Critical currents in Josephson junctions with microinhomogeneities attracting solitons

The dependence of the critical zero-voltage current (γ_c) on the external magnetic field h in one-dimensional Josephson junctions with local attractive inhomogeneities is studied numerically and analytically. A main effect for the overlap geometry consists in forming near h=0 a cross-shaped structure in γ_c(h), due to the soliton and antisoliton localization on the inhomogeneity. Together with the state existing in homogeneous junctions they form a collection of three states (tristability) in a fairly large interval of h.