Corrigendum: The quantum phase slip phenomenon in superconducting nanowires with a low-Ohmic environment

Evidence of quantum phase slip effect in titanium nanowires

Electron transport properties of titanium nanowires were experimentally studied. Below the effective diameter $\lesssim$ 50 nm all samples demonstrated a pronounced broadening of the $R(T)$ dependencies, which cannot be accounted for thermal flcutuations. An extensive microscopic and elemental analysis indicates the absence of structural or/and geometrical imperfection capable to broaden the the $R(T)$ transition to such an extent. We associate the effect with quantum flucutuations of the order parameter.

Quantum phase slip phenomenon in ultra-narrow superconducting nanorings

The smaller the system, typically - the higher is the impact of fluctuations. In narrow superconducting wires sufficiently close to the critical temperature Tc thermal fluctuations are responsible for the experimentally observable finite resistance. Quite recently it became possible to fabricate sub-10 nm superconducting structures, where the finite resistivity was reported within the whole range of experimentally obtainable temperatures. The observation has been associated with quantum fluctuations capable to quench zero resistivity in superconducting nanowires even at temperatures T-->0. Here we demonstrate that in tiny superconducting nanorings the same phenomenon is responsible for s…

Coulomb Blockade and Bloch Oscillations in Superconducting Ti Nanowires

Quantum fluctuations in quasi-one-dimensional superconducting channels leading to spontaneous changes of the phase of the order parameter by $2\pi$, alternatively called quantum phase slips (QPS), manifest themselves as the finite resistance well below the critical temperature of thin superconducting nanowires and the suppression of persistent currents in tiny superconducting nanorings. Here we report the experimental evidence that in a current-biased superconducting nanowire the same QPS process is responsible for the insulating state -- the Coulomb blockade. When exposed to RF radiation, the internal Bloch oscillations can be synchronized with the external RF drive leading to formation of…

Towards quantum phase slip based standard of electric current

An accurate standard of electric current is a long-standing challenge of modern metrology. It has been predicted that a superconducting nanowire in the regime of quantum fluctuations can be considered as the dynamic equivalent of a chain of conventional Josephson junctions. In full analogy with the quantum standard of electric voltage based on the Josephson effect, the quantum phase slip phenomenon in ultrathin superconducting nanowires could be used for building the quantum standard of electric current. This work presents advances toward this ultimate goal.

The quantum phase slip phenomenon in superconducting nanowires with a low-Ohmic environment

In a number of recent experiments it has been demonstrated that in ultra-narrow superconducting channels quantum fluctuations of the order parameter, alternatively called quantum phase slips, are responsible for the finite resistance well below the critical temperature. The acceptable agreement between those experiments and the models describing quantum fluctuations in quasi-one-dimensional superconductors has been established. However the very concept of the phase slip is justified when these fluctuations are the relatively rare events, meaning that the effective resistance of the system should be much smaller than the normal state equivalent. In this paper we study the limit of the strong…

High dynamic resistance elements based on a Josephson junction array

A chain of superconductor–insulator–superconductor junctions based on Al–AlOx–Al nanostructures and fabricated using conventional lift-off lithography techniques was measured at ultra-low temperatures. At zero magnetic field, the low current bias dynamic resistance can reach values of ≈1011 Ω. It was demonstrated that the system can provide a decent quality current biasing circuit, enabling the observation of Coulomb blockade and Bloch oscillations in ultra-narrow Ti nanowires associated with the quantum phase-slip effect.