Multiphoton Transitions between Energy Levels in a Current-Biased Josephson Tunnel Junction

A. Wallraff, T. Duty, A. Lukashenko, and A. V. Ustinov

Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 037003 – Published 23 January 2003

Abstract

The escape of a current-biased Josephson tunnel junction from the zero-voltage state in the presence of weak microwave radiation is investigated experimentally at low temperatures. The measurements of the junction switching current distribution indicate the macroscopic quantum tunneling of the phase below a crossover temperature of $T^{⋆} \approx 280 m K$ . At temperatures below $T^{⋆}$ we observe both single-photon and multiphoton transitions between the junction energy levels by applying microwave radiation in the frequency range between 10 and $38 G H z$ to the junction. These observations reflect the anharmonicity of the junction potential containing only a small number of levels.

Received 13 June 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.037003

Authors & Affiliations

A. Wallraff^*, T. Duty^†, A. Lukashenko, and A. V. Ustinov

Physikalisches Institut III, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany

^*Current address: Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520. Electronic address: andreas.wallraff@yale.edu
^†Present address: Department of Microelectronics and Nanoscience, MC2, Chalmers University of Technology and Göteborg University, S-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden.

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Vol. 90, Iss. 3 — 24 January 2003

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