Quantum suppression of superconductivity in ultrathin nanowires

It is of fundamental importance to establish whether there is a limit to how thin a superconducting wire can be, while retaining its superconducting character--and if there is a limit, to determine what sets it. This issue may also be of practical importance in defining the limit to miniaturization of superconducting electronic circuits. At high temperatures, the resistance of linear superconductors is caused by excitations called thermally activated phase slips. Quantum tunnelling of phase slips is another possible source of resistance that is still being debated. It has been theoretically predicted that such quantum phase slips can destroy superconductivity in very narrow wires. Here we report resistance measurements on ultrathin (< or = 10 nm) nanowires produced by coating carbon nanotubes with a superconducting Mo-Ge alloy. We find that nanowires can be superconducting or insulating depending on the ratio of their normal-state resistance (R(N)) to the quantum resistance for Cooper pairs (Rq). If R(N) < Rq, quantum tunnelling of phase slips is prohibited by strong damping, and so the wires stay superconducting. In contrast, we observe an insulating state for R(N) > Rq, which we explain in terms of proliferation of quantum phase slips and a corresponding localization of Cooper pairs.     

三腿梯子上硬核玻色-哈伯德模型的量子蒙特卡罗研究

运用集团平均场和密度矩阵重整化群方法得到三腿梯子中玻色-哈伯德模型基于z方向密度交错排布的超固体相,比单层三角晶格多一种超固体.然而平均场超流序参量没有考虑超流的方向,这种超固体的本质有待于进一步探索.本文运用可靠的有向圈随机序列展开量子蒙特卡罗方法模拟了三腿梯子上硬核玻色-哈伯德模型,通过测量层内和层间的结构因子和超流刚硬度,发现系统具有密度ρ=1/2的固体,增加量子隧穿后,z方向不存在超固体.计算结果有助于冷原子实验寻找新的量子相.     

Quantum interference of superfluid 3He.

Celebrated interference experiments have demonstrated the wave nature of light and electrons, quantum interference being the manifestation of wave-particle duality. More recently, double-path interference experiments have also demonstrated the quantum-wave nature of beams of neutrons, atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates. In condensed matter systems, double-path quantum interference is observed in the d.c. superconducting quantum interference device (d.c. SQUID). Here we report a double-path quantum interference experiment involving a liquid: superfluid 3He. Using a geometry analogous to the superconducting d.c. SQUID, we control a quantum phase shift by using the rotation of the Earth, and find the classic interference pattern with periodicity determined by the 3He quantum of circulation.     

Repulsively bound atom pairs in an optical lattice

Throughout physics, stable composite objects are usually formed by way of attractive forces, which allow the constituents to lower their energy by binding together. Repulsive forces separate particles in free space. However, in a structured environment such as a periodic potential and in the absence of dissipation, stable composite objects can exist even for repulsive interactions. Here we report the observation of such an exotic bound state, which comprises a pair of ultracold rubidium atoms in an optical lattice. Consistent with our theoretical analysis, these repulsively bound pairs exhibit long lifetimes, even under conditions when they collide with one another. Signatures of the pairs are also recognized in the characteristic momentum distribution and through spectroscopic measurements. There is no analogue in traditional condensed matter systems of such repulsively bound pairs, owing to the presence of strong decay channels. Our results exemplify the strong correspondence between the optical lattice physics of ultracold bosonic atoms and the Bose-Hubbard model-a link that is vital for future applications of these systems to the study of strongly correlated condensed matter and to quantum information.     

Thermally fluctuating superconductors in two dimensions

In many two-dimensional superconducting systems, such as Josephson-junction arrays, granular superconducting films, and the high-temperature superconductors, it appears that the electrons bind into Cooper pairs below a pairing temperature (T(P)) that is well above the Kosterlitz-Thouless temperature (T(KT)) the temperature below which there is long-range superconducting order). The electron dynamics at temperatures between T(KT) and T(P) involve a complex interplay of thermal and quantum fluctuations, for which no quantitative theory exists. Here we report numerical results for this region, by exploiting its proximity to a T = 0 superconductor-insulator quantum phase transition. This quantum critical point need not be experimentally accessible for our results to apply. We characterize the static, thermodynamic properties by a single dimensionless parameter, gamma(T). Quantitative and universal results are obtained for the frequency dependence of the conductivity, which are dependent only upon gamma(T) and fundamental constants of nature.     

