Josephson Current through a Quantum Dot Connected with Superconducting Leads

In this study, we consider the Josephson current in a system composed of a superconductor/quantum dot/superconductor junction. In the model, the Coulomb interaction in the quantum dot is taken into consideration, and the Lacroix approximation is applied to study the electron correlation. We derive Green’s function of the quantum dot by applying the Lacroix truncation. Although the Andreev bound state does not occur in our formulations, the π-junction occurs for a restricted parameter range. On comparing the Kondo temperature with that estimated by another method, it is found that our Lacroix approximation does not capture well the Kondo physics in the superconductor/quantum dot/superconductor junction.

Nonlocal supercurrent of quartets in a three-terminal Josephson junction

A novel nonlocal supercurrent, carried by quartets, each consisting of four electrons, is expected to appear in a voltage-biased three-terminal Josephson junction. This supercurrent results from a nonlocal Andreev bound state (ABS), formed among three superconducting terminals. While in a two-terminal Josephson junction the usual ABS, and thus the dc Josephson current, exists only in equilibrium, the ABS, which gives rise to the quartet supercurrent, persists in the nonlinear regime. In this work, we report such resonance in a highly coherent three-terminal Josephson junction made in an InAs nanowire in proximity to an aluminum superconductor. In addition to nonlocal conductance measurements, cross-correlation measurements of current fluctuations provided a distinctive signature of the quartet supercurrent. Multiple device geometries had been tested, allowing us to rule out competing mechanisms and to establish the underlying microscopic origin of this coherent nondissipative current.