy, and electrical transport measurements. With optimized processing conditions, leak-free SIS tunnel junctions were obtained, demonstrating the viability of this integrated ALD-UHV sputtering system for the fabrication of tunnel junctions and devices comprised of metal-dielectric-metal multilayers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Coherent emission from surface Josephson plasmons in striped cuprates

The interplay between charge order and superconductivity remains one of the central themes of research in quantum materials. In the case of cuprates, the coupling between striped charge fluctuations and local electromagnetic fields is especially important, as it affects transport properties, coherence, and dimensionality of superconducting correlations. Here, we study the emission of coherent terahertz radiation in single-layer cuprates of the La 2-x Ba x CuO 4 family, for which this effect is expected to be forbidden by symmetry. We find that emission vanishes for compounds in which the stripes are quasi-static but is activated when c-axis inversion symmetry is broken by incommensurate or fluctuating charge stripes, such as in La 1.905 Ba 0.095 CuO 4 and in La 1.845 Ba 0.155 CuO 4 . In this case, terahertz radiation is emitted by surface Josephson plasmons, which are generally dark modes, but couple to free space electromagnetic radiation because of the stripe modulation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Proximity effect between superconductivity and normal metals

The SNS junctions were limited to having gold (n) layers of less than 3000 A in order to avoid having the tin (S) films become normal under the influence of the signal current in the gold. The gold layer was alloyed with 10 wt% copper to shorten its electronic mean free path, increasing the tin layer critical current while decreasing the Josephson critical current. It was also found that a previously reported anomalous voltage shift in the presence of I2 is caused by the tin being driven normal. After deposition, the samples were transferred to a conventional cryostat to provide better thermal contact to the films. This reduction of heating in the films produced more linear I-V characteristics and a change in the constant voltage current gain. In order to achieve power gain the SNS device must be operated at lower temperatures were the effects of fluctuations are less and be constructed such that the input resistance is much reduced and the dynamic output resistance increased. A geometry is proposed using a more sophisticated evaporator.

Meissner, H.↗

Effects of slope steepness and cross-slope wind speed on fire spreading behavior for various vegetation

Wildland fire behavior is significantly influenced by environmental factors such as slope steepness, wind speed, and fuel type. Understanding these interactions is critical for improving predictive models and fire management. This study explores how slope steepness and cross-slope wind speed influence fire spread dynamics in various fuel bed types. Simulations are conducted using a physics-based wildland fire model, HIGRAD/FIRETEC, across six slope angles (0–50 %), four cross-slope wind speeds (4–10 m s –1 ), and three fuel bed types (grass, shrubland, and forest). Representative cases are additionally compared with FARSITE fireline evolution. Fire behavior is categorized into distinct propagation types based on spread characteristics and analyzed. The fire propagation angle, which indicates deviation from the wind direction, generally increases with steeper slopes and decreases with stronger cross-slope winds. Secondary upslope propagation is observed in shrubland under moderate slopes, while secondary downwind propagation occurs in all fuel beds at higher wind speeds. These findings highlight fire spread characteristics that differ from predictions by traditional models like Rothermel’s. By capturing complex propagation patterns and dynamics, this study demonstrates the value of a physics-based, atmosphere-fire coupled model for accurate wildland fire prediction. Incorporating secondary propagations and the influence of fuel bed complexities into predictive models can improve the accuracy of fire spread forecasts, enabling more effective fire management and risk mitigation efforts.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Time-dependent photon heat transport through a mesoscopic Josephson device

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. - 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.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Dispersion in Nb microstrip transmission lines at submillimeter wave frequencies

We have measured the effects of dispersion on the resonant mode frequencies of open-ended Nb-SiO(x)-Nb microstrip transmission lines over a frequency range from 50 to 800 GHz. Submicron Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions were used as both voltage-controlled oscillators and detectors to sample the high order modes of the resonators. The resonator modes are equally spaced up to about 550 GHz where the mode spacing start to decrease gradually to a minimum above the gap frequency of about 700 GHz and then increases. Results are in good agreement with the expected theoretical behavior based on the Mattis-Bardeen conductivity of the superconductor line.