Coherent zero-state and pi-state in an exciton-polariton condensate array

The effect of quantum statistics in quantum gases and liquids results in observable collective properties among many-particle systems. One prime example is Bose-Einstein condensation, whose onset in a quantum liquid leads to phenomena such as superfluidity and superconductivity. A Bose-Einstein condensate is generally defined as a macroscopic occupation of a single-particle quantum state, a phenomenon technically referred to as off-diagonal long-range order due to non-vanishing off-diagonal components of the single-particle density matrix. The wavefunction of the condensate is an order parameter whose phase is essential in characterizing the coherence and superfluid phenomena. The long-range spatial coherence leads to the existence of phase-locked multiple condensates in an array of superfluid helium, superconducting Josephson junctions or atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. Under certain circumstances, a quantum phase difference of pi is predicted to develop among weakly coupled Josephson junctions. Such a meta-stable pi-state was discovered in a weak link of superfluid 3He, which is characterized by a 'p-wave' order parameter. The possible existence of such a pi-state in weakly coupled atomic Bose-Einstein condensates has also been proposed, but remains undiscovered. Here we report the observation of spontaneous build-up of in-phase ('zero-state') and antiphase ('pi-state') 'superfluid' states in a solid-state system; an array of exciton-polariton condensates connected by weak periodic potential barriers within a semiconductor microcavity. These in-phase and antiphase states reflect the band structure of the one-dimensional polariton array and the dynamic characteristics of metastable exciton-polariton condensates.     

Bose-Einstein condensation of exciton polaritons

Phase transitions to quantum condensed phases--such as Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), superfluidity, and superconductivity--have long fascinated scientists, as they bring pure quantum effects to a macroscopic scale. BEC has, for example, famously been demonstrated in dilute atom gas of rubidium atoms at temperatures below 200 nanokelvin. Much effort has been devoted to finding a solid-state system in which BEC can take place. Promising candidate systems are semiconductor microcavities, in which photons are confined and strongly coupled to electronic excitations, leading to the creation of exciton polaritons. These bosonic quasi-particles are 10(9) times lighter than rubidium atoms, thus theoretically permitting BEC to occur at standard cryogenic temperatures. Here we detail a comprehensive set of experiments giving compelling evidence for BEC of polaritons. Above a critical density, we observe massive occupation of the ground state developing from a polariton gas at thermal equilibrium at 19 K, an increase of temporal coherence, and the build-up of long-range spatial coherence and linear polarization, all of which indicate the spontaneous onset of a macroscopic quantum phase.     

Quantum dynamics of a single vortex

Vortices occur naturally in a wide range of gases and fluids, from macroscopic to microscopic scales. In Bose-Einstein condensates of dilute atomic gases, superfluid helium and superconductors, the existence of vortices is a consequence of the quantum nature of the system. Quantized vortices of supercurrent are generated by magnetic flux penetrating the material, and play a key role in determining the material properties and the performance of superconductor-based devices. At high temperatures the dynamics of such vortices are essentially classical, while at low temperatures previous experiments have suggested collective quantum dynamics. However, the question of whether vortex tunnelling occurs at low temperatures has been addressed only for large collections of vortices. Here we study the quantum dynamics of an individual vortex in a superconducting Josephson junction. By measuring the statistics of the vortex escape from a controllable pinning potential, we demonstrate the existence of quantized levels of the vortex energy within the trapping potential well and quantum tunnelling of the vortex through the pinning barrier.     

Creation of ultracold molecules from a Fermi gas of atoms

Following the realization of Bose-Einstein condensates in atomic gases, an experimental challenge is the production of molecular gases in the quantum regime. A promising approach is to create the molecular gas directly from an ultracold atomic gas; for example, bosonic atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate have been coupled to electronic ground-state molecules through photoassociation or a magnetic field Feshbach resonance. The availability of atomic Fermi gases offers the prospect of coupling fermionic atoms to bosonic molecules, thus altering the quantum statistics of the system. Such a coupling would be closely related to the pairing mechanism in a fermionic superfluid, predicted to occur near a Feshbach resonance. Here we report the creation and quantitative characterization of ultracold 40K2 molecules. Starting with a quantum degenerate Fermi gas of atoms at a temperature of less than 150 nK, we scan the system over a Feshbach resonance to create adiabatically more than 250,000 trapped molecules; these can be converted back to atoms by reversing the scan. The small binding energy of the molecules is controlled by detuning the magnetic field away from the Feshbach resonance, and can be varied over a wide range. We directly detect these weakly bound molecules through their radio-frequency photodissociation spectra; these probe the molecular wavefunction, and yield binding energies that are consistent with theory.     

