Transition from Josephson behavior to depairing behavior in ion-implanted molybdenum weak links

We compare our results for the temperature and bridge-length dependence of the critical supercurrent in ion-implanted molybdenum weak links with a new theory by Likharev and Yakobson. This is the first such comparison to their theory, and quantitative agreement is found. Also, at temperatures for which Likharev and Yakobson predict a sinusoidal current-phase relation, the rf response of our weak links agrees well with shunted junction model computations based on a sinusoidal current-phase relation.     

The influence of the second harmonic in the current-phase relation on the voltage-current characteristic of high TC DC SQUID

A theory for the voltage-current characteristic in high TC DC SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices), which accounts for a second harmonic in the junction current-phase relation, is developed. It is shown that the small inductance DC SQUIDs can be used for the investigation of the second harmonic via its influence on the voltage-flux curve. If the second harmonic is perceptible, then for large inductance DC SQUIDs the theory can explain the substantial deviations of the experimental voltage modulation from theoretical predictions and computer simulations based on conventional sinusoidal current-phase relation. The detail comparison with the experiment is performed.     

Measurement of the current-phase relation of superconducting atomic contacts

We have probed the current-phase relation of an atomic contact placed with a tunnel junction in a small superconducting loop. The measurements are in quantitative agreement with the predictions of a resistively shunted SQUID model in which the Josephson coupling of the contact is calculated using the independently determined transmissions of its conduction channels.     

Current-versus voltage source model in Josephson effect

The height of the calculated radiation-induced constant-voltage steps in the characteristic of a Josephson junction with linear-periodic current-phase relation is compared with the magnitude of the current spikes obtained from the voltage-source model.     

Josephson junction with a magnetic-field tunable ground state

We consider an asymmetric 0-π Josephson junction consisting of 0 and π regions of different lengths L(0) and L(π). As predicted earlier this system can be described by an effective sine-Gordon equation for the spatially averaged phase ψ so that the effective current-phase relation of this system includes a negative second harmonic ∝sin(2ψ). If its amplitude is large enough, the ground state of the junction is doubly degenerate ψ=±φ, where φ depends on the amplitudes of the first and second harmonics. We study the behavior of such a junction in an applied magnetic field H and demonstrate that H induces an additional term ∝Hcosψ in the effective current-phase relation. This results in a nontrivial ground state tunable by magnetic field. The dependence of the critical current on H allows for revealing the ground state experimentally.     

嵌入耦合量子点的介观Aharonov-Bohm环内的持续电流

使用双杂质的Anderson模型的哈密顿量，从理论上研究了一个嵌入耦合量子点的介观Aharonov-Bohm环系统处在Kondo区时的基态性质, 并用slave-boson平均场方法求解了哈密顿量. 结果表明, 在这个系统中, 宇称效应和复杂的电流 相位关系的出现反映了两个量子点可以相干耦合. 关键词： 持续电流 耦合量子点 宇称效应 Kondo效应     

Splitting of the energy level of a Josephson-junction qubit with an anharmonic current-phase relation

A Josephson-junction qubit with an anharmonic current-phase relation is studied. An analytical expression for the split of the ground energy level is derived.     

Skewness in the current-phase relation of double-barrier Josephson junctions

The current-phase relations of a double-barrier Josephson junction with a thin intermediate electrode show deviations from the usual sinusoidal dependence of a single Josephson junction. The skewness of these curves can be analytically found for small values of the coupling between the two outer electrodes of the double-barrier Josephson junction.     

Diffraction-like effect on Jc-H characteristics of thin film type II superconductor

Fraunhofer pattern-like behaviours were observed in the critical current versus magnetic field characteristics of superconducting Pb-(20 wt. %) In thin films. The results are discussed in terms of current-phase relation in the type II superconductor.     

Current–phase relationship measurements in the flow of superfluid He through a single orifice

We report accurate measurements of the current-phase relationship in the flow of superfluid ³He through a single orifice. While ideal sinusoidal 2π-periodic Josephson behavior prevails close to T_c, increasingly strong π-periodic admixture is usually observed at lower temperatures.     

Triplet Josephson effect with magnetic feedback in a superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructure

We study the ac Josephson effect in a superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructure with a variable magnetic configuration. The system supports triplet proximity correlations whose dynamics is coupled to the magnetic dynamics. This feedback dramatically modifies the behavior of the junction. The current-phase relation becomes double periodic at both very low and high Josephson frequencies omegaJ. At intermediate frequencies, the periodicity in omegaJt may be lost.     

Superconducting atomic contacts under microwave irradiation

We have measured the effect of microwave irradiation on the dc current-voltage characteristics of superconducting atomic contacts. The interaction of the external field with the ac supercurrents leads to replicas of the supercurrent peak, the well-known Shapiro resonances. The observation of supplementary fractional resonances for contacts containing highly transmitting conduction channels reveals their nonsinusoidal current-phase relation. The resonances sit on a background current which is itself deeply modified, as a result of photon-assisted multiple Andreev reflections. The results provide firm support for the full quantum theory of transport between two superconductors based on the concept of Andreev bound states.     

