Josephson interferometer structure which suppresses resonances

Abstract

Josephson interferometers contain inductive, capacitive and resistive components, and, as a result, such devices are subject to the presence of relatively high amplitude resonances similar to those found in in-line gases. Interferometer structures exhibit the same resonant behavior as long tunnel junctions, except that there exist only as many discrete resonance voltages as meshes in the interferometer device. Hence, a two-junction interferometer has one resonance as compared to two resonances in a three-junction device. In the I-V characteristic of a Josephson tunneling device such as an interferometer, such resonances appear as current steps which must be taken into account in the design of Josephson switching circuits primarily to avoid the situation where the load line of an external load intersects a resonance peak. Where the load line and the resonance peak intersect, because such an intersection is stable, the device is prevented from switching to the full voltage desired. Such resonances can be effectively suppressed in interferometers by providing a resistance which is in parallel with the main inductance of the interferometer. In a two-junction interferometer, the resistance is effectively connected between the base electrode metallizations which are utilized to form one of the electrodes of each of the pair of electrodes required for each interferometer junction. To the extent that more than two junctions are utilized, the resonance suppressing resistor is connected between pairs of junctions and across the main inductances which interconnect the junctions. The structure of a two-junction interferometer with its resonance-suppressing resistor, R.sub.RS, is shown as well as the schematics of a multiple junction interoferometer which clearly indicates how such structures may be fabricated.