Prototype for a commercial Josephson-effect voltage standard

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5256315

Holdeman, L B; Field, B F; Toots, J; Chang, C C

A prototype commercial voltage standard is described in which a Josephson junction is used as a precise frequency-to-voltage converter. The ratio of the induced voltage to the applied frequency is an integral multiple of the magnetic flux Phi/sub 0/ = h/2e, where h is Planck's constant and e is the elemental charge. A constant-voltage step is induced in the current-voltage characteristic of a Josephson tunnel junction by irradiating the junction with microwaves of known frequency. A specially designed potentiometer is used to scale the junction voltage up to 1.017+ V for calibrating Weston-type cadmium-sulfate standard cells. Although cost, simplicity, and ease-of-use considerations necessitated some tradeoff with precision, the instrument nevertheless has an overall accuracy (2sigma) relative to the NBS volt of 0.4 ppm or better.

• Research Organization: National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 5256315
• Report Number(s): CONF-780339-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 44
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

420201* -- Engineering-- Cryogenic Equipment & Devices
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CALIBRATION STANDARDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
RADIATIONS
STANDARDS
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
USES
VOLTAGE REGULATORS