The Ultrafast Superconducting Diode Effect

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of an ultrafast non-reciprocal transport effect in centrosymmetric superconductors, enabling high-speed superconducting diodes with potential for THz logic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel ultrafast superconducting diode effect in centrosymmetric materials, surpassing conventional diode speeds by three orders of magnitude.

Findings

Achieved picosecond current pulses with different impedance responses based on polarity.

Demonstrated rectification of a 100 GHz signal with minimal energy dissipation.

Effect limited only by ultrafast current-induced depairing, enabling THz operation.

Abstract

Nonreciprocal transport is generally observed in superconductors in which time reversal and inversion symmetries are simultaneously broken. This effect, which may become one of the backbones for future superconducting electronics, arises because of asymmetric vortex transport in a magnetic field. However, vortex transport is also intrinsically dissipative and limited in speed. Here, we report on the discovery of ultrafast non-reciprocal transport in centrosymmetric superconductors. For NbN films biased with a quasi-DC supercurrent, picosecond current pulses with the same sign as the bias experience resistive impedance, whereas pulses of opposite polarity encounter an inductive response. Strikingly, the effect is at least three orders of magnitude faster than in conventional superconducting diodes, limited only by ultrafast current-induced depairing. We demonstrate rectification of a 100 GHz signal, with dissipation levels of a few fJ per cycle. We foresee potential for superconducting logic elements, operating at THz bit rates with aJ energy dissipation per operation.