Tunable planar Josephson junctions driven by time-dependent spin-orbit coupling

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to control Josephson junctions using time-dependent spin-orbit coupling, enabling tunable superconducting devices and potential applications in quantum computing and spintronics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to modulate Josephson junctions via gate-controlled, time-dependent spin-orbit coupling, affecting their current-phase relations and dynamics.

Findings

Transition between stable phases achieved with linear change in spin-orbit strength.

Transition rate can surpass GHz electric field changes by an order of magnitude.

Implications for superconducting spintronics and topological quantum computing.

Abstract

Integrating conventional superconductors with common III-V semiconductors provides a versatile platform to implement tunable Josephson junctions (JJs) and their applications. We propose that with gate-controlled time-dependent spin-orbit coupling, it is possible to strongly modify the current-phase relations and Josephson energy and provide a mechanism to drive the JJ dynamics, even in the absence of any bias current. We show that the transition between stable phases is realized with a simple linear change in the strength of the spin-orbit coupling, while the transition rate can exceed the gate-induced electric field GHz changes by an order of magnitude. The resulting interplay between the constant effective magnetic field and changing spin-orbit coupling has direct implications for superconducting spintronics, controlling Majorana bound states, and emerging qubits. We argue that topological superconductivity, sought for fault-tolerant quantum computing, offers simpler applications in superconducting electronics and spintronics.