Fluxon-semifluxon interaction in an annular long Josephson 0-pi-junction

Abstract

We investigate theoretically the interaction between integer and half-integer Josephson vortices (fluxons and semifluxons) in an annular Josephson junction. Semifluxons usually appear at the 0-$\pi$-boundary where there is a $\pi$-discontinuity of the Josephson phase. We study the simplest, but the most interesting case of one $\pi$-discontinuity in a loop, which can be created only artificially. We show that measuring the current-voltage characteristic after injection of an integer fluxon, one can determine the polarity of a semifluxon. Depending on the relative polarity of fluxon and semifluxon the static configuration may be stable or unstable, but in the dynamic state both configurations are stable. We also calculate the depinning current of $N$ fluxons pinned by an arbitrary fractional vortex.

8pages, 6 figures, submitted to PRB

References in corpus (4)

• Dynamics of semifluxons in Nb long Josephson 0-pi junctions
• Semi-fluxons in long Josephson 0-pi-junctions
• Ground state and bias current induced rearrangement of semifluxons in 0-pi long Josephson junctions
• Analytical analysis of ground states on 0-$\pi$ long Josephson junctions

Cited by in corpus (10)

• 0-pi Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic barrier
• Static and dynamic properties of 0, pi, and 0-pi ferromagnetic tunnel Josephson Junctions
• Quantum tunneling of semifluxons
• Spectroscopy of the fractional vortex eigenfrequency in a long Josephson 0-kappa junction
• Oscillatory eigenmodes and stability of one and two arbitrary fractional vortices in long Josephson 0-kappa-junctions
• Non-ideal artificial phase discontinuity in long Josephson 0-kappa-junctions
• Semifluxon molecule under control
• Theory of fractional vortex escape in a 0-kappa long Josephson junction
• Thermal escape of fractional vortices in long Josephson junctions
• Semifluxons in Superconductivity and Cold Atomic Gases