Javadi, H. H. S.↗

All-YBa2Cu3O(7-x) edge-geometry weak links

High quality YBa2Cu3O(7-x)/normal-metal/YBa2Cu3O(7-x) edge-geometry weak links are fabricated using nonsuperconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O barrier layers deposited by laser ablation at reduced growth temperatures. Devices incorporating 25-100-A-thick barrier layers exhibit current-voltage characteristics consistent with the resistively-shunted-junction model, as well as ac Josephson steps. Magnetic field modulation of the critical currents shows Fraunhofer-like behavior with a periodicity which scales with device area. The critical currents vary exponentially with barrier thickness indicating an effective normal metal coherence length of 20 A. The average resistances scale linearly with Y-Ba-Cu-O interlayer thickness and device area. The scaling behavior of the device parameters combined with the well-behaved magnetic field modulation of the critical currents demonstrates good barrier-layer uniformity with low pinhole densities. Near the transition temperature, the critical currents exhibit a temperature dependence proportional to (1 - T/Tc) squared.

Hunt, B. D.↗

Dual-Remote Raman Technology for In-Situ Identification of Tank Waste

A new Raman spectroscopic system for in-situ identification of the composition of the solid nuclear tank waste is being developed by collaborative effort between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and EIC, Inc. The recent advancements in the Raman technology allow probing the chemical composition of the tank waste without sample collection. In the newly tested configuration, the Raman probe is installed on the top of the tank riser and sends the incident laser beam to the bottom of the tank, 10 – 70 feet away. The returning light containing chemical information is collected by the Raman probe and transmits it via fiber optic cable to the spectrometer located outside the tank farm area. This dual remote technology significantly expands currently limited options for the safe rapid in-situ identification of the solid tank waste needed for the retrieval decisions. The developed Raman system was extensively tested for acceptability prior tank farm deployment. This testing included calibration of the system with the respect of the distance between the Raman probe and the sample, incident laser beam angle, and presence of the optical interferences. The Raman system was successfully deployed to C-111 tank at the US DOE Hanford site. As the result of this deployment, the composition of the hardpan at the bottom of C-111 tank was identified. Further development of the dual-remote Raman technology will provide a significant safety enhancement eliminating the potential of personnel radiation exposure associated with the grab sample collection and expands options of the rapid and cost-effective in-situ chemical analysis of the tank waste.

in-situ Hanford tank, Raman measurement↗

Vortex-induced anomalies in the superconducting quantum interference patterns of topological insulator Josephson junctions

The superconducting quantum interference (SQI) patterns of Josephson junctions fabricated from hybrid structures that interface an s-wave superconductor with a topological insulator can be used to detect signatures of novel quasiparticle states. Here, we compare calculated and experimental SQI patterns obtained from hybrid junctions fabricated on cadmium arsenide, a two-dimensional topological insulator. The calculations account for the effects of Abrikosov (anti-) vortices in the superconducting contacts. They describe the experimentally observed deviations of the SQI from an ideal Fraunhofer pattern, including anomalous phase shifts, node lifting, even/odd modulations of the lobes, irregular lobe spacing, and an asymmetry in the positive/negative magnetic field. We also show that under a current bias, these vortices enter the electrodes even if there is no intentionally applied external magnetic field. The results show that Abrikosov vortices in the electrodes of the junctions can explain many of the observed anomalies in the SQI patterns of topological insulator Josephson junctions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Andreev Reflection and Klein Tunneling in High-Temperature Superconductor-Graphene Junctions

