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Updated: Oct 29, 2025

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Using Neuron Spiking Activity to Trigger Closed-Loop Stimuli in Neurophysiological Experiments
Published on: November 12, 2019
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Neuron-like spiking and bursting in Josephson junctions: A review
Arindam Mishra1, Subrata Ghosh2, Syamal Kumar Dana1
1Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India.
Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)
|July 9, 2021
Summary
Superconducting Josephson junctions exhibit neuronal-like spiking and bursting behaviors. Recent studies explain this phenomenon, observed in nanowires, by interpreting superconducting dynamics through a biological bursting lens.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Neuroscience
- Materials Science
Background:
- Superconducting Josephson junctions display dynamic behaviors analogous to neuronal spiking and bursting.
- This dynamical similarity was previously overlooked, with limited attempts to interpret it from a neurobiological perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the history of research on superconducting junction dynamics.
- To explain the origin of spiking and bursting in superconducting junctions.
- To interpret these behaviors using principles of biological bursting.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical research on Josephson junction dynamics.
- Analysis of two superconducting junction models.
- Dynamical interpretation of observed behaviors in the context of neurobiology.
Main Results:
- The study highlights the long-observed but under-interpreted similarities between superconducting junction dynamics and neuronal activity.
- Recent research has successfully explained the origin of these behaviors in superconducting junctions and nanowires.
- The dynamical interpretation aligns superconducting phenomena with biological bursting.
Conclusions:
- Superconducting Josephson junctions and nanowires exhibit complex dynamics mirroring neuronal functions.
- Interpreting superconducting behaviors through the lens of biological bursting offers new insights.
- This interdisciplinary approach bridges condensed matter physics and neuroscience.
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