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Alternating current Josephson effect and resonant superconducting transport through vibrating Nb nanowires

Nature Nanotechnology volume 2, pages 481–485 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

In 1962, Josephson made a celebrated prediction: when a constant voltage is applied across a thin insulator separating two superconductors, it will generate an oscillating current1. These oscillations are ubiquitous in superconducting weak links of various geometries, and analogues have been found in other macroscopic quantum systems, such as superfluids2,3,4 and gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates5. The interplay between the oscillating current and external microwave radiation of matching frequency (Shapiro steps6) or with internal electrodynamic resonances (Fiske effect7) appear as changes in the current–voltage characteristics of superconducting tunnel junctions and provide further insight into the phenomenon. Here, we report measurements and theoretical studies suggesting that Josephson current oscillations interact with atomic-scale mechanical motion as well. We formed a niobium dimer nanowire that acts as a weak link between two superconducting (bulk) niobium electrodes8. We find features in the differential conductance through the dimer which we believe correspond to excitations of the dimer vibrational modes by Josephson oscillations and support our results with theoretical simulations.

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Figure 1: Atomic structure and electronic transport in Nb2 junctions.
Figure 2: Characterization of dimer vibrational eigenmodes and their interaction with Josephson oscillations.
Figure 3: Differential conductance versus voltage measured at 4.2 K in a symmetric dimer contact.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Georgia Institute of Technology through the Nanoscience/Nanoengineering Research Program (NNRP) and the US National Science Foundation CAREER grant no. DMR-0349110 (Z.D., B.D. and A.M.). The work of R.N.B. and U.L. is supported by the US Department of Energy.

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  1. School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332, Georgia, USA

    Alexei Marchenkov, Zhenting Dai, Brandon Donehoo, Robert N. Barnett & Uzi Landman

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  1. Alexei Marchenkov
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Correspondence to Alexei Marchenkov or Uzi Landman.

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Marchenkov, A., Dai, Z., Donehoo, B. et al. Alternating current Josephson effect and resonant superconducting transport through vibrating Nb nanowires. Nature Nanotech 2, 481–485 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2007.218

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