Josephson effect
/ (ˈdʒəʊzɪfsən) /
physics any one of the phenomena which occur when an electric current passes through a very thin insulating layer between two superconducting substances. The applications include the very precise standardization of the volt
Origin of Josephson effect
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Josephson effect
[ jō′zəf-sən ]
An effect in which electron pairs undergo quantum tunneling with zero resistance across a barrier separating two superconductors. The effect can be manipulated by varying a magnetic field at the junction where the tunneling occurs and is being investigated as a possible part of the design of high-speed switches for computer microprocessors. The Josephson effect is named after its discoverer, Welsh physicist Brian David Josephson (b. 1940).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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