Direct measurement of the Josephson supercurrent in an ultrasmall Josephson junction

We have measured the supercurrent flowing through a nonhysteretic, ultrasmall, voltage-biased Josephson junction. In contrast with experiments performed so far on hysteretic Josephson junctions, we find a supercurrent peak whose maximum I(s max) increases as the temperature T decreases. The asymptotic T = 0 value of I(s max) agrees with the junction Ambegaokar-Baratoff critical current, as predicted by theory.     

Optimization of spin-triplet supercurrent in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions

We have observed long-range spin-triplet supercurrents in Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic (F) materials, which are generated by noncollinear magnetizations between a central Co/Ru/Co synthetic antiferromagnet and two outer thin F layers. Here we show that the spin-triplet supercurrent is enhanced up to 20 times after our samples are subject to a large in-plane field. This occurs because the synthetic antiferromagnet undergoes a "spin-flop" transition, whereby the two Co layer magnetizations end up nearly perpendicular to the magnetizations of the two thin F layers. We report direct experimental evidence for the spin-flop transition from scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis and from spin-polarized neutron reflectometry. These results represent a first step toward experimental control of spin-triplet supercurrents.     

Josephson supercurrent in BCS superconductor--induced surface-layer heavy fermion superconductor junction

In this communication we show that the Josephson supercurrent in Ta--induced surface-layer UBe junction can be described in an unconventional even parity model. The key feature is the appearance of the pseudogap near the Fermi energy at low temperatures. This makes the heavy fermion system unique. Our theory fits the experimental result satisfactorily.     

Tunable supercurrent in superconductor/normal metal/superconductor Josephson junctions

When two superconductors are connected by a weak link a supercurrent flows determined by the difference in the macroscopic quantum phases of the superconductors. Originally, this phenomenon was discovered by Josephson for the case of a weak link formed by a thin tunnel barrier. The supercurrent I is related to the phase difference ϕ through the Josephson current–phase relation, I = I_csin ϕ, with I_c, the critical current, depending on the properties of the weak link. A similar relation holds for weak links consisting of a normal metal, a semiconductor or a constriction . In all cases, the phase differenceϕ =  0 when no supercurrent flows through the junction, and ϕ increases monotonically with increasing supercurrent until the critical current is reached. Using nanolithography techniques we have succeeded in making and studying a Josephson junction with a normal metal weak link, in which we have direct access to the microscopic current-carrying states inside the link. We find that the fundamental Josephson relation can be changed fromI = I_csin ϕ toI = I_csin(ϕ + π), i.e. to a π -junction, by suitably controlling the energy distribution of the current-carrying states in the normal metal. This fundamental change in the way these Josephson junctions behave has potential implications for their use in superconducting electronics as well as (quantum) logic circuits based on superconductors.     

Maximal supercurrent of a Josephson junction in a field of magnetic particles

The maximal supercurrent I_m of a short Josephson junction formed by an edge contact of two superconducting films is calculated for the case where the junction is placed in a periodic field produced by a chain of magnetic nanoparticles. The commensurability effects occurring when the magnetic flux of a homogeneous external field H₀ through an elementary cell is equal to an integral number of magnetic flux quanta Φ₀ are considered. The effects give rise to additional maxima in the I_m(H₀) dependence.     

Self-resonant modes in light-sensitive Josephson tunnel junctions

Observations of self-induced steps in the d.c. current-voltage characteristic of light-sensitive Josephson junctions are reported. The appearance of the structure is induced by light. Preliminary experimental data show a reasonable agreement with the theory developed for oxide barrier junctions. A shift in the positions of the resonant peaks has been observed increasing the illumination level.     

Single vortex propagation in Josephson tunnel junctions

Certain finite-voltage current steps appearing in zero magnetic field in Josephson tunnel junctions are interpreted as arising from a novel process involving the inertial motion of one or more vortices in the junction.     

Josephson coupling and Fiske dynamics in ferromagnetic tunnel junctions

We report on the fabrication of Nb/AlO _x /Pd_0.82Ni_0.18/Nb superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (SIFS) Josephson junctions with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, high quality factors, and very good spatial uniformity. For these junctions a transition from 0- to π-coupling is observed for a thickness d _F @\simeq 6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd_0.82Ni_0.18 interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the π-coupled junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd_0.82Ni_0.18 has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization, indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes provides information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms up to about 400 GHz. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, the damping is dominated by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes at high frequencies. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. Our analysis shows that the fabricated junctions are promising for applications in superconducting quantum circuits or quantum tunneling experiments.     

Current-voltage characteristics of large Josephson tunnel junctions

An analytic expression of dc supercurrents through large Josephson tunnel junctions in the presence of both a dc voltage and a dc magnetic field is obtained. The magnetic field dependence of the calculated dc supercurrents is reasonably consistent with experiments.     

The current phase relation in Josephson tunnel junctions

The J(?) relation in SFIFS, SNINS, and SIS tunnel junctions is studied. A method for the analytical solution of linearized Usadel equations has been developed and applied to these structures. It is shown that the Josephson current across the structure has a sum of sin? and sin2? components. Two different physical mechanisms are responsible for the sign of sin2?. The first one is the depairing by current, which contributes positively to the sin2? term, while the second one is the finite transparency of SF or SN interfaces, which provides the negative contribution. In SFIFS junctions, where the first harmonic vanishes at the 0-π transition, the calculated second harmonic fully determines the J(?) curve.     

BCS quasi-particle tunnelling current in Josephson tunnel junctions

Summary The recent improvements in the fabrication technology have succeeded in obtaining high-quality Josephson tunnel junctions. TheI–V characteristics of these junctions exhibit now lesser and lesser differences from the theoretical predictions. The various figures of merit, so far introduced to qualify the junctions, appear now focused on too limited aspects and a direct comparison with the detailed prediction of the theory is in order. For this awaken interest in the detailed predictions of the BCS theory, we have revisited the relevant formulae for the quasi-particle tunnelling current. A detailed discussion of the analytical transformation necessary for a simple numerical evaluation of this current is reported. SeveralI–V curves are obtained using the parameter values corresponding to the case of Nb-based junctions, which is the actual running technology. Peculiar interesting aspects are outlined.     

双层结构铁磁-超导隧道结的直流Josephson电流

通过求解Bogoliubov_de Gennes(BdG)方程得到铁磁超导共存态(FS)的自洽方程，在考虑结 界面的粗糙情形下，由推广的Furusaki_Tsukada(FT)的电流公式计算了铁磁超导态/ 绝缘层 / 铁磁超导态(FS/I/FS)结的直流Josephson电流，讨论了FS/I/FS结的直流Josephson临界 电流随磁交换能、温度的变化情况.研究表明：当结界面势垒散射强度和粗糙势垒散射强度 比较弱时磁交换能总是抑制FS/I/FS结的直流Josephson临界电流，而当结左右两边FS中铁 关键词： FS/I/FS超导隧道结 铁磁超导共存态 直流Josephson电流 粗糙势垒散射     

New fluxon resonant mechanism in annular Josephson tunnel structures

A novel dynamical state has been observed in the dynamics of a perturbed sine-Gordon system. This resonant state has been experimentally observed as a singularity in the dc current-voltage characteristic of an annular Josephson tunnel junction, excited in the presence of a magnetic field. In this respect it can be assimilated to self-resonances known as Fiske steps. Differently from these, however, we demonstrate, on the basis of numerical simulations, that its detailed dynamics involves rotating fluxon pairs, a mechanism associated, so far, to self-resonances known as zero-field steps. This occurs because the size of nonlinear excitations is comparable with that of the system.