arXiv subjects

B. Karimi

Publications and source records attributed to B. Karimi.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Applications of Superconductor-Normal Metal Interfaces

The importance and non-trivial properties of superconductor normal metal interfaces was discovered by Alexander Fyodorovich Andreev more than 60 years ago. Only much later these hybrids have found wide interest in applications such as thermometry and refrigeration, electrical metrology, and quantum circuit engineering. Here we discuss the central properties of such interfaces and describe some of the most prominent and recent applications of them.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Prospects for Revealing Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in NGC 1399 using SKA

This study investigates the detectability of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) within the mass range $10^2-10^5$ solar masses in the globular star clusters of NGC 1399 at a frequency of 300.00 MHz. Employing the theoretical Bondi accretion model and the empirical fundamental plane of black hole accretion, we estimate IMBH masses based on bolometric luminosity and X-ray/radio luminosities, respectively. By simulating a 3-hour observation of 77 globular cluster candidates using the Square Kilometer Array, we identify radio detection benchmarks indicative of accretion onto IMBHs. Our results show that IMBHs inside the globular star clusters located in NGC 1399 are indeed detectable, with the Bondi accretion model providing IMBH mass estimates ranging from $2.93 \times 10^{3.0\pm 0.39}$ to $7.43 \times 10^{4.0 \pm 0.39}$ solar masses, and the empirical fundamental-plane relation suggesting IMBH mass estimation with $3.41\times 10^{5.0 \pm 0.96}$ solar masses. These findings highlight the presence and detectability of IMBHs in globular clusters, offering insights into their role as precursors to supermassive black holes and enriching our understanding of black hole formation and evolution in astrophysical environments.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Calorimetry of a Quantum Phase Slip

In a Josephson junction, which is the central element in superconducting quantum technology, irreversibility arises from abrupt slips of the gauge-invariant quantum phase difference across the contact. A quantum phase slip (QPS) is often visualized as the tunneling of a flux quantum in the transverse direction to the superconducting weak link, which produces dissipation. In this work, we detect the instantaneous heat release caused by a QPS in a Josephson junction using time-resolved electron thermometry on a nanocalorimeter, signaled by an abrupt increase of the local electronic temperature in the weak link and subsequent relaxation back to equilibrium. Beyond providing a cornerstone in experimental quantum thermodynamics in form of observation of heat in an elementary quantum process, this result sets the ground for experimentally addressing the ubiquity of dissipation, including that in superconducting quantum sensors and qubits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Coulomb Blockade Thermometry on a Wide Temperature Range

The Coulomb Blockade Thermometer (CBT) is a primary thermometer for cryogenic temperatures, with demonstrated operation from below 1 mK up to 60 K. Its performance as a primary thermometer has been verified at temperatures from 20 mK to 200 mK at uncertainty level below 1 % (k = 2). In a new project, our aim is to extend the metrologically verified temperature range of the primary CBT up to 25 K. We also demonstrate close-to-ideal operation of a CBT with only two tunnel junctions when the device is embedded in a low-impedance environment.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2020

Spatial and energy resolution of electronic states by shot noise

Shot noise measurements are widely used for the characterization of nonequilibrium configurations in electronic conductors. The recently introduced quantum tomography approach was implemented for the studies of electronic wavefunctions of few-electron excitations created by periodic voltage pulses in phase-coherent ballistic conductors based on the high-quality GaAs two-dimensional electron gas. Still relying on the manifestation of Fermi correlations in noise, we focus on the simpler and more general approach beneficial for the local measurements of energy distribution (ED) in electronic systems with arbitrary excitations with well-defined energies and random phases. Using biased diffusive metallic wire as a testbed, we demonstrate the power of this approach and extract the well-known double-step ED from the shot noise of a weakly coupled tunnel junction. Our experiment paves the way for the local measurements of generic nonequilibrium configurations applicable to virtually any conductor.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Nanoscale Quantum Calorimetry with Electronic Temperature Fluctuations

Motivated by the recent development of fast and ultra-sensitive thermometry in nanoscale systems, we investigate quantum calorimetric detection of individual heat pulses in the sub-meV energy range. We propose a hybrid superconducting injector-calorimeter set-up, with the energy of injected pulses carried by tunneling electrons. Treating all heat transfer events microscopically, we analyse the statistics of the calorimeter temperature fluctuations and derive conditions for an accurate measurement of the heat pulse energies. Our results pave the way for novel, fundamental quantum thermodynamics experiments, including calorimetric detection of single microwave photons.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Coupled qubits as a quantum heat switch

We present a quantum heat switch based on coupled superconducting qubits, connected to two $LC$ resonators that are terminated by resistors providing two heat baths. To describe the system we use a standard second order master equation with respect to coupling to the baths. We find that this system can act as an efficient heat switch controlled by the applied magnetic flux. The flux influences the energy level separations of the system, and under some conditions, the finite coupling of the qubits enhances the transmitted power between the two baths, by an order of magnitude under realistic conditions. At the same time, the bandwidth at maximum power of the switch formed of the coupled qubits is narrowed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Otto refrigerator based on a superconducting qubit: classical and quantum performance

We analyse a quantum Otto refrigerator based on a superconducting qubit coupled to two LC-resonators each including a resistor acting as a reservoir. We find various operation regimes: nearly adiabatic (low driving frequency), ideal Otto cycle (intermediate frequency), and non-adiabatic coherent regime (high frequency). In the nearly adiabatic regime, the cooling power is quadratic in frequency, and we find substantially enhanced coefficient of performance $ε$, as compared to that of an ideal Otto cycle. Quantum coherent effects lead invariably to decrease in both cooling power and $ε$ as compared to purely classical dynamics. In the non-adiabatic regime we observe strong coherent oscillations of the cooling power as a function of frequency. We investigate various driving waveforms: compared to the standard sinusoidal drive, truncated trapezoidal drive with optimized rise and dwell times yields higher cooling power and efficiency.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