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New paper in Nature Communications: Coherent microwave comb generation via the Josephson effect

We are happy to announce that our latest work, “Coherent microwave comb generation via the Josephson effect,” has been published in Nature Communications (vol. 17, Article 2972, 2026).

The study, led by Angelo Greco, Xavier Ballu, Francesco Giazotto, and Alessandro Crippa, demonstrates a new way to generate coherent microwave frequency combs using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). By applying a time-dependent magnetic drive, the device produces periodic voltage pulses that translate into a frequency comb spanning dozens of spectral modes — up to the 46th harmonic — within the 4–8 GHz range.

Unlike optical frequency combs, which are already a mature technology, this approach exploits superconducting circuits to create a low-dissipation, chip-scale comb generator. Thanks to its micrometer-scale footprint and minimal power dissipation, the device is well suited for integration with advanced cryogenic electronics — opening the door to translating established optical techniques into the solid-state domain for future quantum technology applications.

Read the full article: Coherent microwave comb generation via the Josephson effect (open access)

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Open post-doc position at SQEL

A one-year (eventually renewable) post-doc position (experimental) will be opened in summer 2021 to work in the low temperature nanotechnology labs at CNR-NANO & Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. High motivation and a basic education in solid-state physics or superconductivity or spintronics is welcome.

The work will be part of an ambitious ongoing European project (SUPERTED) aiming at the realization of novel highly sensitive quantum detectors based on superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator (S/FI) bi-layers. The candidate will participate to the low temperature (~10 mK) electrical measurements, to the design of the superconducting spintronic detectors, to the data analysis, and to the simulation of the hybrid nanodevices.

For additional information, feel free to contact us: Francesco Giazotto, Elia Strambini, Maria Spies.

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FETOPEN “SuperGate” funded with a €3M european project

From March 2021, SQEL is going to start a new research and innovation project SuperGate “Gate Tuneable Superconducting Quantum Electronics”, funded by the European Commission under the HORIZON-2020 FETOPEN program.

The project’s goal is to combine the powerful and energy-efficient superconductor technology with existing semiconductor technology and is based on the path-breaking discovery by the SQEL team that the superconductors can be controlled via electric field effect.

SuperGate is coordinated by the University of Konstanz and, apart from SQEL team institutes CNR-NANO and Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, involves CNR-SPIN, University of Salerno, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (HU), Delft University of Technology (NL), Chalmers University of Technology (SE) and SeeQC (IT).

The ultimate goal of SuperGate is to develop a new outperforming technology for superconducting logics that is completely based on electric field effect. The proposed technology promises a disruptive impact and radical transformations in the long term both in the world of supercomputing and concerning the design of innovative devices for quantum technologies.

Read more at the CNR-NANO press release.

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“Digital Superconducting Quantum Machines” among the winners of “Start Cup Toscana”

Claudio Puglia collects the award for the project DSQM Claudio Puglia collects the award for the project DSQM

“Digital superconducting quantum machines” (DSQM), an innovative project by SQEL researchers, is among the four winning projects of the “Start Cup Toscana 2020” an initiative that rewards the best innovative ideas born in the world of university research.

DSQM is the development of ultra-fast, low-power consumption superconducting circuits. This new frontier of information technology will contribute to the development of supercomputers 100 times faster than current ones. The project was developed by a team composed of Francesco Giazotto, Giorgio De Simoni, Elia Strambini, Federico Paolucci and Claudio Puglia from SQEL, Simone Gasparinetti (University of Chalmers) and Angelo Di Bernardo (University of Konstanz).

The technology of the DSQM project is based on the possibility of modifying the electrical current flowing in a superconductor through the application of an electric field. The team, ranked third in the competition, received a cash prize and the opportunity to participate to the “National Award for Innovation“, along with the other three awarded projects.

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Press review of “A Josephson phase battery”

"A Josephson phase battery" has been featured on PhysicsWorld, LaRepubblica and others “A Josephson phase battery” has been featured on PhysicsWorld, LaRepubblica and others

We are very glad that our research work about the Josephson quantum phase battery (recently published on Nature Nanotechnology), raised a considerable interest in the past weeks and has been featured on the main national and international press.

You can find below some of the most relevant articles: check them out ad read what they are saying about us!