IP Library Granted Patent US 7,230,415
Granted Patent B2
US 7,230,415 · App. 10/988,927 · Granted Jun 12, 2007

Quantum junction device as switch and detector

Assignee: The Trustees of Boston University
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,230,415
App. No.
10/988,927
Granted
Jun 12, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A quantum junction device having three or more wires connected to a loop surrounding a magnetic flux is used to act as a switch responsive to magnetic flux and therefore useable for mass storage devices or as a flux detector by sensing current direction, conductance tensor, in response to a magnetic field under test.

Claims (34)

1. A quantum junction device functioning as a detector comprising:

a micro/nano scale selectively conducting junction having a limited number of channels operating in a non-Fermi liquid regime;

a first conductor in electrical connection to said junction;

second and third electrical conductors in electrical connection to said junction and spaced apart from each other and said first conductor;

a magnetic field existing in a region containing said junction; and

means for detecting a direction of current through said junction for identifying the magnitude of said magnetic field, said current direction being between a first path containing said first and second conductors and a second path containing said first and third conductors as a function of said magnetic field.

2. The junction of claim 1 wherein said junction is a loop with said magnetic field having an axis through said loop.

3. The junction of claim 2 wherein said junction has less than 100 conduction channels;

said junction is operated at a temperature above or below a superconducting temperature;

said junction is maintained in at condition in which electron behavior is characterized by a Luttinger liquid; and

electron behavior is superconducting like at a non-superconducting temperature.

4. The junction of claim 1 wherein said junction has less than 100 conduction channels.

5. The junction of claim 1 wherein said junction is operated at a temperature above or below a superconducting temperature.

6. The junction of claim 1 wherein said junction is maintained in at condition in which electron behavior is characterized by a Luttinger liquid.

7. The junction of claim 1 wherein electron behavior is superconducting like at a non-superconducting temperature.

8. The junction of claim 1 further including means for applying or sensing voltage or current at one or more of said electrical conductors.

9. The junction of claim 1 wherein said loop is a closed loop of arbitrary shape.

10. The use of the device of claim 1 to detect a magnetic field within a brain.

11. A method for using quantum junction device as a detector comprising:

providing a micro/nano scale selectively conducting loop junction having a limited number of channels operating in a non-Fermi liquid regime and further having first, second and third electrical conductors in electrical connection to said junction and spaced apart from each other and said function being in a region having a magnetic field; and

detecting a direction of current through said junction for identifying the magnitude of said magnetic field, said current direction being between a first path containing said first and second conductors and a second path containing said first and third conductors through said junction and as a function of said magnetic field.

12. The method of claim 11 including aligning the magnetic field to lie along an axis through said loop.

13. The method of claim 12 including providing said junction with less than 100 conduction channels;

operating said junction at a temperature above or below a superconducting temperature;

maintaining said junction in at condition in which electron behavior is characterized by a Luttinger liquid; and

wherein electron behavior is superconducting like at a non-superconducting temperature.

14. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing said junction with less than 100 conduction channels.

15. The method of claim 11 including operating said junction at a temperature above or below a superconducting temperature.

16. The method of claim 11 including maintaining said junction at condition in which electron behavior is characterized by a Luttinger liquid.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein electron behavior is superconducting like at a non-superconducting temperature.

18. The method of claim 11 further including applying or sensing voltage or current at one or more of said electrical conductors.

19. The method of claim 18 further including sensing or applying magnetic flux along said axis.

20. The method of claim 11 further including sensing or applying magnetic flux along said axis.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein said loop is a closed loop of arbitrary shape.

Assignments (3)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded May 22, 2019
From: BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 049250/0234 →
CORRECTIVE DOCUMENT REEL/FRAME: 016189/0822 TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S NAME. Recorded Aug 5, 2005
From: CHAMON, CLAUDIO; AFFLECK, IAN; OSHIKAWA, MASAKI
To: TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY, THE
Reel/Frame 016616/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2005
From: CHAMAN, CLAUDIO; AFFLECK, IAN; OSHIKAWA, MASAKI
To: TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY, THE
Reel/Frame 016189/0822 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20060114096A1 · Jun 1, 2006