Quasiperiodicity and revivals in dynamics of quantum phase slips in Josephson junction chains and superconducting nanowires

Abstract

Quantum phase slips in superconducting loops threaded by an external magnetic field provide a coupling between macroscopic quantum states with supercurrents circulating in opposite directions. We analyze the dynamics of the phase slips as a function of the superconducting loop length, from fully coherent dynamics for short loops to dissipative dynamics for the long ones. For intermediate lengths of the superconducting loop, the phase slips are coupled to a discrete bath of oscillators with frequencies comparable to the phase-slip amplitude. This gives rise to a quasiperiodic dynamics of the phase slips which manifests itself as a decay of oscillations between the two counterpropagating current states at short times, followed by oscillation revivals at later times. We analyze possible experimental implications of this non-adiabatic regime in Josephson junction chains and superconducting nanowires.