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A primary quantum current standard based on the Josephson and the quantum Hall effects

Author

Listed:
  • Sophie Djordjevic

    (Laboratoire national de métrologie et d’essais)

  • Ralf Behr

    (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB))

  • Wilfrid Poirier

    (Laboratoire national de métrologie et d’essais)

Abstract

The new definition of the ampere calls for a quantum current standard able to deliver a flow of elementary charges, e, controlled with a relative uncertainty of 10−8. Despite many efforts, nanodevices handling electrons one by one have never demonstrated such an accuracy for a net flow. The alternative route based on applying Ohm’s law to the Josephson voltage and quantum Hall standards recently reached the target uncertainty in the milliampere range, but this was at the expense of the application of error corrections. Here, we present a new programmable quantum current generator, which combines both quantum standards and a superconducting cryogenic amplifier in a quantum electrical circuit enabling the current scaling without errors. Thanks to a full quantum instrumentation, we demonstrate the accuracy of the generated currents, in the microampere range, at quantized values, ±(n/p)efJ, with relative uncertainties less than 10−8, where n and p are integer control parameters and fJ is the Josephson frequency. This experiment sets the basis of a universal quantum realization of the electrical units, for example able of improving high-value resistance measurements and bridging the gap with other quantum current sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Sophie Djordjevic & Ralf Behr & Wilfrid Poirier, 2025. "A primary quantum current standard based on the Josephson and the quantum Hall effects," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56413-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56413-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fabian Kaap & Christoph Kissling & Victor Gaydamachenko & Lukas Grünhaupt & Sergey Lotkhov, 2024. "Demonstration of dual Shapiro steps in small Josephson junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-6, December.
    2. F. Lafont & R. Ribeiro-Palau & D. Kazazis & A. Michon & O. Couturaud & C. Consejo & T. Chassagne & M. Zielinski & M. Portail & B. Jouault & F. Schopfer & W. Poirier, 2015. "Quantum Hall resistance standards from graphene grown by chemical vapour deposition on silicon carbide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-9, November.
    3. Rais S. Shaikhaidarov & Kyung Ho Kim & Jacob W. Dunstan & Ilya V. Antonov & Sven Linzen & Mario Ziegler & Dmitry S. Golubev & Vladimir N. Antonov & Evgeni V. Il’ichev & Oleg V. Astafiev, 2022. "Quantized current steps due to the a.c. coherent quantum phase-slip effect," Nature, Nature, vol. 608(7921), pages 45-49, August.
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