Physics (Internal)

Complexity and self-localization in classical and quantum superconducting metamaterials

This event is part of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.

Superconducting metamaterials comprised of rf superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) form a complex nonlinear medium with interesting tuneability and dynamic multistability properties. Depending on the parameters, the SQUID metamaterial may operate in a negative permeability regime, induce intrinsic nonlinear localized modes, tame disorder through hysteretic loops, or transmit through nonlinear frequency bands. The SQUID metamaterial can also enter into a partially coherent regime and form stable chimera states. In the quantum realm, on the other hand, SQUIDs may be used as qubits and hence as building blocks of quantum computers. The superconducting qubit “meta-atoms” may interact through an injected electromagnetic field and form a propagating “quantum breather”, i.e. a compound semi-classical propagating mode induced by the nonlinearity of the interaction. In this presentation, we will first focus on the classical results and outline the nonlinear dynamics aspects of the SQUID metamaterial and then switch to the quantum regime and describe the dynamics of the collective mode and its properties.