Long-range superharmonic Josephson current

We consider a long superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction with one spin-active region. It is shown that an odd number of Cooper pairs cannot have a long-range propagation when there is only one spin-active region. When the temperature is much lower than the Thouless energy, the coherent transport of two Cooper pairs becomes the dominant process and the superharmonic current-phase relation is obtained (I ∝ sin2?).     

Subharmonic Shapiro steps and noise in high-T c superconductor Josephson junctions

An experimental investigation is made of the subharmonic Shapiro steps observed on the I-V curves of high-T _c superconductor Josephson junctions and on the bias-voltage dependences of the rf noise and detector response when the junctions are subjected to external submillimeter radiation. Structures of this type are ordinarily described by a nonsinusoidal current-phase relation, which is why subharmonic steps appear. Numerical modeling of the processes occurring in a Josephson junction by means of a simple current-phase relation, as in the case of an SNS junction, gives good agreement with experiment. The width of the characteristic Josephson generation line of the junction was estimated on the basis of the noise dependences and the selective detector response. The width can be explained by taking into account the shot noise of the tunneling component of the conductivity. A model of the conductivity of a high-T _c superconductor Josephson junction, consisting of a tunnel junction with microshorts possessing metallic conductivity, is discussed. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 5, 426–430 (10 September 1998)     

Supercurrent switch in graphene pi junctions

We study the supercurrent in a superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor graphene junction. In contrast to its metallic counterpart, the oscillating critical current in our setup decays only weakly upon increasing the exchange field and junction width. We find an unusually large residual value of the supercurrent at the oscillatory cusps due to a strong deviation from a sinusoidal current-phase relationship. Our findings suggest a very efficient device for dissipationless supercurrent switching.     

Macroscopic quantum tunneling in d-wave YBa2Cu3O7-delta Josephson junctions

The escape rate from the zero voltage state in a superconducting Josephson junction (JJ) is determined by the temperature, but it saturates at low temperature due to macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT). Complications due to d-wave symmetry in a high temperature superconductor, like low energy quasiparticles and an unconventional current-phase relation, may influence the escape rate. We report, for the first time to our knowledge, the observation of MQT in a YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) grain boundary biepitaxial JJ. This proves that dissipation can be significantly reduced by a proper junction configuration, which is of significance for quantum coherence.     

Direct coupling between magnetism and superconducting current in the Josephson phi0 junction

We study the proximity effect between conventional superconductor and magnetic normal metal with a spin-orbit interaction of the Rashba type. Using the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory and the quasiclassical Eilenberger approach it is demonstrated that the Josephson junction with such a metal as a weak link has a special nonsinusoidal current-phase relation. The ground state of this junction is characterized by the finite phase difference phi{0}, which is proportional to the strength of the spin-orbit interaction and the exchange field in the normal metal. The proposed mechanism of the phi{0} junction formation gives a direct coupling between the superconducting current and the magnetic moment in the weak link. Therefore the phi{0} junctions open interesting perspectives for the superconducting spintronics.     

Persistent currents in one dimension: the counterpart of Leggett's theorem

We discuss the sign of the persistent current of N electrons in one dimensional rings. Using a topology argument, we establish lower bounds for the free energy in the presence of arbitrary electron-electron interactions and external potentials. Those bounds are the counterparts of upper bounds derived by Leggett. Rings with odd (even) numbers of polarized electrons are always diamagnetic (paramagnetic). We show that unpolarized electrons with N being a multiple of four exhibit either paramagnetic behavior or a superconductorlike current-phase relation.     

The influences of the second harmonics together with the asymmetries of junctions on the voltage–current characteristics of high TC DC SQUIDs

We consider a superconducting quantum interference device having two arbitrary different over damped junctions transporting different currents. By replacing the governed two-dimensional Fokker–Planck equation with two one-dimensional equations, two density probability currents are appeared which determine the statistical average of the time-averaged total voltage across the device. To obtain the density probability currents, two coupled integral equations are introduced. These equations together with two other equations coming from normalizing conditions, found one generalized formulation for the voltage–current characteristics of the device. Based on that, the voltage–current characteristics of large inductance asymmetric DC SQUIDs having first and second harmonics in their current-phase relations are obtained and some predictions are illustrated.     

Anomalous Josephson effect between even- and odd-frequency superconductors

We demonstrate that, contrary to standard wisdom, the lowest-order Josephson coupling is possible between odd- and even-frequency superconductors. The origin of this effect is the induced odd- (even-)frequency pairing component at the interface of bulk even- (odd-)frequency superconductors. The resulting current-phase relation is found to be proportional to cosphi, where phi is the macroscopic phase difference between the two superconductors.