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Two superconductors coupled by a weak link support an equilibrium Josephson electrical current that depends on the phase difference ϕ between the superconducting condensates. Yet, when a temperature gradient is imposed across the junction, the Josephson effect manifests itself through a coherent component of the heat current that flows opposite to the thermal gradient for |ϕ| < π/2. The direction of both the Josephson charge and heat currents can be inverted by adding a π shift to ϕ. In the static electrical case, this effect has been obtained in a few systems, for example via a ferromagnetic coupling or a non-equilibrium distribution in the weak link.

Continue reading “0–π phase-controllable thermal Josephson junction”

A team composed by researchers from NEST, Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) (San Sebastian, Spain), Kavli Institute of Nanoscience (Delft, The Netherlands) has recently published a paper on Nature Nanotechnology journal on a phase-engineered Josephson topological materials topic.

Continue reading “The ω-SQUIPT as a tool to phase-engineer Josephson topological materials”

Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. In this work, Francesco Giazotto and co-workers, from Istituto Nanoscienze and Scuola Normale Superiore at NEST Laboratory show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents.

Continue reading “Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator”