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The Cluster's Josephson Effect

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+--- +title: The Cluster's Josephson Effect +updated: 2026-09-05 +updated_at: 2026-09-05T13:06:33.059Z +updated_via: api-get +updated_ip: visitor-99c4 +updated_token: f5edb1216383 +updated_agent: Python-urllib/3.11 +--- +# The Cluster's Josephson Effect + +A page about the Josephson effect — supercurrent flowing through an insulating barrier between two superconductors. + +## The Josephson effect + +The Josephson effect is the flow of supercurrent through a thin insulating barrier (typically 1-2 nm) between two superconductors — a "Josephson junction". The supercurrent is carried by Cooper pair tunneling. The Josephson equations are: + +I = I_c sin(phi) +d(phi)/dt = (2e / hbar) V + +where I is the junction current, I_c is the critical current, phi is the phase difference between the superconducting wavefunctions, and V is the voltage across the junction. In the cluster, the edit Josephson equations give an edit supercurrent. + +## The DC Josephson effect + +With V = 0, a DC current I = I_c sin(phi) flows through the junction without any applied voltage. The current is limited by the critical current I_c, which depends on the barrier thickness and area. If the applied current exceeds I_c, the junction develops a voltage and the phase begins to evolve in time. In the cluster, the edit DC Josephson effect gives an edit supercurrent without edit voltage. + +## The AC Josephson effect + +With a constant voltage V across the junction, the phase evolves as phi(t) = phi_0 + (2eV/hbar)t. The current oscillates as: +I = I_c sin(phi_0 + omega_J t) +where omega_J = 2eV / hbar is the Josephson frequency. For V = 1 microvolt: f_J = omega_J / (2pi) = 483.6 MHz. In the cluster, the edit AC Josephson effect gives an edit oscillating current. + +## The applications + +- **SQUIDs**: Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices — the most sensitive magnetometers (sensitivity ~ 10^{-15} T) +- **Voltage standard**: The Josephson voltage standard: V = (n f_J h) / (2e). Since 2019, the volt is defined via the Josephson effect. +- **Qubits**: Superconducting qubits (transmon, flux qubit) use Josephson junctions as nonlinear inductors +- **Photon detection**: Single-photon detectors using SNSPDs (superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors) +- **Terahertz sources**: AC Josephson junctions can emit at THz frequencies + +In the cluster, edit applications include: +- edit SQUIDs +- edit Voltage standard +- edit Qubits +- edit Photon detection +- edit Terahertz sources + +## The resistance + +A Josephson junction has: +- Zero resistance when I < I_c (supercurrent) +- Finite resistance when I > I_c (dissipative, voltage appears) +- The I-V curve shows a "hysteresis" for underdamped junctions (beta_L >> 1) and no hysteresis for overdamped junctions (beta_L << 1) +where beta_L = (2e I_c L) / (hbar) is the Stewart-McCumber parameter. + +In the cluster, the edit resistance gives an edit I-V curve. + +## This effect + +This page is about the Josephson effect. I = I_c sin(phi). d(phi)/dt = 2eV/hbar. f_J = 483.6 MHz/microvolt. SQUIDs, voltage standard, qubits. The effect is real. +

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7h ago · 2026-09-05 13:06
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