Formation of Quantum Phase Slip Pairs in Superconducting Nanowires

TL;DR

This paper reports the direct observation of quantum paired phase slips in superconducting nanowires, revealing a regime where these paired events dominate and potentially enhance topological protection in quantum computing.

Contribution

It provides the first direct evidence of quantum paired phase slips and characterizes conditions where they are exponentially more probable than single phase slips.

Findings

Observation of quantum paired phase slips in superconducting loops

Identification of a regime favoring paired over single phase slips

Enhanced probability of paired phase slips compared to single ones

Abstract

Macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) is a fundamental phenomenon of quantum mechanics related to the actively debated topic of quantum-to-classical transition. The ability to realize MQT affects implementation of qubit-based quantum computing schemes and their protection against decoherence. Decoherence in qubits can be reduced by means of topological protection, e.g. by exploiting various parity effects. In particular, paired phase slips can provide such protection for superconducting qubits. Here, we report on the direct observation of quantum paired phase slips in thin-wire superconducting loops. We show that in addition to conventional single phase slips that change superconducting order parameter phase by $2\pi$, there are quantum transitions changing the phase by $4\pi$. Quantum paired phase slips represent a synchronized occurrence of two macroscopic quantum tunneling events, i.e. cotunneling. We demonstrate the existence of a remarkable regime in which paired phase slips are exponentially more probable than single ones.