The utilization of Josephson vortices as information carriers in superconducting digital electronics is hindered by the lack of reliable displacement and localization mechanisms. In this Letter, we experimentally investigate planar Nb junctions with an intrinsic phase shift and nonreciprocity induced by trapped Abrikosov vortices. We demonstrate that the entrance of a single Josephson vortex into such junctions triggers the switching between metastable ±𝜋 semifluxon states. We showcase controllable manipulation between these states using short current pulses and achieve a nondestructive readout by a nearby junction. Our observations pave the way toward ultrafast and energy-efficient digital Josephson electronics.

This work provides a proof -of -concept for superresolution magnetic imaging using a single Josephson junction. The technique resembles digital holography: magnetic patterns are obtained via an inverseproblem solution from diffractionlike modulation of the junction's critical current, I c (H) . We demonstrate numerical reconstruction of complex two-dimensional patterns, verify the technique experimentally using Nb-based planar junctions, and fabricate an operational sensor on a cantilever. Our results show that Josephson holography allows for both high spatial resolution (approximately 20 nm) and high field sensitivity (approximately 10 - 11 T R root Hz), thus resolving the trade-off problem between resolution and sensitivity in magnetic scanning probe imaging.

The lack of dense random access memory is one of the main bottlenecks for the creation of a digital superconducting computer. In this work we study experimentally vortex-based superconducting memory cells. Three main results are obtained. First, we test scalability and demonstrate that the cells can be straightforwardly miniaturized to submicron sizes. Second, we emphasize the importance of conscious geometrical engineering. In the studied devices we introduce an asymmetric easy track for vortex motion and show that it enables a controllable manipulation of vortex states. Finally, we perform a detailed analysis of word and bit line operation of a 1 x 1 mu m(2) cell. High-endurance, non-volatile operation at zero magnetic field is reported. Remarkably, we observe that the combined word and bit line threshold current is significantly reduced compared to the bare word-line operation. This could greatly improve the selectivity of individual cell addressing in a multi-cell RAM. The achieved one square micron area is an important milestone and a significant step forward towards creation of a dense cryogenic memory.

Superconducting diodes, operational at zero magnetic field, can be used in supercomputers. Here, the authors demonstrate prototypes of diodes-with-memory, based on Nb Josephson junctions, with a large and switchable nonreciprocity at zero field. Diode is one of the basic electronic components. It has a nonreciprocal current response, associated with a broken space/time reversal symmetry. Here we demonstrate prototypes of superconducting diodes operational at zero magnetic field. They are based on conventional niobium planar Josephson junctions, in which space/time symmetry is broken by a combination of self-field effect from nonuniform bias and stray fields from a trapped Abrikosov vortex. We demonstrate that nonreciprocity of critical current in such diodes can reach an order of magnitude and rectification efficiency can exceed 70%. Furthermore, we can easily change the diode polarity and switch nonreciprocity on/off by changing the bias configuration and by trapping/removing of a vortex. This facilitates a memory functionality. We argue that such a diode-with-memory can be used for a future generation of in-memory superconducting computers.

A general problem of magnetic sensors is a trade-off between spatial resolution and magnetic-field sensitivity. With decreasing sensor size its resolution is improved but the sensitivity is deteriorated. Obviation of such a trade-off requires development of super-resolution imaging technique not limited by sensor size. Here we present a proof of concept for a super-resolution method of magnetic imaging by a Josephson junction (JJ). It is based on a solution of an inverse problem—reconstruction of a local magnetic-field distribution within a junction from the dependence of the critical current on an external magnetic field, Ic(H). The method resembles the Fourier-transform holography, with the diffractionlike Ic(H) pattern serving as a hologram. A simple inverse problem solution, valid for an arbitrary symmetric case, is derived. We verify the method numerically and show that the accuracy of reconstruction does not depend on the junction size and is only limited by the field range of the Ic(H) pattern. Finally, the method is tested experimentally using planar Nb JJs. Super-resolution reconstruction of stray magnetic fields from an Abrikosov vortex, trapped in the junction electrodes, is demonstrated. Thus our method facilitates both high field sensitivity and high spatial resolution, obviating the trade-off problem of magnetic sensors. We conclude that the holographic magnetic imaging by a planar JJ can be used in scanning probe microscopy

