Optical superconducting device

An optic superconducting circuit element (10) is disclosed that is operable to transmit and receive on an identical chip an electromagnetic wave having frequencies in an extended frequency band ranging from microwave to THz frequency bands and with high sensitivity. The optic superconducting circuit element (10) includes the chip (3), and a superconducting electromagnetic wave oscillating (generating and transmitting) source (16) and a superconducting Josephson junction device (14) disposed in close vicinity to each other on the chip (3), the superconducting Josephson junction device (14) detecting the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the superconducting electromagnetic wave oscillating (generating and transmitting) source (16). The optic superconducting circuit element (10) operates in a manner such that the superconducting electromagnetic wave oscillating (generating and transmitting) source (16) is biased at a fixed electric current to generate an electromagnetic wave, and the superconducting Josephson junction device (14) is biased at a fixed current whereupon the point of biasing is successively shifted in response to a change according to the presence or absence of the electromagnetic wave to derive continuous spectral information thereof.