Comptes Rendus
Prix Servant 2011 de lʼAcadémie des sciences
Superconducting quantum point contacts
Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 13 (2012) no. 1, pp. 89-100.

We review our experiments on the electronic transport properties of atomic contacts between metallic electrodes, in particular superconducting ones. Despite ignorance of the exact atomic configuration, these ultimate quantum point contacts can be manipulated and well characterized in-situ. They allow performing fundamental tests of the scattering theory of quantum transport. In particular, we discuss the case of the Josephson effect.

Nous décrivons un ensemble dʼexpériences de transport électronique que notre groupe a réalisées sur des contacts atomiques entre des électrodes métalliques, en particulier dans lʼétat supraconducteur. Bien que leur configuration atomique exacte ne soit pas connue, ces contacts ponctuels quantiques peuvent être manipulés et caractérisés in-situ, et permettent de mener à bien des tests fondamentaux de la théorie en diffusion du transport quantique. Nous discutons en particulier le cas de lʼeffet Josephson.

Received:
Accepted:
Published online:
DOI: 10.1016/j.crhy.2011.12.006
Keywords: Atomic contacts, Superconductivity, Quantum transport
Mot clés : Contacts atomiques, Supraconductivité, Transport quantique

L. Bretheau 1; Ç. Girit 1; L. Tosi 1; M. Goffman 1; P. Joyez 1; H. Pothier 1; D. Esteve 1; C. Urbina 1

1 Quantronics Group, Service de Physique de lʼÉtat Condensé (CNRS, URA 2464), IRAMIS, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France
@article{CRPHYS_2012__13_1_89_0,
     author = {L. Bretheau and \c{C}. Girit and L. Tosi and M. Goffman and P. Joyez and H. Pothier and D. Esteve and C. Urbina},
     title = {Superconducting quantum point contacts},
     journal = {Comptes Rendus. Physique},
     pages = {89--100},
     publisher = {Elsevier},
     volume = {13},
     number = {1},
     year = {2012},
     doi = {10.1016/j.crhy.2011.12.006},
     language = {en},
}
TY  - JOUR
AU  - L. Bretheau
AU  - Ç. Girit
AU  - L. Tosi
AU  - M. Goffman
AU  - P. Joyez
AU  - H. Pothier
AU  - D. Esteve
AU  - C. Urbina
TI  - Superconducting quantum point contacts
JO  - Comptes Rendus. Physique
PY  - 2012
SP  - 89
EP  - 100
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
PB  - Elsevier
DO  - 10.1016/j.crhy.2011.12.006
LA  - en
ID  - CRPHYS_2012__13_1_89_0
ER  - 
%0 Journal Article
%A L. Bretheau
%A Ç. Girit
%A L. Tosi
%A M. Goffman
%A P. Joyez
%A H. Pothier
%A D. Esteve
%A C. Urbina
%T Superconducting quantum point contacts
%J Comptes Rendus. Physique
%D 2012
%P 89-100
%V 13
%N 1
%I Elsevier
%R 10.1016/j.crhy.2011.12.006
%G en
%F CRPHYS_2012__13_1_89_0
L. Bretheau; Ç. Girit; L. Tosi; M. Goffman; P. Joyez; H. Pothier; D. Esteve; C. Urbina. Superconducting quantum point contacts. Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 13 (2012) no. 1, pp. 89-100. doi : 10.1016/j.crhy.2011.12.006. https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.1016/j.crhy.2011.12.006/

[1] R.A. Webb; S. Washburn; C.P. Umbach; R.B. Laibowitz Observation of he Aharonov–Bohm oscillations in normal-metal rings, Physical Review Letters, Volume 54 (1985), p. 2696

[2] R. Landauer Electrical resistance of disordered one-dimensional lattices, Philosophical Magazine, Volume 21 (1970), pp. 863-867

[3] T. Martin; R. Landauer Wave-packet approach to noise in multichannel mesoscopic systems, Physical Review B, Volume 45 (1992), p. 1742

