Fractional-flux oscillations of Josephson critical currents in multi-gap superconductors: a test for unconventional superconductivity

Abstract

Josephson-junction interferometry has played a pivotal role in uncovering unconventional superconductivity in the cuprates. Using a Ginzburg-Landau-like approach, we generalize previous results to the genuine multi-gap case. Thus, we show that fractional flux oscillations of the Josephson critical current can arise as a direct consequence of multi-gap superconductivity. These oscillations reveal key information about the underlying superconducting states, including the unconventional $s_{\pm }$-wave state. Thus, our findings suggest new phase-sensitive experiments to characterize the Cooper pairing of new emerging superconductors such as the nickelates.

4 pages, 3 figures