Constructing ab initio models of ultra-thin Al-AlOx-Al barriers

Abstract

The microscopic structure of ultra-thin oxide barriers often plays a major role in modern nano-electronic devices. In the case of superconducting electronic circuits, their operation depends on the electrical nonlinearity provided by one or more such oxide layers in the form of ultra-thin tunnel barriers (also known as Josephson junctions). Currently available fabrication techniques manufacture an amorphous oxide barrier, which is attributed as a major noise source within the device. The nature of this noise is currently an open question and requires both experimental and theoretical investigation. Here, we present a methodology for constructing atomic-scale computational models of Josephson..