Scientists built a new amplifier that powers itself using nothing but tiny differences in temperature.
March 25, 2026
Original Paper
A Zero-Bias Superconducting Voltage Amplifier Based on the Bipolar Thermoelectric Effect
arXiv · 2603.23400
The Takeaway
Electronic amplifiers usually require an external power source, which generates noise and heat that can disrupt sensitive experiments. This new device harvests energy from ambient heat gradients instead, potentially allowing for 'power-free' signal boosting in ultra-cold quantum computers.
From the abstract
We introduce a zero-bias superconducting voltage amplifier that harvests energy from a thermal gradient by exploiting negative differential resistance (NDR) in an asymmetric tunnel junction. The device is based on an asymmetric superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junction with an energy-gap ratio of $\Delta_1/\Delta_2 = 0.5$, connected in series with a load resistor. Owing to the superconducting bipolar thermoelectric effect, the current-voltage characteristic of the junction exhibits