[volt-nuts] Low-cost Josephson Junction Array

[Vince Mulhollon]

On Wed, Oct 19, 2016 at 1:30 PM, Ken Peek <ken.peek at diligentminds.com>
wrote:

> Where in the world do I *get* one of these things?  How much does it cost?
>
> Ideas anyone?
>

Well, you asked for it.

I might humbly suggest the responses are going to flow in two directions.

One direction is like the old amateur scientist column in scientific
american where heroic achievements are glorified for eternity even if they
don't accomplish real economically valuable work.

The other is something like professional railroad men trying to dissuade a
home machinist from trying to build a full size replica of a Union Pacific
4-8-8-4 because its going to be quite complicated and expensive and large
and even the professionals find it a bit difficult so go back to watching
Oprah Show reruns on TV.

In the spirit of I just want a hand held steam engine that spins a wheel
and chuffs a bit, in my infinite spare time I've been thinking/working on
replicating the work from this URL at home:

http://labs.physics.berkeley.edu/mediawiki/index.php/Josephson_Junction

I certainly have the RF gear.  I have marginally adequate measurement
gear.  I have access to a machine shop (my own, although I have no niobium
experience...).  There's always a problem and for me its sourcing liq He
and using it my lab without asphyxiating myself.  I do not have the
cryogenic lab gear (or experience) that I need to pull this off safely.  So
in typical home hobbyist style I have an infinite dependency chain where
I'm sorta trying to get some liq N2 experience on another separate project
so that someday I can cluefully use liq He.  I have some professional
training with energetic materials so I'm not worried about the safety and
discipline aspects of cryonics, or rephrased I know what to be worried
about and how to protect against stuff thats more fun than I can
find/afford to buy.  At some point in my life I will run that lab in my
basement but I can't even predict a year much less a date.

I think its a fun project because it marries so many unique experimental
lab skills.. measurement electronics, precision machining, modest power
microwave RF, exotic materials, cryonics...  It really is, in many ways,
the masterpiece of home science experiments.

I'm honestly not sure that liq He is something that can be done at home.
It may simply not be possible.

So your desire for a home JJ is not unique although frankly I have so far
to go with my cryonics learning and gear that I'm not far ahead of you!