[4] Y. Nazarov; Y.M. Blanter Quantum Transport: Introduction to Nanoscience, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, New York, 2009

[5] B.J. van Wees; H. van Houten; C.W.J. Beenakker; J.G. Williamson; L.P. Kouwenhoven; D. van der Marel; C.T. Foxon Quantized conductance of point contacts in a two-dimensional electron gas, Physical Review Letters, Volume 60 (1988), p. 848

[6] D.A. Wharam; T.J. Thornton; R. Newbury; M. Pepper; H. Ahmed; J.E.F. Frost; D.G. Hasko; D.C. Peacock; D.A. Ritchie; G.A.C. Jones One-dimensional transport and the quantisation of the ballistic resistance, Journal of Physics C: Solid State Physics, Volume 21 (1988), p. L209-L214

[7] N. Agraït; A. Levy Yeyati; J.M. van Ruitenbeek Quantum properties of atomic-sized conductors, Physics Reports, Volume 377 (2003), p. 81

[8] D.M. Eigler; C.P. Lutz; W.E. Rudge An atomic switch realized with the scanning tunnelling microscope, Nature, Volume 352 (1991), pp. 600-603

[9] J. Moreland; J.W. Ekin Electron tunneling experiments using Nb–Sn “break” junctions, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 58 (1985), p. 3888

[10] C.J. Muller; J.M. van Ruitenbeek; L.J. de Jongh Experimental observation of the transition from weak link to tunnel junction, Physica C: Superconductivity, Volume 191 (1992), pp. 485-504

[11] E. Scheer; P. Joyez; D. Esteve; C. Urbina; M.H. Devoret Conduction channel transmissions of atomic-size aluminum contacts, Physical Review Letters, Volume 78 (1997), p. 3535

[12] J.M. van Ruitenbeek; A. Alvarez; I. Piñeyro; C. Grahmann; P. Joyez; M.H. Devoret; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Adjustable nanofabricated atomic size contacts, Review of Scientific Instruments, Volume 67 (1996), p. 108

[13] G. Rubio; N. Agraït; S. Vieira Atomic-sized metallic contacts: Mechanical properties and electronic transport, Physical Review Letters, Volume 76 (1996), p. 2302

[14] G. Rubio-Bollinger; P. Joyez; N. Agraït Metallic adhesion in atomic-size junctions, Physical Review Letters, Volume 93 (2004), p. 116803

[15] T.N. Todorov; A.P. Sutton Jumps in electronic conductance due to mechanical instabilities, Physical Review Letters, Volume 70 (1993), p. 2138

[16] M. Brandbyge; J. Schiotz; M.R. Sorensen; P. Stoltze; K.W. Jacobsen; J.K. Norskov; L. Olesen; E. Laegsgaard; I. Stensgaard; F. Besenbacher Quantized conductance in atom-sized wires between two metals, Physical Review B, Volume 52 (1995), p. 8499

[17] M.R. Sorensen; M. Brandbyge; K.W. Jacobsen Mechanical deformation of atomic-scale metallic contacts: Structure and mechanisms, Physical Review B, Volume 57 (1998), p. 3283

[18] A.I. Yanson; G.R. Bollinger; H.E. van den Brom; N. Agraït; J.M. van Ruitenbeek Formation and manipulation of a metallic wire of single gold atoms, Nature, Volume 395 (1998), pp. 783-785

[19] H. Ohnishi; Y. Kondo; K. Takayanagi Quantized conductance through individual rows of suspended gold atoms, Nature, Volume 395 (1998), pp. 780-783

[20] V. Rodrigues; D. Ugarte Real-time imaging of atomistic process in one-atom-thick metal junctions, Physical Review B, Volume 63 (2001), p. 073405

[21] H. Masuda; K. Monna; T. Matsuda; T. Kizuka e-Journal of Surface Science and Nanotechnology, 7 (2009), pp. 549-552

[22] R. Cron, Atomic contacts: A test-bed for mesoscopic physics, PhD thesis, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, 2001. Available at http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00001329/fr/.

