ABSTRACT
We develop a theoretical description of nonadiabatic Josephson dynamics in superconducting junctions containing low energy quasiparticles. Within this approach we investigate the effects of midgap states in junctions of unconventional d-wave superconductors. We identify a reentrance effect in the transition between thermal activation and macroscopic quantum tunneling, and connect this phenomenon to the experimental observations in Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 087003 (2005). It is also shown that nonlinear Josephson dynamics can be defined by resonant interaction with midgap states reminiscent of nonlinear optical phenomena in media of two-level atoms.
ABSTRACT
We investigate the dynamics of a two-level Andreev bound state system in a transmissive quantum point contact embedded in an rf SQUID. Coherent coupling of the Andreev levels to the circulating supercurrent allows manipulation and readout of the level states. The two-level Hamiltonian for the Andreev levels is derived, and the effect of interaction with the quantum fluctuations of the induced flux is studied. We also consider an inductive coupling of qubits and discuss the relevant SQUID parameters for qubit operation and readout.
