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O. V. Astafiev

Publications and source records attributed to O. V. Astafiev.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2017

Hybrid rf SQUID qubit based on high kinetic inductance

We report development and microwave characterization of rf SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) qubits, consisting of an aluminium-based Josephson junction embedded in a superconducting loop patterned from a thin film of TiN with high kinetic inductance. Here we demonstrate that the systems can offer small physical size, high anharmonicity, and small scatter of device parameters. The hybrid devices can be utilized as tools to shed further light onto the origin of film dissipation and decoherence in phase-slip nanowire qubits, patterned entirely from disordered superconducting films.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2017

Quantum wave mixing and visualisation of coherent and superposed photonic states in a waveguide

Superconducting quantum systems (artificial atoms) have been recently successfully used to demonstrate on-chip effects of quantum optics with single atoms in the microwave range. In particular, a well-known effect of four-wave mixing could reveal a series of features beyond classical physics, when a non-linear medium is scaled down to a single quantum scatterer. Here we demonstrate a phenomenon of the quantum wave mixing (QWM) on a single superconducting artificial atom. In the QWM, the spectrum of elastically scattered radiation is a direct map of the interacting superposed and coherent photonic states. Moreover, the artificial atom visualises photon-state statistics, distinguishing coherent, one- and two-photon superposed states with the finite (quantized) number of peaks in the quantum regime. Our results may give a new insight into nonlinear quantum effects in microwave optics with artificial atoms.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2016

Coherent dynamics and decoherence in a superconducting weak link

We demonstrate coherent dynamics of quantized magnetic fluxes in a superconducting loop with a weak link - a nanobridge patterned from the same thin NbN film as the loop. The bridge is a short rounded shape constriction, close to 10 nm long and 20 - 30 nm wide, having minimal width at its center. Quantum state control and coherent oscillations in the driven time evolution of the tunnel-junctionless system are achieved. Decoherence and energy relaxation in the system are studied using a combination of microwave spectroscopy and direct time-domain techniques. The effective flux noise behavior suggests inductance fluctuations as a possible cause of the decoherence.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2015

Tuneable on-demand single-photon source

An on-demand single photon source is a key element in a series of prospective quantum technologies and applications. We demonstrate the operation of a tuneable on-demand microwave photon source based on a fully controllable superconducting artificial atom strongly coupled to an open-end transmission line (a 1D half-space). The atom emits a photon upon excitation by a short microwave $π$-pulse applied through a control line weakly coupled to the atom. The emission and control lines are well decoupled from each other, preventing the direct leakage of radiation from the $π$-pulses used for excitation. The estimated efficiency of the source is higher than 75\% and remains to be about 50\% or higher over a wide frequency range from 6.7 to 9.1 GHz continuously tuned by an external magnetic field.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2013

Coherent Flux Tunneling Through NbN Nanowires

We demonstrate evidence of coherent magnetic flux tunneling through superconducting nanowires patterned in a thin highly disordered NbN film. The phenomenon is revealed as a superposition of flux states in a fully metallic superconducting loop with the nanowire acting as an effective tunnel barrier for the magnetic flux, and reproducibly observed in different wires. The flux superposition achieved in the fully metallic NbN rings proves the universality of the phenomenon previously reported for InOx. We perform microwave spectroscopy and study the tunneling amplitude as a function of the wire width, compare the experimental results with theories, and estimate the parameters for existing theoretical models.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2012

Dressed-state amplification by a superconducting qubit

We demonstrate amplification of a microwave signal by a strongly driven two-level system in a coplanar waveguide resonator. The effect known from optics as dressed-state lasing is observed with a single quantum system formed by a persistent current (flux) qubit. The transmission through the resonator is enhanced when the Rabi frequency of the driven qubit is tuned into resonance with one of the resonator modes. Amplification as well as linewidth narrowing of a weak probe signal has been observed. The laser emission at the resonator's fundamental mode has been studied by measuring the emission spectrum. We analyzed our system and found an excellent agreement between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions obtained in the dressed-state model.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2012

Coherent quantum phase slip

A hundred years after discovery of superconductivity, one fundamental prediction of the theory, the coherent quantum phase slip (CQPS), has not been observed. CQPS is a phenomenon exactly dual to the Josephson effect: whilst the latter is a coherent transfer of charges between superconducting contacts, the former is a coherent transfer of vortices or fluxes across a superconducting wire. In contrast to previously reported observations of incoherent phase slip, the CQPS has been only a subject of theoretical study. Its experimental demonstration is made difficult by quasiparticle dissipation due to gapless excitations in nanowires or in vortex cores. This difficulty might be overcome by using certain strongly disordered superconductors in the vicinity of the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). Here we report the first direct observation of the CQPS in a strongly disordered indium-oxide (InOx) superconducting wire inserted in a loop, which is manifested by the superposition of the quantum states with different number of fluxes. Similarly to the Josephson effect, our observation is expected to lead to novel applications in superconducting electronics and quantum metrology.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Coherent superconducting quantum pump

