A superconducting switch actuated by injection of high energy electrons

Abstract

Fast cryogenic switches with ultra-low power dissipation are highly sought-after for control electronics of quantum computers, space applications and next generation logic circuits. However, existing high-frequency switches are often bulky, lossy or require large source-drain and gate currents for operation, making them unsuitable for many applications and difficult to interface to semiconducting devices. Here we present an electrically controlled superconducting switch based on a metallic nanowire. Transition from superconducting to resistive state is realized by tunneling of high-energy electrons from a gate contact through an insulating barrier. Operating gate currents are several orders of magnitude smaller than the nanowire critical source-drain current, effectively resulting in a voltage-controlled device. This superconducting switch is fast, self-resets from normal to superconducting state, and can operate in large magnetic fields, making it an ideal component for low-power cryogenic applications and quantum computing architectures.