Observation of Zero-Point Fluctuations in a Resistively Shunted Josephson Tunnel Junction

1981/10/26 by R. H. Koch, D. J. Van Harlingen, John Clarke · 7 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Electrical Measurement Techniques #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Josephson effect #Physics #Pi Josephson junction #Condensed matter physics #Noise (video) #Zero-point energy #Quantum fluctuation #Voltage #Zero crossing #Zero (linguistics) #Quantum #Shunt (medical) #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Superconductivity

paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.47.1216

openalex publication_date 1981/10/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11

Abstract

The spectral density of the voltage noise has been measured in current-biased resistively shunted Josephson junctions in which quantum corrections to the noise are expected to be important. The experimental data are in excellent agreement with theoretical pretions, demonstrating clearly the contribution of zero-point fluctuations that are generated in the shunt at frequencies near the Josephson frequency and mixed down to the measurement frequency.

Cited by

• Quantum noise in a current-biased Josephson junction
• Extraction of Work from a Single Thermal Bath in the Quantum Regime
• Simple derivation of the thermal noise formula using window-limited Fourier transforms and other conundrums
• To the problem of zero-point energy and thermal noise
• Emission and Absorption Asymmetry in the Quantum Noise of a Josephson Junction
• Asymmetric Frequency Conversion in Nonlinear Systems Driven by a Biharmonic Pump
• Zero-point energy [wikipedia]