Scattering processes in quantum materials emerge as resonances in electronic transport, including confined modes, Andreev states, and Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. However, in most instances, these resonances are driven by a single scattering mechanism. Here, in this paper, we show the appearance of resonances due to the combination of two simultaneous scattering mechanisms, one from superconductivity and the other from graphene p-n junctions. These resonances stem from Andreev reflection and Klein tunneling that occur at two different interfaces of a hole-doped region of graphene formed at the boundary with superconducting graphene due to proximity effects from Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O 8+δ . The resonances persist with gating from p + -p and p-n configurations. The suppression of the oscillation amplitude above the bias energy which is comparable to the induced superconducting gap indicates the contribution from Andreev reflection. Our experimental measurements are supported by quantum transport calculations in such interfaces, leading to analogous resonances. Our results put forward a hybrid scattering mechanism in graphene–high-temperature superconductor heterojunctions of potential impact for graphene-based Josephson junctions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Floquet Majorana zero and π modes in planar Josephson junctions

Here, we highlight how Floquet Majorana fermions may be experimentally realized by periodic driving of a solid-state platform. The system comprises a planar Josephson junction made of a proximitized heterostructure containing a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman field. We map the subgap Andreev bound states of the junction to an effective one-dimensional Kitaev model with long-range hopping and pairing terms. Using this effective model, we study the response of the system to periodic driving of the chemical potential, as applied via microwaves through a top gate. We use the bulk Floquet topological invariants to characterize the system in terms of the number of zero and π Majorana modes for experimentally realistic parameters. We present signatures of these modes on differential conductance and local density of states. A notable feature is subharmonic response to the drive when both Majorana zero and π modes are present, thus opening up the possibility of using this feature to clearly identify Majorana modes. Furthermore, we illustrate the robustness of these features to disorder, and show that despite hybridization due to long localization lengths, the main features of the subharmonic response are still identifiable in an experimental system that is readily accessible.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Investigation of the Anisotropy of Y-Ba-Cu-O Thin Films With Photoemission Electron Microscopy

Understanding the anisotropy in the electrical properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) is important for understanding the fundamental mechanism of superconductivity in unconventional superconductors. Additionally it is also essential for achieving uniform and controllable critical currents and resistances in YBCO Josephson junctions. Here, this study correlates work function measurements of different intrinsic regions on YBCO thin films, obtained through PhotoEmission Electron Microscopy (PEEM), with in plane tunneling data and helium ion imaging. YBCO thin films, 40 nm in thickness, were selectively irradiated with 300 keV helium using a Pelletron to investigate the effects of irradiation compared to unirradiated regions. Post-irradiation PEEM images revealed distinct contrasts between irradiated and non-irradiated regions, suggesting a metal-to-insulator transition. In non-irradiated areas, a domain pattern was detected, showing a 25 meV difference in work function, attributed to CuO and BaO rich surface regions. A similar domain structure was observed using high-resolution helium ion imaging; however, the helium ion beam can damage the YBCO, making PEEM a valuable non-destructive alternative. This work highlights the correlation between PEEM measurements and in-plane tunneling properties of YBCO, providing insights into material orientation and its impact on Josephson junction performance. Furthermore, it offers a non-destructive approach to understanding the anisotropy of cuprate materials, its superconducting properties, and the factors affecting Josephson junction performance.

Qu, Rochelle Y. [Univ. of California, Riverside, C↗

Switching Dynamics of an Underdamped Josephson Junction Coupled to a Microwave Cavity

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.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Frequency Limitation Due to Switching Transition of the Bias Current in Bidirectional RSFQ Logic

Switching time limitations of the ac bias current of Josephson junctions in bidirectional rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) logic circuits are investigated in order to determine the limits to the maximum possible operating frequency. We introduce a new approach based on modifying the bias current parameters and determining the inductance values in the circuit for reducing the switching transition time of the bias current through the junctions. We have simulated and optimized the timing and the operation of the bidirectional nondestructive readout and Josephson transmission line cells in this respect to demonstrate the results of utilizing the proposed approach. We successfully reduced the unwanted spike-type signals across the inductances which are made through the transitions during the fast switching times limiting the operation frequency. This is while we have also removed the consequent destructive spikes at the output. We have included the effects of other determining parameters of the circuit in this investigation and found their relatively optimal values to improve the temporal behavior of the bidirectional RSFQ cells. The results of the proposed approach leading to the fastest possible operation of the considered gates obtained in this work are thoroughly reported.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