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This paper presents a mathematical model for determining the stable phase-lock areas of microwave-biased superconductor-normal metal- superconductor Josephson junctions with low normal state resistance and small junction capacitance. The calculations are based on the resistively shunted junction model. The theoretically determined phase-lock areas are in accordance with the experimental results on Nb/HfTi/Nb junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the theory and the experimental results for the synthesis of precision waveforms by using the pulse-width modulation of the power of the microwave, which drives the superconductor–insulator–normal metal–insulator–superconductor Josephson array. The synthesized sine waveform has a high precision. Its harmonic content was determined to be less than 0.003%. This degree of harmonic content is in agreement with the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the dynamics of different types of overdamped Josephson junctions biased by a sinusoidal microwave current. The results clarify the theoretical background for optimizing the single junction and the junction array parameters for their use as alternating current (ac) wave form synthesizers. The determined phase lock areas demonstrate the degree of overlap for Shapiro steps [S. Shapiro, Phys. Rev. Lett. 11, 80 (1963)] of different orders as a function of the normalized frequency μ=2πfωc-1, where f is the microwave frequency and ωc is the Josephson junction characteristic frequency. For μ<=0.7, which is a typical operation range for superconductor-insulator-superconductor Josephson junctions in the conventional direct current (dc) voltage standard at the bias frequency range from 10 to 100 GHz, the Shapiro steps overlap completely. For μ>=1.4 [typical for superconductor-normal-superconductor junctions at the same frequency range], the steps do not overlap. This allows for ac voltage synthesis by means of binary arrays and pulse-driven systems. For 0.7<=μ<=1.4 there is a range of partially overlapping Shapiro steps, which allows a rapid switching of the Josephson dc voltages for ac synthesis by microwave power modulation. Experimentally we have achieved this range through properly designed superconductor-insulator-normal-insulator-superconductor junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Josephson junction transistors and 50-junction arrays with linear junction dimensions from 200 nm down to 70 nm were fabricated from standard Nb/AlOx/Nb trilayers. The fabrication process includes electron beam lithography, dry etching, anodization, and planarization by chemical-mechanical polishing. The samples were characterized at temperatures down to 25 mK. In general, all junctions are of high quality and their I-U characteristics show low leakage currents and high superconducting energy gap values of Δ≈1.35 meV. The characteristics of the transistors and arrays exhibit some features in the subgap area, associated with tunneling of Cooper pairs, quasiparticles, and their combinations due to the redistribution of the bias voltage between the junctions. Total island capacitances of the transistor samples ranged from 1.5 fF to 4 fF, depending on the junction sizes. Devices made of junctions with linear dimensions below 100 nm×100 nm demonstrate a remarkable single-electron behavior in both superconducting and normal state. We also investigated the area dependence of the junction capacitances for transistor and array samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate low-temperature and low-voltage-bias charge transport in a superconducting Al single electron transistor in a dissipating environment, realized as on-chip high-ohmic Cr microstrips. In samples with relatively large charging energy Ec>EJ, where EJ is the Josephson coupling energy, two transport mechanisms were found to be dominant, both based on discrete tunneling of individual Cooper pairs: Depending on the gate voltage Vg, either sequential tunneling of pairs via the transistor island [in the conducting state of the transistor around the points Qg≡CgVg=e mod (2e), where Cg is the gate capacitance] or their cotunneling through the transistor (for Qg away of these points) was found to prevail in the net current. As the conducting state of our transistors had been found to be subject to quasiparticle poisoning, high-frequency gate cycling (at f∼1 MHz) was applied to study the sequential tunneling mechanism. A simple model based on the master equation was found to be in a good agreement with the experimental data. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the dependence of the critical current I[sub C] on the value and orientation of an externally applied magnetic field H for interface-engineered YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7-x] ramp-type Josephson junctions. The results are compared with measurements of Nb ramp-type junctions with a PdAu interlayer. The I[sub C] versus H dependences are similar to Fraunhofer patterns and their modulation period changes several orders of magnitude with the orientation of the magnetic field. For both junction types, the dependence of the modulation period on the orientation of the magnetic field can be well described by the change of the relevant projection of the junction area and the influence of flux-focusing. Therefore the features of the I[sub C](H) curves have to be attributed to the ramp geometry and not to specific properties of the superconducting material. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that a large area Josephson junction oscillating in the fluxon oscillator mode can be synchronized to other large junctions and simultaneously pump, by emitted radiation, a small area junction. We study the synchronization of the oscillations of the long junctions as a function of relevant experimental parameters such as bias current and stripline coupling characteristics. Experimental results obtained on coupled series arrays of Josephson junctions designed on the basis of our calculations are presented. We have fabricated coupled arrays containing each up to 1500 junctions in order to estimate the usefulness of our calculations for voltage standard devices. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates Al single electron structures equipped with miniature on-chip Cr resistors of R>R[sub k]=h/e[sup 2] 26k omega. Evaluation of the self-capacitance of the resistors per unit length; Development of the concept of the three-junction single electron pump with on-chip resistors.