Features of the effect of the Josephson medium parameters on vortex formation and critical current

The response of an intergranular Josephson junction to displacements of an Abrikosov vortex in a superconducting polycrystal is studied theoretically. The vortex filament in the vicinity of the junction excites a tunnel current in the junction and also generates a Josephson vortex with which it merges upon emergence at the surface of the junction. It is shown that the process of the Josephson vortex formation passes through a stage of overcoming a potential barrier, whose height depends on the distance between the Abrikosov vortex and the junction, as well as on the effective thickness of the junction, which is determined by the characteristic grain size, grain anisotropy, and the intensity of the intergranular coupling. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the intergranular Josephson junction is determined for various grain and intergranular parameters, as well as for the triangular and square configurations of the Abrikosov vortex lattice. The results indicate that a high degree of texturing in the grain size, anisotropy, and intensity of intergranular coupling is very important for obtaining high critical currents in pure polycrystalline materials.