Critical current from dynamical boundary instability for fully frustrated Josephson junction arrays

Abstract

We investigate numerically the critical current of two-dimensional fully frustrated arrays of resistively shunted Josephson junctions at zero temperature. It is shown that a domino-type mechanism is responsible for the existence of a critical current lower than the one predicted from the translationally invariant flux lattice. This domino mechanism is demonstrated for uniform-current injection as well as for various busbar conditions. It is also found that inhomogeneities close to the contacts makes it harder for the domino propagation to start, which increases the critical current towards the value based on the translational invariance. This domino-type vortex motion can be observed in experiments as voltage pulses propagating from the contacts through the array.

5 pages, 5 figures, in two columns, final version

References in corpus (4)

• Observation of breathers in Josephson ladders
• Current-induced vortex dynamics in Josephson-junction arrays: Imaging experiments and model simulations
• Domain Walls Motion and Resistivity in a Fully-Frustrated Josephson Array
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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Non-equilibrium transitions in fully frustrated Josephson junction arrays
• Transverse phase-locking in fully frustrated Josephson junction arrays: a new type of fractional giant steps
• Critical currents for vortex defect motion in superconducting arrays
• Mean Field Critical Behaviour for a Fully Frustrated Blume-Emmery-Griffiths Model