Dynamics of semifluxons in Nb long Josephson 0-pi junctions

Abstract

We propose, implement and test experimentally long Josephson 0-pi junctions fabricated using conventional Nb-AlOx-Nb technology. We show that using a pair of current injectors, one can create an arbitrary discontinuity of the Josephson phase and in particular a pi-discontinuity, just like in d-wave/s-wave or in d-wave/d-wave junctions, and study fractional Josephson vortices which spontaneously appear. Moreover, using such junctions, we can investigate the \emph{dynamics} of the fractional vortices -- a domain which is not yet available for natural 0-pi-junctions due to their inherently high damping. We observe half-integer zero-field steps which appear on the current-voltage characteristics due to hopping of semifluxons.

arXiv commentFractional vortices in conventional superconductors ;-)

References in corpus (7)

• Coupling of two superconductors through a ferromagnet : evidence for a pi-junction
• Periodic alternating $0,\pi$-junction structures as realization of $\varphi$-Josephson junctions
• Spontaneous Flux and Magnetic Interference Patterns in 0-pi Josephson Junctions
• Semi-fluxons in long Josephson 0-pi-junctions
• Ground state and bias current induced rearrangement of semifluxons in 0-pi long Josephson junctions
• Vortices and Quantum tunneling in Current-Biased 0-π-0 Josephson Junctions of d-wave Superconductors
• Resonant flux motion and I-V -characteristics in frustrated Josephson junctions

Cited by in corpus (44)

• Spin-polarized supercurrents for spintronics: a review of current progress
• 0-pi Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic barrier
• Static and dynamic properties of 0, pi, and 0-pi ferromagnetic tunnel Josephson Junctions
• Quantum and classical integrable sine-Gordon model with defect
• Magnetic interference patterns in 0-Pi SIFS Josephson junctions: effects of asymmetry between 0 and Pi regions
• Quantum tunneling of semifluxons
• Ground states of one and two fractional vortices in long Josephson 0-kappa-junctions
• Fluxon-semifluxon interaction in an annular long Josephson 0-pi-junction
• Spectroscopy of the fractional vortex eigenfrequency in a long Josephson 0-kappa junction
• Visualizing supercurrents in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions with various arrangements of 0 and πsegments
• Controllable plasma energy bands in a 1D crystal of fractional Josephson vortices
• Low-T_c Josephson junctions with tailored barrier
• Non-ideal artificial phase discontinuity in long Josephson 0-kappa-junctions
• Oscillatory eigenmodes and stability of one and two arbitrary fractional vortices in long Josephson 0-kappa-junctions
• Stability of $\pi$ junction configurations in ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructures
• Semifluxon molecule under control
• Shape changing and accelerating solitons in integrable variable mass sine-Gordon model
• Vortex qubit based on an annular Josephson junction containing a microshort
• Nonlinearizing linear equations to integrable systems including new hierarchies with nonholonomic deformations
• Imaging of order parameter induced $\pi$ phase shifts in cuprate superconductors by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy
• Magnetic phase shifter for superconducting qubit
• Ferromagnetic 0-pi Josephson junctions
• Bäcklund transformations of $Z_n$-Sine-Gordon systems
• Pb-graphene-Pb Josephson junctions: characterization in B field
• Dynamics of point Josephson junctions in a microstrip line
• Effective model for a short Josephson junction with a phase discontinuity
• Theory of fractional vortex escape in a 0-kappa long Josephson junction
• Sub-μm Josephson Junctions for Superconducting Quantum Devices
• Shapiro steps in Josephson junctions with alternating critical current density
• Josephson effect between triplet superconductors through a ferromagnetic barrier of finite width
• Current-phase relation in Josephson junction coupled with a magnetic dot
• Thermal escape of fractional vortices in long Josephson junctions
• Simulation of two-flavors symmetry-locking phases in ultracold fermionic mixtures
• Charge varying sine-Gordon deformed defects
• Spectroscopy of a fractional Josephson vortex molecule
• Superconductors that do not expel magnetic flux
• Quantum tunneling of a single semifluxon in a 0-pi Josephson junction
• Existence and stability analysis of finite 0-$\pi$-0 Josephson junctions
• Localized mode interactions in 0-pi Josephson junctions
• Effect of current injection into thin-film Josephson junctions
• Anomalous magnetic interference of cross-type Josephson junctions exposed to oblique magnetic fields
• A tunable macroscopic quantum system based on two fractional vortices
• Radiation power and linewidth of a semifluxon-based Josephson oscillator
• Mobile $\pi -$kinks and half-integer zero-field-like steps in highly discrete alternating $0-\pi$ Josephson junction arrays