Superconducting tunnel elements including superconductors and barriers and insulators

摘要

The element includes a superconductor (S1), an insulator (I), a superconductor (S2), a barrier (B), a superconductor (S3), an insulator (I) and a superconductor (S4) stacked in that order. A normally conductive or semiconductor layer or a superconductive layer with a smaller energy gap than that of the adjacent superconductive layers may be provided between the barrier (B) and its adjacent superconductors (S2,S3). An additional insulator and an additional superconductor may be arranged either side of the barrier in a symmetrical arrangement. Two or more such superconductor elements may be arranged in a tunnel stack. Each element is separated by an insulator. Each tunnel element may be individually controlled or connected. Alternatively, two or more tunnel elements may be commonly controlled or connected.