Josephson effect

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪfsən /

noun

1. physics any one of the phenomena which occur when an electric current passes through a very thin insulating layer between two superconducting substances. The applications include the very precise standardization of the volt

Josephson effect

/ jō′zəf-sən /

1. An effect in which electron pairs undergo quantum tunneling with zero resistance across a barrier separating two superconductors. The effect can be manipulated by varying a magnetic field at the junction where the tunneling occurs and is being investigated as a possible part of the design of high-speed switches for computer microprocessors. The Josephson effect is named after its discoverer, Welsh physicist Brian David Josephson (b. 1940).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Josephson effect¹

C20: named after Brian David Josephson (born 1940), Welsh physicist; shared the Nobel prize for physics in 1973