Theory of the Josephson Junction Laser

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytic time-domain theory for the Josephson Junction laser, revealing mode-locking behavior and providing a fully solvable nonlinear equation for its dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel time-domain analytical framework for the Josephson Junction laser, advancing understanding of its nonlinear dynamics and mode-locking phenomena.

Findings

Mode-locked output driven by nonlinear effects

Single nonlinear equation describes device dynamics

Analytic solutions in certain operational regimes

Abstract

We develop an analytic theory for the recently demonstrated Josephson Junction laser (Science 355, p. 939, 2017). By working in the time-domain representation (rather than the frequency-domain) a single non-linear equation is obtained for the dynamics of the device, which is fully solvable in some regimes of operation. The nonlinear drive is seen to lead to mode-locked output, with a period set by the round-trip time of the resonant cavity.