Under a high frequency drive, Josephson junctions demonstrate Shapiro steps of quantized voltage. These are dynamically stabilized states in which the phase across the junction locks to the external drive. We explore the stochastic switching between two symmetric steps at $\frac{\hslash \omega }{2e}$ and $-\frac{\hslash \omega }{2e}$. Surprisingly, the switching rate exhibits a pronounced nonmonotonicity as a function of temperature, violating the general expectation that transitions should become faster with temperature. We explain this behavior by realizing that the system retains memory of the dynamic state from which it is switching, thereby breaking the conventional simplifying assumptions about separations of timescales.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Stochastic thermodynamics
• Superconducting RF
• Josephson junctions
• Microwave techniques