We demonstrate non-adiabatic charge pumping utilizing a sequence of coherent oscillations between a superconducting island and two reservoirs. Our method, based on pulsed quantum state manipulations, allows to speedup charge pumping to a rate which is limited by the coupling between the island and the reservoirs given by the Josephson energy. Our experimental and theoretical studies also demonstrate that relaxation can be employed to reset the pump and avoid accumulation of errors due to non-ideal control pulses.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2011

Application of elastic mid-IR-laser-light scattering for non-destructive inspection in microelectronics

Some possible applications of the low-angle mid-IR-light scattering technique and some recently developed on its basis methods for non-destructive inspection and investigation of semiconductor materials and structures are discussed in the paper. The conclusion is made that the techniques in question might be very useful for solving a large number of problems regarding defect investigations and quality monitoring both in research laboratories and the industry of microelectronics

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2011

Application of elastic mid-IR light scattering for inspection of internal gettering operations

Recently, the internal gettering process has become one of the main operations for manufacturing of semiconductor devices of CZ Si. However, methods for the direct inspection of the internal gettering efficiency and stability have been practically absent thus far. The purpose of this paper is to present such a method developed on the basis of law-angle mid-IR-light scattering technique (LALS), which has been successfully applied thus far for the investigation of large-scale electrically active defect accumulations (LSDAs) in semiconductor crystals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2011

Large-scale defect accumulations in Czochralski-grown silicon

Czochralski-grown silicon crystals were studied by the techniques of the low-angle mid-IR-light scattering and electron-beam-induced current. The large-scale accumulations of electrically-active impurities detected in this material were found to be different in their nature and formation mechanisms from the well-known impurity clouds in a FZ-grown silicon. A classification of the large-scale impurity accumulations in CZ Si is made and point centers constituting them are analyzed in this paper. A model of the large-scale impurity accumulations in CZ-grown Si is also proposed. In addition, the images of the large-scale impurity accumulations obtained by means of the scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy are demonstrated.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2011

Mid-IR-laser microscopy as a tool for defect investigation in bulk semiconductors

A non-destructive optical technique described in this paper is an effective new tool for the investigation of defects in semiconductors. The basic instrument for this technique---a mid-IR-laser microscope---being sensitive to accumulations of free carriers enables the study of both accumulations of electrically-active defects or impurities in bulk semiconductors and doped domains in semiconductor structures. The optical beam induced scattering mode of this microscope is designed for the investigation of recombination-active defects but unlike EBIC it requires neither Schottky barrier or p--n junction nor special preparation of samples

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2011

Optical beam-induced scattering mode of mid-IR laser microscopy: a method for defect investigation in near-surface and near-interface regions of bulk semiconductors

This paper presents a new technique of optical beam-induced scattering of mid-IR-laser radiation, which is a special mode of the recently developed scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy. The technique in its present form is designed for investigation of large-scale recombination-active defects in near-surface and near-interface regions of semiconductor wafers. However, it can be easily modified for the defect investigations in the crystal bulk. Being in many respects analogous to EBIC, the present technique has some indisputable advantages, which enable its application for both non-destructive laboratory investigations and quality monitoring in the industry.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2011

Dynamics of coherent and incoherent emission from an artificial atom in a 1D space

We study dynamics of an artificial two-level atom in an open 1D space by measuring evolution of its coherent and incoherent emission. States of the atom -- a superconducting flux qubit coupled to a transmission line -- are fully controlled by resonant excitation microwave pulses. The coherent emission -- a direct measure of superposition in the atom -- exhibits decaying oscillations shifted by $π/2$ from oscillations of the incoherent emission, which, in turn, is proportional to the atomic population. The emission dynamics provides information about states and properties of the atom. By measuring the coherent dynamics, we derive two-time correlation function of fluctuations and, using quantum regression formula, reconstruct the incoherent spectrum of the resonance fluorescence triplet, which is in a good agreement with the directly measured one.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

On the nature of large-scale defect accumulations in Czochralski-grown silicon

Czochralski-grown boron-doped silicon crystals were studied by the techniques of the low-angle mid-IR-light scattering and electron-beam-induced current. The large-scale accumulations of electrically-active impurities detected in this material were found to be different in their nature and formation mechanisms from the well-known impurity clouds in a float zone-grown silicon. A classifcation of the large-scale impurity accumulations in CZ Si:B is made and point centers constituting them are analyzed in this paper. A model of the large-scale impurity accumulations in CZ-grown Si:B is also proposed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy: an efficient tool for materials studies in silicon-based photonics and photovoltaics

A method of scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy has recently been proposed for the investigation of large-scale electrically and recombination-active defects in semiconductors and non-destructive inspection of semiconductor materials and structures in the industries of microelectronics and photovoltaics. The basis for this development was laid with a wide cycle of investigations on low-angle mid-IR-light scattering in semiconductors. The essence of the technical idea was to apply the dark-field method for spatial filtering of the scattered light in the scanning mid-IR-laser microscope together with the local photoexcitation of excess carriers within a small domain in a studied sample, thus forming an artificial source of scattering of the probe IR light for the recombination contrast imaging of defects. The current paper presents three contrasting examples of application of the above technique for defect visualization in silicon-based materials designed for photovoltaics and photonics which demonstrate that this technique might be an efficient tool for both defect investigation and industrial testing of semiconducting materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