The work presented in this thesis investigates transitions between quantum states in superconducting double dots (SDDs), a nanoscale device consisting of two aluminium superconducting islands coupled together by a Josephson junction, with each dot connected to a normal state lead. The energy landscape consists of a two level manifold of even charge parity Cooper pair states, and continuous bands corresponding to charge states with single quasiparticles in one or both islands. These devices are fabricated using shadow mask evaporation, and are measured at sub Kelvin temperatures using a dilution refrigerator. We use radio frequency reflectometry to measure quantum capacitance, which is dependent on the quantum state of the device. We measure the quantum capacitance as a function of gate voltage, and observe capacitance maxima corresponding to the Josephson coupling between even parity states. We also perform charge sensing and detect odd parity states. These measurements support the theoretical model of the energy landscape of the SDD. By measuring the quantum capacitance in the time domain, we observe random switching of capacitance between two levels. We determine this to be the stochastic breaking and recombination of single Cooper pairs. By carrying out spectroscopy of the bath responsible for the pair breaking we attribute it to black-body radiation in the cryogenic environment. We also drive the breaking process with a continuous microwave signal, and find that the rate is linearly proportional to incident power. This suggests that a single photon process is responsible, and demonstrates the potential of the SDD as a single photon microwave detector. We investigate this mechanism further, and design an experiment in which the breaking rate is enhanced when the SDD is in the antisymmetric state rather than the symmetric state. We also measure the quantum capacitance of a charge isolated double dot. We observe 2e periodicity, indicating the tunnelling of Cooper pairs and the lack of occupation of quasiparticle states. This work is relevant to the range of experiments investigating the effect of non-equilibrium quasiparticles on the operation of superconducting qubits and other superconducting devices.

Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden die Kondo-Gitter YbT2Si2 (T = Rh, Ir, Co) und CeTPO (T = Ru, Os, Fe, Co) untersucht. In diesen Systemen treten starke ferromagnetische Korrelationen der 4f-Momente zusammen mit ausgeprägter Kondo-Wechselwirkung auf, deren theoretische Beschreibung bislang sehr kontrovers diskutiert wird. Diese Arbeit liefert damit einen essentiellen experimentellen Beitrag zur Physik von ferromagnetischen Kondo-Gittern. So konnten qualitativ hochwertige Einkristalle von YbRh2Si2 hergestellt und erstmalig an einem Schwere-Fermion-System deren kritische Fluktuationen um den magnetischen Phasenübergang analysiert werden. Weiterhin konnte das bis dahin unverstandene Auftreten einer Elektron-Spin-Resonanz (ESR)-Linie in YbT2Si2 auf ferromagnetische Korrelationen zurückgeführt werden. Außerdem wurde mit CeFePO ein neues Schwere-Fermion-System mit starken ferromagnetischen Korrelationen entdeckt sowie mit dem isoelektronischen CeRuPO der seltene Fall eines ferromagnetisch geordneten Kondo-Gitters realisiert. / Within the context of this thesis the Kondo lattices YbT2Si2 (T = Rh, Ir, Co) and CeTPO (T = Ru, Os, Fe, Co) were investigated. In these systems strong ferromagnetic correlations of the 4f-moments together with pronounced Kondo interactions are present, whose theoretical description are pres-ently controversial discussed. Therefore, this work gives an essential experimental contribution to the physics of ferromagnetic Kondo lattices. The main results include the growth of high-quality single crystals of YbRh2Si2 and the first analysis of the critical fluctuations around the magnetic phase transition in a heavy fermion system. Furthermore, the unexpected observation of an electron spin resonance in YbT2Si2 could be ascribed to ferromagnetic correlations. Moreover, a new heavy fermion system CeFePO with strong ferromagnetic correlations was found and with the isoelec-tronic CeRuPO the rare case of a ferromagnetic Kondo-lattice discovered.