Gauge invariant quantization for circuits including Josephson junctions

Abstract

Recently, a new theory of superconductivity has been put forward that attributes the origin of superconductivity to the appearance of a non-trivial Berry connection from many-electron wave functions. This theory reproduces the major results of the BCS theory with conserving the particle number, and predicts the single-electron supercurrent tunneling across the Josephson junction with keeping the correct Josephson relation. We re-examine the quantization of superconducting qubit circuits by taking into account the above development, and show that the dynamical variables used in the standard theory, the flux nodes relating to the voltage, should be replaced by those relating to the electromagnetic vector potential. The fact that the Josephson junction tunneling allows the single-electron supercurrent tunneling is the reason for the existence of excited single electrons in superconducting qubits with Josephson junctions. We predict that it will be avoided by weakening the coupling between two superconductors in the Josephson junction.