Shot-noise-driven escape in hysteretic Josephson junctions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how shot noise influences the escape dynamics of hysteretic Josephson junctions, showing that shot noise induces thermal activation-like escape behavior, aligning well with a developed theoretical model.

Contribution

It introduces a model linking shot noise to thermal activation in Josephson junctions and experimentally confirms the noise-driven escape mechanism.

Findings

Escape current decreases with increased shot noise

Shot noise causes thermal activation-like escape behavior

Model matches experimental data accurately

Abstract

We have measured the influence of shot noise on hysteretic Josephson junctions initially in macroscopic quantum tunnelling (MQT) regime. Escape threshold current into the resistive state decreases monotonically with increasing average current through the scattering conductor, which is another tunnel junction. Escape is predominantly determined by excitation due to the wide-band shot noise. This process is equivalent to thermal activation (TA) over the barrier at temperatures up to about four times above the critical temperature of the superconductor. The presented TA model is in excellent agreement with the experimental results.