Operation of Josephson electronics usually requires determination of the Josephson critical current Ic, which is affected both by fluctuations and measurement noise. Lock-in measurements allow obviation of 1/f noise, and therefore, provide a major advantage in terms of noise and accuracy with respect to conventional dc measurements. In this work we show both theoretically and experimentally that the Ic can be accurately extracted using first and third harmonic lock-in measurements of junction resistance. We derived analytical expressions and verified them experimentally on nano-scale Nb-PtNi-Nb and Nb-CuNi-Nb Josephson junctions.

We study superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor junctions with CuNi, PtNi, or Ni interlayers. Remarkably, we observe that supercurrents through Ni can be significantly larger than through diluted alloys. The phenomenon is attributed to the dirtiness of disordered alloys leading to a short coherence length despite a small exchange energy. To the contrary, pure Ni is clean resulting in a coherence length as long as in a normal metal. Analysis of temperature dependencies of critical currents reveals a crossover from short (dirty) to long (clean) range proximity effects in Pt_1−xNi_x with increasing Ni concentration. Our results point out that structural properties of a ferromagnet play a crucial role for the proximity effect and indicate that conventional strong-but-clean ferromagnets can be advantageously used in superconducting spintronic devices.

Employment of the non-trivial proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) heterostructures for the creation of novel superconducting devices requires accurate control of magnetic states in complex thin-film multilayers. In this work, we study experimentally in-plane transport properties of microstructured Nb/Co multilayers. We apply various transport characterization techniques, including magnetoresistance, Hall effect, and the first-order-reversal-curves (FORC) analysis. We demonstrate how FORC can be used for detailed in situ characterization of magnetic states. It reveals that upon reduction of the external field, the magnetization in ferromagnetic layers first rotates in a coherent scissor-like manner, then switches abruptly into the antiparallel state and after that splits into the polydomain state, which gradually turns into the opposite parallel state. The polydomain state is manifested by a profound enhancement of resistance caused by a flux-flow phenomenon, triggered by domain stray fields. The scissor state represents the noncollinear magnetic state in which the unconventional odd-frequency spin-triplet order parameter should appear. The non-hysteretic nature of this state allows for reversible tuning of the magnetic orientation. Thus, we identify the range of parameters and the procedure for in situ control of devices based on S/F heterostructures.

Phase shifter is one of the key elements of quantum electronics. In order to facilitate operation and avoid decoherence, it has to be reconfigurable, persistent, and nondissipative. In this work, we demonstrate prototypes of such devices in which a Josephson phase shift is generated by coreless superconducting vortices. The smallness of the vortex allows a broad-range tunability by nanoscale manipulation of vortices in a micron-size array of vortex traps. We show that a phase shift in a device containing just a few vortex traps can be reconfigured between a large number of quantized states in a broad [−3π, +3π] range.

We study experimentally nanoscale Josephson junctions and Josephson spin valves containing strongly ferromagnetic Ni interlayers. We observe that in contrast to junctions, spin valves with the same geometry exhibit anomalous I_c(H) patterns with two peaks separated by a dip. We develop several techniques for in situ characterization of micromagnetic states in our nanodevices, including magnetoresistance, absolute Josephson fluxometry, and first-order-reversal-curves analysis. They reveal a clear correlation of the dip in supercurrent with the antiparallel state of a spin valve and the peaks with two noncollinear magnetic states, thus providing evidence for generation of spin-triplet superconductivity. A quantitative analysis, based on micromagnetic simulations, brings us to the conclusion that the triplet current in our Ni-based spin valves is approximately three times larger than the conventional spin-singlet supercurrent.