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Walsh ED, Jung W, Lee GH, Efetov DK, Wu BI, Huang KF, Ohki TA, Taniguchi T, Watanabe K, Kim P, Englund D, Fong KC. Josephson junction infrared single-photon detector. Science 2021; 372:409-412. [PMID: 33888641 DOI: 10.1126/science.abf5539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Josephson junctions are superconducting devices used as high-sensitivity magnetometers and voltage amplifiers as well as the basis of high-performance cryogenic computers and superconducting quantum computers. Although device performance can be degraded by the generation of quasiparticles formed from broken Cooper pairs, this phenomenon also opens opportunities to sensitively detect electromagnetic radiation. We demonstrate single near-infrared photon detection by coupling photons to the localized surface plasmons of a graphene-based Josephson junction. Using the photon-induced switching statistics of the current-biased device, we reveal the critical role of quasiparticles generated by the absorbed photon in the detection mechanism. The photon sensitivity will enable a high-speed, low-power optical interconnect for future superconducting computing architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan D Walsh
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Woochan Jung
- Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Gil-Ho Lee
- Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.,Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Dmitri K Efetov
- ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Bae-Ian Wu
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA
| | - K-F Huang
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Thomas A Ohki
- Raytheon BBN Technologies, Quantum Engineering and Computing Group Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Takashi Taniguchi
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kenji Watanabe
- Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Philip Kim
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Dirk Englund
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kin Chung Fong
- Raytheon BBN Technologies, Quantum Engineering and Computing Group Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Pountougnigni OV, Yamapi R, Tchawoua C, Pierro V, Filatrella G. Detection of signals in presence of noise through Josephson junction switching currents. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:052205. [PMID: 32575208 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.052205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Josephson junctions can be employed to reveal a sinusoidal signal in presence of Gaussian noise. To mimic realistic setups, the detection is performed linearly ramping the bias current until a switch to the finite voltage occurs; the analysis of the resulting switching currents can be exploited to decide about the presence of the harmonic drive. The signal is applied in two conditions: with an unknown initial phase (incoherent strategy) and with a known initial phase (coherent strategy). In both conditions, the analysis of the efficiency of the detection, performed through the signal-to-noise ratio, as estimated by the Kumar-Carrol index, shows that the dependence upon the Josephson junction ramp rate is beneficial, especially for relatively fast speed. One can conclude that the collection of the switching currents is a robust technique, and thus it is possible to exploit the advantages of a predetermined finite time to collect the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- O V Pountougnigni
- Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - R Yamapi
- Fundamental Physics Laboratory, Physics of Complex System Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, Box 24 157 Douala, Cameroon
| | - C Tchawoua
- Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - V Pierro
- Department of Engineering, and Gruppo Collegato Salerno INFN, Corso Garibaldi, I-82100 Benevento, Italy
| | - G Filatrella
- Department of Sciences and Technologies, and INFN, Gruppo Collegato Salerno, University of Sannio, Via F. De Sanctis, I-82100 Benevento, Italy
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Addesso P, Filatrella G, Pierro V. Characterization of escape times of Josephson junctions for signal detection. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2012; 85:016708. [PMID: 22400702 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.85.016708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Revised: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The measurement of the escape time of a Josephson junction might be used to detect the presence of a sinusoidal signal embedded in noise when use of standard signal processing tools can be prohibitive due to the extreme weakness of the source or to the huge amount of data. In this paper we show that the prescriptions for the experimental setup and some physical behaviors depend on the detection strategy. More specifically, by exploitation of the sample mean of escape times to perform detection, two resonant regions are identified. At low frequencies there is a stochastic resonance or activation phenomenon, while near the plasma frequency a geometric resonance appears. Furthermore, detection performance in the geometric resonance region is maximized at the prescribed value of the bias current. The naive sample mean detector is outperformed, in terms of error probability, by the optimal likelihood ratio test. The latter exhibits only geometric resonance, showing monotonically increasing performance as the bias current approaches the junction critical current. In this regime the escape times are vanishingly small and therefore performance is essentially limited by measurement electronics. The behavior of the likelihood ratio and sample mean detector for different values of incoming signal to noise ratio is discussed, and a relationship with the error probability is found. Detectors based on the likelihood ratio test could be employed also to estimate unknown parameters in the applied input signal. As a prototypical example we study the phase estimation problem of a sinusoidal current, which is accomplished by using the filter bank approach. Finally we show that for a physically feasible detector the performances are found to be very close to the Cramer-Rao theoretical bound. Applications might be found, for example, in some astronomical detection problems (where the all-sky gravitational and/or radio wave search for pulsars requires the analysis of nearly sinusoidal long-lived waveforms at very low signal-to-noise ratio) or to analyze weak signals in the subterahertz range (where the traditional electronics counterpart is difficult to implement).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Addesso
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Engineering, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 1, I-84084 Fisciano, Italy
