We report on measurements of the linewidth $\Delta f$ of terahertz radiation emitted from intrinsic Josephson junction stacks, using a Nb/AlN/NbN integrated receiver for detection. Previous resolution-limited measurements indicated that $\Delta f$ may be below 1 GHz—much smaller than expected from a purely cavity-induced synchronization. While at low bias we found $\Delta f$ to be not smaller than $\sim$500 MHz, at high bias, where a hot spot coexists with regions which are still superconducting, $\Delta f$ turned out to be as narrow as 23 MHz. We attribute this to the hot spot acting as a synchronizing element. $\Delta f$ decreases with increasing bath temperature, a behavior reminiscent of motional narrowing in NMR or electron spin resonance (ESR), but hard to explain in standard electrodynamic models of Josephson junctions.

Electrically controlled terahertz (THz) beamforming antennas are essential for various applications such as wireless communications, security checks, and radar to improve coverage and information capacity. The emerging programmable metasurface provides a flexible, cost-effective platform for THz beam steering. However, scaling such arrays to achieve high-gain beam steering faces several technical challenges. Here, we propose a pixelated liquid crystal THz metasurface with a crossbar structure, thereby increasing the array scale to more than 3000. The coding pattern on the programmable device is generated by the modulo-addition of the coding sequences on the top and bottom layers. We experimentally demonstrate the programmable liquid crystal metasurface capable of active beam deflection in the upper half-space. This scale-up of programmable devices opens exciting opportunities in pencil beamforming, high-speed information processing, and optical computing.

Emission of terahertz (THz) electromagnetic (EM) waves from a high critical temperature ( T _c ) superconductor intrinsic Josephson junction (IJJ) is a new and promising candidate for practical applications of superconducting devices. From the engineering viewpoint, the IJJ THz source is competitive against the present semiconducting THz sources such as quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) and resonance tunnelling diode oscillators because of its broad tunable frequency range and ease of the fabrication process for the device. The emitted EM waves are considered to be coherent because the emission is yielded by synchronisation of thousand stacked IJJs consisting of the mesa device. This synchronisation is peculiar: the resonant frequency of each IJJ is distributed because the cross section of the mesa device is trapezoidal in shape. One of the key features of the synchronisation mechanism is the temperature inhomogeneity of the emitting device. In this topical review, we describe the recent progress in studies of IJJ THz sources with particular emphasis on the relevance of the temperature inhomogeneity to the synchronisation and the emission intensity. This review is of specific interest because the IJJ THz source shows the rich variety of functions due to self-heating which has always been a detrimental feature in the present superconducting devices. Moreover, the thermal managements used for IJJ THz sources will be common with those of other semiconducting devices such as QCLs. In addition, this review is to invite the readers into related research through the detailed descriptions of experimental procedures.

Classical and quantum space-to-ground communications necessitate highly sensitive receivers capable of extracting information from modulated photons to extend the communication distance from near-earth orbits to deep space explorations. To achieve gigabit data rates while mitigating strong background noise photons and beam drift in a highly attenuated free-space channel, a comprehensive design of a multi-functional detector is indispensable. In this study, we present an innovative compact multi-pixel superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array that integrates near-unity detection efficiency (91.6%), high photon counting rate (1.61 Gcps), large dynamic range for resolving different photon numbers (1–24), and four-quadrant position sensing function all within one device. Furthermore, we have constructed a communication testbed to validate the advantages offered by such an architecture. Through 8-PPM (pulse position modulation) format communication experiments, we have achieved an impressive maximum data rate of 1.5 Gbps, demonstrating sensitivities surpassing previous benchmarks at respective speeds. By incorporating photon number information into error correction codes, the receiver can tolerate maximum background noise levels equivalent to 0.8 photons/slot at a data rate of 120 Mbps—showcasing a great potential for daylight operation scenarios. Additionally, preliminary beam tracking tests were conducted through open-loop scanning techniques, which revealed clear quantitative dependence indicating sensitivity variations based on beam location. Based on the device characterizations and communication results, we anticipate that this device architecture, along with its corresponding signal processing and coding techniques, will be applicable in future space-to-ground communication tasks.

We have studied experimentally and numerically temperature profiles and the formation of hot spots in intrinsic Josephson junction stacks in Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_8$ (BSCCO). The superconducting stacks are biased in a state where all junctions are resistive. The formation of hot spots in this system is shown to arise mainly from the strongly negative temperature coefficient of the $c$-axis resistivity of BSCCO at low temperatures. This leads to situations where the maximum temperature in the hot spot can be below or above the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$. The numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental observations.

Nematic order often breaks the tetragonal symmetry of iron-based superconductors. It arises from regular structural transition or electronic instability in the normal phase. Here, we report the observation of a nematic superconducting state, by measuring the angular dependence of the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetoresistivity of Ba_0.5K_0.5Fe₂As₂ single crystals. We find large twofold oscillations in the vicinity of the superconducting transition, when the direction of applied magnetic field is rotated within the basal plane. To avoid the influences from sample geometry or current flow direction, the sample was designed as Corbino-shape for in-plane and mesa-shape for out-of-plane measurements. Theoretical analysis shows that the nematic superconductivity arises from the weak mixture of the quasi-degenerate s-wave and d-wave components of the superconducting condensate, most probably induced by a weak anisotropy of stresses inherent to single crystals.