No Arabic abstract
In long Josephson junctions with multiple discontinuities of the Josephson phase, fractional vortex molecules are spontaneously formed. At each discontinuity point a fractional Josephson vortex carrying a magnetic flux $|Phi|<Phi_0$, $Phi_0approx 2.07times 10^{-15}$ Wb being the magnetic flux quantum, is pinned. Each vortex has an oscillatory eigenmode with a frequency that depends on $Phi/Phi_0$ and lies inside the plasma gap. We experimentally investigate the dependence of the eigenfrequencies of a two-vortex molecule on the distance between the vortices, on their topological charge $wp=2piPhi/Phi_0$ and on the bias current $gamma$ applied to the Josephson junction. We find that with decreasing distance between vortices, a splitting of the eigenfrequencies occurs, that corresponds to the emergence of collective oscillatory modes of both vortices. We use a resonant microwave spectroscopy technique and find good agreement between experimental results and theoretical predictions.
Fractional Josephson vortices carry a magnetic flux Phi, which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum Phi_0 ~ 2.07x10^{-15} Wb. Their properties are very different from the properties of the usual integer fluxons. In particular, fractional vortices are pinned and have an oscillation eigenfrequency which is expected to be within the Josephson plasma gap. Using microwave spectroscopy, we investigate the dependence of the eigenfrequency of a fractional Josephson vortex on its magnetic flux $Phi$ and on the bias current. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Topological Josephson junctions (JJs), which contain Majorana bound states, are expected to exhibit 4$pi$-periodic current-phase relation, thereby resulting in doubled Shapiro steps under microwave irradiation. We performed numerical calculations of dynamical properties of topological JJs using a modified resistively and capacitively shunted junction model and extensively investigated the progressive evolution of Shapiro steps as a function of the junction parameters and microwave power and frequency. Our calculation results indicate that the suppression of odd-integer Shapiro steps, i.e., evidence of the fractional ac Josephson effect, is enhanced significantly by the increase in the junction capacitance and IcRn product as well as the decrease in the microwave frequency even for the same portion of the 4$pi$-periodic supercurrent. Our study provides the optimal conditions for observing the fractional ac Josephson effect; furthermore, our new model can be used to precisely quantify the topological supercurrent from the experimental data of topological JJs.
Abrikosov vortex contains magnetic field and circulating currents that decay at a short range $lambda sim 100$ nm. However, the vortex can induce a long range Josephson phase shift at distances $rsimmu$m$gglambda$. The mechanism of this puzzling phenomenon is not clearly understood. Here we present a systematic study of vortex-induced phase shift in planar Josephson junctions. We make two key observations: (i) The cutoff effect: although vortex-induce phase shift is a long-range phenomenon, it is terminated by the junction and does not persists beyond it. (ii) A crossover from linear to superlinear dependence of the phase shift on the vortex polar angle occurs upon approaching of the vortex to the junction. The crossover occurs at a distance comparable with the penetration depth. This, together with theoretical and numerical analysis of the problem, allows unambiguous identification of two distinct and independent mechanisms. The short range mechanism is due to circulating vortex currents {it inside} superconducting electrodes without involvement of magnetic field. The long range mechanism is due to stray magnetic fields {it outside} electrodes without circulating vortex currents. We argue that understanding of controlling parameters of vortex-induced Josephson phase shift can be used for development of compact and fast electronic devices with low dissipation power.
The Josephson vortices dynamic in superconducting $YBa_2Cu_3O_x$ ceramics was studied in frequency range 0.01-0.5 Hz by ac susceptibility measurements in non complete magnetic flux penetration regime. We have found that with the increase of magnetic field frequency starting from 0.01 Hz the ac magnetic response shows complex frequency dependence: in one half period of a sinusoidal field appear two asymmetrical peaks of real $Deltachiprime$ and imaginary $chiprimeprime$ parts of the ac susceptibility. The analysis of experimental results has led to an idea that probably the volume (diameter) of Josephson vortices increases during its movement. The experimental results are discussed in terms of Josephson vortex - vortex interactions.
We consider a fractional Josephson vortex in a long 0-kappa Josephson junction. A uniformly applied bias current exerts a Lorentz force on the vortex. If the bias current exceeds the critical current, an integer fluxon is torn off the kappa-vortex and the junction switches to the voltage state. In the presence of thermal fluctuations the escape process takes place with finite probability already at subcritical values of the bias current. We experimentally investigate the thermally induced escape of a fractional vortex by high resolution measurements of the critical current as a function of the topological charge kappa of the vortex and compare the results to numerical simulations for finite junction lengths and to theoretical predictions for infinite junction lengths. To study the effect caused by the junction geometry we compare the vortex escape in annular and linear junctions.