Bloch Diode

The Josephson diode effect-an asymmetry of critical currents at opposite polarities-has attracted much attention recently. One of its simplest realizations is an asymmetric SQUID with multiple Josephson harmonics tuned away from half-integer flux (in units of the superconducting flux quantum). Here we predict a dual version of this effect in a gate-tunable Cooper pair transistor placed in series with a highly resistive environment. The dual "Bloch diode effect" manifests itself as an asymmetry of critical voltages at opposite polarities when the Cooper pair transistor is tuned away from half-integer gate charge (in units of the Cooper pair charge). It arises from an asymmetry in the dispersion of the transistor's Bloch bands. A highly resistive environment can be realized with a Josephson junction array, suggesting that such a Bloch diode could be implemented using conventional superconducting quantum circuits.