[23] T.M. Klapwijk; G.E. Blonder; M. Tinkham Explanation of subharmonic energy gap structure in superconducting contacts, Physica B+C, Volume 109–110 (1982), pp. 1657-1664

[24] G.E. Blonder; M. Tinkham; T.M. Klapwijk Transition from metallic to tunneling regimes in superconducting microconstrictions: Excess current, charge imbalance, and supercurrent conversion, Physical Review B, Volume 25 (1982), p. 4515

[25] G.B. Arnold Superconducting tunneling without the tunneling hamiltonian. II. Subgap harmonic structure, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, Volume 68 (1987), p. 1

[26] D. Averin; A. Bardas Ac Josephson effect in a single quantum channel, Physical Review Letters, Volume 75 (1995), p. 1831

[27] J.C. Cuevas; A. Martín-Rodero; A.L. Yeyati Hamiltonian approach to the transport properties of superconducting quantum point contacts, Physical Review B, Volume 54 (1996), p. 7366

[28] J.J. Riquelme; L.d.l. Vega; A.L. Yeyati; N. Agraït; A. Martin-Rodero; G. Rubio-Bollinger Distribution of conduction channels in nanoscale contacts: Evolution towards the diffusive limit, Europhysics Letters (EPL), Volume 70 (2005), pp. 663-669

[29] E. Scheer; N. Agraït; J.C. Cuevas; A. Levy Yeyati; B. Ludoph; A. Martín-Rodero; G. Rubio Bollinger; J.M. van Ruitenbeek; C. Urbina The signature of chemical valence in the electrical conduction through a single-atom contact, Nature (London), Volume 394 (1998), p. 154

[30] E. Scheer; W. Belzig; Y. Naveh; M.H. Devoret; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Proximity effect and multiple Andreev reflections in gold atomic contacts, Physical Review Letters, Volume 86 (2001), p. 284

[31] B.D. Josephson Possible new effects in superconductive tunnelling, Phys. Lett., Volume 1 (1962), p. 251

[32] A.A. Golubov; M.Y. Kupriyanov; E. Ilʼichev The current–phase relation in Josephson junctions, Reviews of Modern Physics, Volume 76 (2004), p. 411

[33] A. Furusaki; M. Tsukada A unified theory of clean Josephson junctions, Physica B: Condensed Matter, Volume 165–166 (1990), pp. 967-968

[34] C.W.J. Beenakker; H. van Houten Josephson current through a superconducting quantum point contact shorter than the coherence length, Physical Review Letters, Volume 66 (1991), p. 3056

[35] A.F. Andreev Sov. Phys. JETP, 19 (1964), p. 1228

[36] P.F. Bagwell Suppression of the Josephson current through a narrow, mesoscopic, semiconductor channel by a single impurity, Phys. Rev. B, Volume 46 (1992), pp. 12573-12586

[37] N.M. Chtchelkatchev; Y.V. Nazarov Andreev quantum dots for spin manipulation, Physical Review Letters, Volume 90 (2003), p. 226806

[38] M.F. Goffman; R. Cron; A. Levy Yeyati; P. Joyez; M.H. Devoret; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Supercurrent in atomic point contacts and Andreev states, Physical Review Letters, Volume 85 (2000), p. 170

[39] M.L. Della Rocca; M. Chauvin; B. Huard; H. Pothier; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Measurement of the current–phase relation of superconducting atomic contacts, Physical Review Letters, Volume 99 (2007), p. 127005-4

[40] B. Huard, Interactions between electrons, mesoscopic Josephson effect and asymmetric current fluctuations, PhD thesis, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, 2006. Available at http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00119371/fr/.