An intrinsic velocity-independent criterion for superfluid turbulence

Hydrodynamic flow in classical and quantum fluids can be either laminar or turbulent. Vorticity in turbulent flow is often modelled with vortex filaments. While this represents an idealization in classical fluids, vortices are topologically stable quantized objects in superfluids. Superfluid turbulence is therefore thought to be important for the understanding of turbulence more generally. The fermionic 3He superfluids are attractive systems to study because their characteristics vary widely over the experimentally accessible temperature regime. Here we report nuclear magnetic resonance measurements and numerical simulations indicating the existence of sharp transition to turbulence in the B phase of superfluid 3He. Above 0.60T(c) (where T(c) is the transition temperature for superfluidity) the hydrodynamics are regular, while below this temperature we see turbulent behaviour. The transition is insensitive to the fluid velocity, in striking contrast to current textbook knowledge of turbulence. Rather, it is controlled by an intrinsic parameter of the superfluid: the mutual friction between the normal and superfluid components of the flow, which causes damping of the vortex motion.     

Interplay of magnetism and high-Tc superconductivity at individual Ni impurity atoms in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta.

Magnetic interactions and magnetic impurities are destructive to superconductivity in conventional superconductors. By contrast, in some unconventional macroscopic quantum systems (such as superfluid 3He and superconducting UGe2), the superconductivity (or superfluidity) is actually mediated by magnetic interactions. A magnetic mechanism has also been proposed for high-temperature superconductivity. Within this context, the fact that magnetic Ni impurity atoms have a weaker effect on superconductivity than non-magnetic Zn atoms in the high-Tc superconductors has been put forward as evidence supporting a magnetic mechanism. Here we use scanning tunnelling microscopy to determine directly the influence of individual Ni atoms on the local electronic structure of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta. At each Ni site we observe two d-wave impurity states of apparently opposite spin polarization, whose existence indicates that Ni retains a magnetic moment in the superconducting state. However, analysis of the impurity-state energies shows that quasiparticle scattering at Ni is predominantly non-magnetic. Furthermore, we show that the superconducting energy gap and correlations are unimpaired at Ni. This is in strong contrast to the effects of non-magnetic Zn impurities, which locally destroy superconductivity. These results are consistent with predictions for impurity atom phenomena derived from a magnetic mechanism.     

Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms.

For a system at a temperature of absolute zero, all thermal fluctuations are frozen out, while quantum fluctuations prevail. These microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce a macroscopic phase transition in the ground state of a many-body system when the relative strength of two competing energy terms is varied across a critical value. Here we observe such a quantum phase transition in a Bose-Einstein condensate with repulsive interactions, held in a three-dimensional optical lattice potential. As the potential depth of the lattice is increased, a transition is observed from a superfluid to a Mott insulator phase. In the superfluid phase, each atom is spread out over the entire lattice, with long-range phase coherence. But in the insulating phase, exact numbers of atoms are localized at individual lattice sites, with no phase coherence across the lattice; this phase is characterized by a gap in the excitation spectrum. We can induce reversible changes between the two ground states of the system.     

Evidence for superfluidity of ultracold fermions in an optical lattice

The study of superfluid fermion pairs in a periodic potential has important ramifications for understanding superconductivity in crystalline materials. By using cold atomic gases, various models of condensed matter can be studied in a highly controllable environment. Weakly repulsive fermions in an optical lattice could undergo d-wave pairing at low temperatures, a possible mechanism for high temperature superconductivity in the copper oxides. The lattice potential could also strongly increase the critical temperature for s-wave superfluidity. Recent experimental advances in bulk atomic gases include the observation of fermion-pair condensates and high-temperature superfluidity. Experiments with fermions and bosonic bound pairs in optical lattices have been reported but have not yet addressed superfluid behaviour. Here we report the observation of distinct interference peaks when a condensate of fermionic atom pairs is released from an optical lattice, implying long-range order (a property of a superfluid). Conceptually, this means that s-wave pairing and coherence of fermion pairs have now been established in a lattice potential, in which the transport of atoms occurs by quantum mechanical tunnelling and not by simple propagation. These observations were made for interactions on both sides of a Feshbach resonance. For larger lattice depths, the coherence was lost in a reversible manner, possibly as a result of a transition from superfluid to insulator. Such strongly interacting fermions in an optical lattice can be used to study a new class of hamiltonians with interband and atom-molecule couplings.     

Coherent quantum phase slip

A hundred years after the discovery of superconductivity, one fundamental prediction of the theory, coherent quantum phase slip (CQPS), has not been observed. CQPS is a phenomenon exactly dual to the Josephson effect; whereas the latter is a coherent transfer of charges between superconducting leads, the former is a coherent transfer of vortices or fluxes across a superconducting wire. In contrast to previously reported observations of incoherent phase slip, CQPS has been only a subject of theoretical study. Its experimental demonstration is made difficult by quasiparticle dissipation due to gapless excitations in nanowires or in vortex cores. This difficulty might be overcome by using certain strongly disordered superconductors near the superconductor-insulator transition. Here we report direct observation of CQPS in a narrow segment of a superconducting loop made of strongly disordered indium oxide; the effect is made manifest through the superposition of quantum states with different numbers of flux quanta. As with the Josephson effect, our observation should lead to new applications in superconducting electronics and quantum metrology.     

