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Energy-Level Quantization in the Zero-Voltage State of a Current-Biased Josephson Junction

John M. Martinis, Michel H. Devoret*, and John Clarke

  • Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, and Materials and Molecular Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720

  • *On leave from Service de Physique du Solide et de Resonance Magnétique, Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.

Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 1543 – Published 7 October, 1985

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.55.1543

Abstract

We report the first observation of quantized energy levels for a macroscopic variable, namely the phase difference across a current-biased Josephson junction in its zero-voltage state. The position of these energy levels is in quantitative agreement with a quantum mechanical calculation based on parameters of the junction that are measured in the classical regime.

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Nobel Prize: Quantum Tunneling on a Large Scale

Published 7 October, 2025

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes the discovery of macroscopic quantum tunneling in electrical circuits.

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  12. Omitted endnote

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