NEC Research Demonstrates Coherent Quantum Phase Slip

Researchers at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (ASI) and NEC Smart Energy Research Laboratories have demonstrated coherent quantum phase slip (CQPS) in a narrow superconducting wire of indium-oxide (InOx). The wire is inserted into a larger superconducting loop to form a new device called a phase-slip qubit, with the superconducting layer (the thin wire) sandwiched between insulating layers of empty space.


Specifically, the researchers detected a band gap in the energy curves for the two flux states of the system. NEC said this gap is a result of quantum mechanics, which prevents the two states from occupying the same energy level, forcing them to tunnel across the superconducting layer-and through a quantum phase-slip in the narrow wire-to avoid it.


The breakthrough could lead to a new class of devices that exploit the unique functionality of quantum phase-slip to forge a new path in superconducting electronics.
http://www.nec.co.jp