The promise of single Cooper pair quantum circuits based on tunnel junctions for metrology and quantum information applications is severely limited by the influence of offset charges - random, slowly drifting microscopic charges inherent to many soli
d-state systems. By shunting a small junction with the Josephson kinetic inductance of a series array of large capacitance tunnel junctions, thereby ensuring that all superconducting islands are connected to the circuit by at least one large junction, we have realized a new superconducting artificial atom which is totally insensitive to offset charges. Yet, its energy levels manifest the anharmonic structure associated with single Cooper pair effects, a useful component for solid state quantum computation.
