Effect of finite size on the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in two-dimensional arrays of proximity-coupled junctions
- Department of Physics, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207 (United States)
- Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221 (United States)
- Center for Superconductivity, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)
We have investigated the Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) transition in a series of proximity-coupled Josephson junction arrays of varying widths. Our results indicate that the KT transition in any experimentally realizable sample is almost always obscured by the presence of thermally generated, finite-size-induced free vortices. While the existence of these finite-size-induced free vortices has been known for some time, our work suggests that they are much more prevalent and thus have a far greater effect on the transition than had been previously thought. As a consequence of this, the vortex-unbinding transition temperature T{sub KT} may not occur when the experimentally measured current-voltage exponent a(T)=3, but in fact may occur at significantly higher temperatures. We present a detailed picture of these finite-size effects applied specifically to arrays, but which may have implications for other two-dimensional systems. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
- OSTI ID:
- 565918
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 57, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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