Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena in High Critical Temperature Superconducting Josephson

Junctions

Tord Claeson, Floriana Lombardi, Thilo Bauch, Tobias Lindström, Per Delsing, Antonio Barone,
Francesco Tafuri & Giacomo Rotoli

YBa2Cu3O7−δ grain boundary bi-epitaxial Josepshon junctions (JJs) allow a very clear
demonstration of Josephson current variation with the misorientation angle, consistent with the d-
wave symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in cuprate, high temperature
superconductors. Our bi-epitaxial junctions show a strong suppression of the first harmonic, I 1 sin
ø, of the current phase relation when tunneling from a lobe into a node of the superconducting
gap function. In these configurations, the contribution of the second harmonic, I 2 sin 2ø, becomes
of the same magnitude as the first one, giving rise to a characteristic two-well Josephson potential
as a function of phase ø instead of the usual single well. This characteristic intrinsic property has
suggested proposals of a new class of qu-bit named “quiet” because of the existence a
spontaneously degenerate fundamental state without the need of applying an external field. Our
experiments probe the macroscopic quantum properties in a d-wave Josephson junction by
measuring macroscopic quantum tunneling and energy level quantization. The switching current
out of the zero voltage state is measured as a function of temperature down to 20 mK. The
temperature variation of the width of an ensemble of switching events goes over from one, which
is characteristic of a thermal activation of phase fluctuations to a temperature independent width
which is a token of quantum tunneling of the phase. The transition regime is affected by the two-
well potential in a 45∘ misorientation junction as the second harmonic term gives rise to additional
thermal transitions. The difference between quantized energy levels in the harmonic potential was
determined by microwave spectroscopy. From the broadening of energy levels, it was possible to
extract a Q-value of about 40 for the phase oscillations. The relatively high Q indicates quantum
coherence over a sizeable time in d-wave junctions and gives hopes for a realization of a “quiet”
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Authors and Affiliations

Quantum Device Physics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, MC2,
Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96, Göteborg, Sweden

Tord Claeson, Floriana Lombardi, Thilo Bauch, Tobias Lindström & Per Delsing

INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita’ di Napoli “Federico II,”, Napoli, Italy

Antonio Barone

INFM-Dipartimento Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Seconda Universita di Napoli, Aversa (CE), Italy

Francesco Tafuri

Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Universita of L’Aquila, Localita

Monteluco, L’Aquila, Italy

Giacomo Rotoli

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Claeson, T., Lombardi, F., Bauch, T. et al. Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena in High Critical
Temperature Superconducting Josephson Junctions. J Supercond 19, 341–347 (2006).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-006-0168-5

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Published
21 December 2006

Issue Date

July 2006

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-006-0168-5

Keywords

Josephson Junction

Escape Rate

Macroscopic Quantum

Energy Level Quantization

Current Phase Relation