Experimental realization of a relativistic fluxon ratchet

Abstract

We report the observation of the ratchet effect for a relativistic flux quantum trapped in an annular Josephson junction embedded in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. In such a solid state system mechanical quantities are proportional to electrical quantities, so that the ratchet effect represents the realization of a relativistic-flux-quantum-based diode. Mean static voltage response, equivalent to directed fluxon motion, is experimentally demonstrated in such a diode for deterministic current forcing both in the overdamped and in the underdamped dynamical regime. In the underdamped regime, the recently predicted phenomenon of current reversal is also recovered in our fluxon ratchet.

arXiv comment4 pages, 6 figures. To appear in PHYSICA C

References in corpus (5)

• Chaotic Transport and Current Reversal in Deterministic Ratchets
• Voltage rectification by a SQUID ratchet
• Josephson vortex in a ratchet potential: Theory
• Ratchet effect in dc SQUIDs
• Depinning of kinks in a Josephson-junction ratchet array

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• Deterministic Josephson Vortex Ratchet with a load
• Tunable $\phi$ Josephson Junction ratchet
• Model $I$--$V$ curves and figures of merit of underdamped deterministic Josephson ratchets
• Kink movement on a periodic background