[41] M. Chauvin, Effet Josephson dans les contacts atomiques (The Josephson effect in atomic contacts), PhD thesis, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, 2005. Available at http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00107465/fr/.

[42] V. Lefevre-Seguin; E. Turlot; C. Urbina; D. Esteve; M.H. Devoret Thermal activation of a hysteretic dc superconducting quantum interference device from its different zero-voltage states, Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics), Volume 46 (1992), pp. 5507-5522

[43] Q. Le Masne, Asymmetric current fluctuations and Andreev states probed with a Josephson junction, PhD thesis, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, 2009. Available at http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00482483/fr/.

[44] M.A. Despósito; A. Levy Yeyati Controlled dephasing of Andreev states in superconducting quantum point contacts, Physical Review B, Volume 64 (2001), p. 140511

[45] M. Zgirski; L. Bretheau; Q. Le Masne; H. Pothier; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Evidence for long-lived quasiparticles trapped in superconducting point contacts, Physical Review Letters, Volume 106 (2011), p. 257003

[46] A. Blais; R. Huang; A. Wallraff; S.M. Girvin; R.J. Schoelkopf Cavity quantum electrodynamics for superconducting electrical circuits: An architecture for quantum computation, Physical Review A, Volume 69 (2004), p. 62320

[47] T. Holst; D. Esteve; C. Urbina; M.H. Devoret Effect of a transmission line resonator on a small capacitance tunnel junction, Physical Review Letters, Volume 73 (1994), pp. 3455-3458

[48] M. Hofheinz; F. Portier; Q. Baudouin; P. Joyez; D. Vion; P. Bertet; P. Roche; D. Esteve Bright side of the Coulomb blockade, Physical Review Letters, Volume 106 (2011), p. 217005

[49] R. Cron; M.F. Goffman; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Multiple-charge-quanta shot noise in superconducting atomic contacts, Physical Review Letters, Volume 86 (2001), pp. 4104-4107

[50] R. Cron; E. Vecino; M.H. Devoret; D. Esteve; P. Joyez; A. Levy Yeyati; A. Martin-Rodero; C. Urbina Dynamical Coulomb blockade in quantum point contacts, Electronic Correlations: From Meso- to Nano-Physics, EDP Sciences, 2001

[51] M. Chauvin; P. vom Stein; D. Esteve; C. Urbina; J.C. Cuevas; A.L. Yeyati Crossover from Josephson to multiple Andreev reflection currents in atomic contacts, Physical Review Letters, Volume 99 (2007), p. 067008

[52] M. Chauvin; P.v. Stein; H. Pothier; P. Joyez; M.E. Huber; D. Esteve; C. Urbina Superconducting atomic contacts under microwave irradiation, Physical Review Letters, Volume 97 (2006), p. 067006

[53] D.A. Ivanov; M.V. Feigelʼman Two-level hamiltonian of a superconducting quantum point contact, Phys. Rev. B, Volume 59 (1999), pp. 8444-8446

[54] A. Zazunov; V.S. Shumeiko; E.N. Bratusʼ; J. Lantz; G. Wendin Andreev level qubit, Physical Review Letters, Volume 90 (2003), p. 087003

[55] A. Zazunov; V.S. Shumeiko; G. Wendin; E.N. Bratusʼ Dynamics and phonon-induced decoherence of Andreev level qubit, Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics), Volume 71 (2005), p. 214505

[56] J. Lantz; V.S. Shumeiko; E. Bratus; G. Wendin Flux qubit with a quantum point contact, Physica C: Superconductivity, Volume 368 (2002), p. 315

[57] G. Wendin; V.S. Shumeiko Quantum bits with Josephson junctions (Review article), Low Temperature Physics, Volume 33 (2007), p. 724

[58] J. Michelsen; V.S. Shumeiko; G. Wendin Manipulation with Andreev states in spin active mesoscopic Josephson junctions, Physical Review B, Volume 77 (2008), p. 184506

Cited by Sources:

Comments - Politique