含互感耦合的超导磁通量子比特消相干的研究

在Born—Markov近似下，根据Bloch—Redfield方程，给出了一种计算超导量子比特能量弛豫时T1与消相干时间T2的方法。在此基础上，研究了一个含互感耦合的超导磁通量子比特的消相干现象，并给出了该超导量子比特能量弛豫时间Ｔ1与消相干时间Ｔ2。结果表明：对于研究的磁通量子比特，在其他条件不变时且环境热库等效为一个纯电阻时，则去相位时间Tφ，由高能级｜j〉向低能级｜i〉的能量弛豫时间T1和量子系统的消相干时间疋都与耗散成正比。     

Superinsulator and quantum synchronization

Synchronized oscillators are ubiquitous in nature, and synchronization plays a key part in various classical and quantum phenomena. Several experiments have shown that in thin superconducting films, disorder enforces the droplet-like electronic texture--superconducting islands immersed into a normal matrix--and that tuning disorder drives the system from superconducting to insulating behaviour. In the vicinity of the transition, a distinct state forms: a Cooper-pair insulator, with thermally activated conductivity. It results from synchronization of the phase of the superconducting order parameter at the islands across the whole system. Here we show that at a certain finite temperature, a Cooper--air insulator undergoes a transition to a superinsulating state with infinite resistance. We present experimental evidence of this transition in titanium nitride films and show that the superinsulating state is dual to the superconducting state: it is destroyed by a sufficiently strong critical magnetic field, and breaks down at some critical voltage that is analogous to the critical current in superconductors.     

热库对原子-场耦合系统中量子非局域性的影响

讨论了光场初态和热库性质对原子场耦合系统中量子非局域性的作用．结果显示，如果腔损耗很弱，热库的平均光子数很小．系统会周期性地展现出量子非局域性．非局域性的消失速度依赖于初始压缩真空态的振幅、热库的平均光子数和腔的衰退系数．场越强、平均光子数和衰退系数越大，非局域性减小得越快。     

Single-mode heat conduction by photons

The thermal conductance of a single channel is limited by its unique quantum value G(Q), as was shown theoretically in 1983. This result closely resembles the well-known quantization of electrical conductance in ballistic one-dimensional conductors. Interestingly, all particles-irrespective of whether they are bosons or fermions-have the same quantized thermal conductance when they are confined within dimensions that are small compared to their characteristic wavelength. The single-mode heat conductance is particularly relevant in nanostructures. Quantized heat transport through submicrometre dielectric wires by phonons has been observed, and it has been predicted to influence cooling of electrons in metals at very low temperatures due to electromagnetic radiation. Here we report experimental results showing that at low temperatures heat is transferred by photon radiation, when electron-phonon as well as normal electronic heat conduction is frozen out. We study heat exchange between two small pieces of normal metal, connected to each other only via superconducting leads, which are ideal insulators against conventional thermal conduction. Each superconducting lead is interrupted by a switch of electromagnetic (photon) radiation in the form of a DC-SQUID (a superconducting loop with two Josephson tunnel junctions). We find that the thermal conductance between the two metal islands mediated by photons indeed approaches the expected quantum limit of G(Q) at low temperatures. Our observation has practical implications-for example, for the performance and design of ultra-sensitive bolometers (detectors of far-infrared light) and electronic micro-refrigerators, whose operation is largely dependent on weak thermal coupling between the device and its environment.     

Detection of geometric phases in superconducting nanocircuits

When a quantum-mechanical system undergoes an adiabatic cyclic evolution, it acquires a geometrical phase factor' in addition to the dynamical one; this effect has been demonstrated in a variety of microscopic systems. Advances in nanotechnology should enable the laws of quantum dynamics to be tested at the macroscopic level, by providing controllable artificial two-level systems (for example, in quantum dots and superconducting devices). Here we propose an experimental method to detect geometric phases in a superconducting device. The setup is a Josephson junction nanocircuit consisting of a superconducting electron box. We discuss how interferometry based on geometrical phases may be realized, and show how the effect may be applied to the design of gates for quantum computation.     

空间超流氦中低温界面热阻最佳热耦合研究

针对红外探测器与制冷元器件的接触中低界温面热阻最佳热耦合问题，分析了两固体接触面的情况，认为接触热阻是一个受材料性质、表面粗糙度、负载、温度、介质、表面氧化物膜和环境等众多因素影响的非线性问题，在此基础上制作了Al-Cu超导热开关，电子显微镜观测结果表明，接触界面不是一个简单的几何面，而是一个具有纳米级厚度的三维“界面层”。