(a) Color plot of the differential resistance $dR/dVG$ vs V_G and I of a Nb-GCT measured at 3 K. Green and red stripes correspond to the gate-driven superconducting-to-normal transitions of the DB. (b) Scheme of the operation principle of the Nb-GCT half-wave rectifier. The device is operated at constant current bias I_B [black dashed line in panels (a) and (b)], whereas the gate electrode is biased with a signal composed of an ac component V_AC (green line) and a dc component V_G. This results in a time-dependent switching current $IS(t)$ (red line), which, depending on the amplitude of V_AC and on the set point of V_G, yields periodic normal-to-super and super-to-normal state transitions. In the latter condition, the voltage drop V at the ends of the DB oscillates between a low and a high state (blue line) with periodicity P equal to that of V_AC and duty cycle $τ/P$⁠. (c) Biasing scheme used to implement a half-wave rectifier based on a Nb-GCT. (d) Voltage drop V across the DB measured in a four-wire configuration with a lock-in amplifier vs V_G. V_AC is the reference signal of the lock-in amplifier. I_B was set to 2.5 μA. As shown in (d), V is almost zero until $IS(VG)<IB$⁠. The peaks correspond to the rectification of the ac gate signal.