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Sukhorukov EV, Jordan AN. Achieving the threshold regime with an overscreened Josephson junction. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2009; 102:086806. [PMID: 19257771 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.102.086806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate that by utilizing an overscreened Josephson junction as a noise detector it is possible to achieve the threshold regime, whereby the tails of the fluctuating current distribution are measured. This situation is realized by placing the Josephson junction and mesoscopic conductor in an external circuit with very low impedance. In the underdamped limit, overscreening the junction inhibits the energy diffusion in the junction, effectively creating a tunable activation barrier to the dissipative state. As a result, the activation rate is qualitatively different from the Arrhenius form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V Sukhorukov
- Départment de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
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Karvanen J. Approximate cost-efficient sequential designs for binary response models with application to switching measurements. Comput Stat Data Anal 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.csda.2008.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Timofeev AV, Meschke M, Peltonen JT, Heikkilä TT, Pekola JP. Wideband detection of the third moment of shot noise by a hysteretic Josephson junction. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2007; 98:207001. [PMID: 17677730 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.98.207001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2006] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
We use a hysteretic Josephson junction as an on-chip detector of the third moment of shot noise of a tunnel junction. The detectable bandwidth is determined by the plasma frequency of the detector, which is about 50 GHz in the present experiment. The third moment of shot noise results in a measurable change of the switching rate when reversing polarity of the current through the noise source. We analyze the observed asymmetry assuming adiabatic response of the detector.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Timofeev
- Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 3500, 02015 TKK, Finland
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Sukhorukov EV, Jordan AN. Stochastic dynamics of a Josephson junction threshold detector. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2007; 98:136803. [PMID: 17501228 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.98.136803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2006] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We generalize the stochastic path integral formalism by considering Hamiltonian dynamics in the presence of general Markovian noise. Kramers' solution of the activation rate for escape over a barrier is generalized for non-Gaussian driving noise in both the overdamped and underdamped limit. We apply our general results to a Josephson junction detector measuring the electron counting statistics of a mesoscopic conductor. The activation rate dependence on the third current cumulant includes an additional term originating from the backaction of the measurement circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V Sukhorukov
- Départment de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
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Karvanen J, Vartiainen JJ, Timofeev A, Pekola J. Experimental designs for binary data in switching measurements on superconducting Josephson junctions. J R Stat Soc Ser C Appl Stat 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9876.2007.00572.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ankerhold J. Detecting charge noise with a Josephson junction: a problem of thermal escape in presence of non-Gaussian fluctuations. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2007; 98:036601. [PMID: 17358705 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.98.036601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2006] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Motivated by several experimental activities to detect charge noise produced by a mesoscopic conductor with a Josephson junction as on-chip detector, the switching rate out of its zero-voltage state is studied. This process is related to the problem of thermal escape in presence of non-Gaussian fluctuations. In the relevant case of weak higher than second order cumulants, an effective Fokker-Planck equation is derived, which is then used to obtain an explicit expression for the escape rate. Specific results for the rate asymmetry due to the third moment of current noise allow to analyze experimental data and to optimize detection circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Ankerhold
- Physikalisches Institut, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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Sonin EB. Superconductor-metal transition in an ultrasmall Josephson junction biased by a noisy voltage source. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2007; 98:030601. [PMID: 17358672 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.98.030601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2006] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Shot noise in a voltage source changes the character of the quantum (dissipative) phase transition in an ultrasmall Josephson junction: The superconductor-insulator transition transforms into the superconductor-metal transition. In the metallic phase, the IV curve probes the voltage distribution generated by shot noise, whereas in the superconducting phase, it probes the counting statistics of electrons traversing the noise junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E B Sonin
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Hekking FWJ, Pekola JP. Finite frequency quantum noise in an interacting mesoscopic conductor. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2006; 96:056603. [PMID: 16486966 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.96.056603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2005] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
We present a quantum calculation based on scattering theory of the frequency-dependent noise of current in an interacting chaotic cavity. We include interactions of the electron system via long range Coulomb forces between the conductor and a gate with capacitance C. We obtain explicit results exhibiting the two time scales of the problem, the cavity's dwell time tau(D) and the RC time tau(C) of the cavity in relation to the gate. The noise shows peculiarities at frequencies of the order and exceeding the inverse charge relaxation time tau(-1) = tau(D)(-1) + tau(C)(-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- F W J Hekking
- Laboratoire de Physique et Modélisation des Milieux Condensés, CNRS & Université Joseph Fourier, Boîte Postale 166, 38042 Grenoble-cedex 9, France
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