| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/S42255/01 |
| Title: |
Low-Temperature Focussed Ion-Beam Fabrication of Nanoscale Single-Electron Intrinsic Josephson Devices |
| Principal Investigator: |
Warburton, Professor PA |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Electronic and Electrical Engineering |
| Organisation: |
UCL |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
09 July 2003 |
Ends: |
08 January 2007 |
Value (£): |
256,543
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
Materials Synthesis & Growth |
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
Likharev, et al. have predicted that in arrays of N capacitively-coupled tunnel junctions the charging energy is enhanced over that for a single junction by a factor N. Stacks of intrinsic Josephson junctions (which occur naturally in cuprate superconductors) are an ideal experimental system in which to observe this enhancement since (i) each cuprate layer in the stack is thinner than the Thomas-Fermi screening length, allowing long-range inter-junction electron-electron interactions and (ii) they have very large aspect ratio and hence minimal stray capacitance. We will therefore investigate single-electron effects in nanoscale stacks of intrinsic junctions fabricated using low-temperature focussed ion-beam milling (LT-FIB). By monitoring the transport properties of the junctions at 8 K as they are being fabricated we will achieve single-junction accuracy in N for stacks of cross-sectional area - (100 nm)2. Our estimates suggest that the charging energy may reach 50 K. If this is achievable our results will have wide-ranging applicability, permitting technological developments of electric-field sensors, high density electronic memories and fundamental quantum current standards at temperatures which can be easily achieved without liquid cryogens. Experiments in macroscopic quantum coherence and quantum computing may also be performed in this svstem since each iunction in the stack is naturally isolated from the dissipative environment by the other iunctions in the stack.
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
|