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

Example Sentences

The AC Josephson effect is one of the gems of physics, and it supplies the prototype for one large family of time crystals.

From Scientific American

Thus, the AC Josephson effect embodies the most basic concept of a time crystal.

From Scientific American

Through a phenomenon called the Josephson effect, microwave radiation beamed onto a superconducting device called a Josephson junction can produce a voltage output.

From Washington Post

Thanks to a quantum phenomenon known as the Josephson effect, electric currents flowing around tiny loops in such circuits can circle both clockwise and counterclockwise at once, so are perfect for representing a qubit.

From Scientific American

Thanks to a quantum phenomenon known as the Josephson effect, electric currents flowing around tiny loops in such circuits can circle both clockwise and counterclockwise at once, so are perfect for representing a qubit.

From Nature