Three-junction SQUID rocking ratchet

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Oct 21;95(17):177006. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.177006. Epub 2005 Oct 20.

Abstract

We investigate three-junction SQUIDs which show voltage rectification if biased with an ac current drive with zero mean value. The Josephson phase across the SQUID experiences an effective ratchet potential, and the device acts as an efficient rocking ratchet, as demonstrated experimentally for adiabatic and nonadiabatic drive frequencies. For high-frequency drives the rectified voltage is quantized due to synchronization of the phase dynamics with the external drive. The experimental data are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations including thermal fluctuations.