Quantum phase transitions in Josephson-junction chains

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.57.R716· OSTI ID:565934

Choi, M ^[1]; Yi, J; Choi, M Y ^[2]; Choi, J ^[3]; Lee, S ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784 (Korea)
2. Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea)
3. Department of Physics, Keimyung University, Taegu 704-701 (Korea)

We investigate the quantum phase transition in a one-dimensional chain of ultrasmall superconducting grains, considering both the self- and junction capacitances. At zero temperature, the system is transformed into a two-dimensional system of classical vortices, where the junction capacitance introduces anisotropy in the interaction between vortices. This leads to the superconductor-insulator transition of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type, as the ratios of the Josephson coupling energy to the charging energies are varied. It is found that the junction capacitance plays a role similar to that of dissipation and tends to suppress quantum fluctuations; nevertheless the insulator region survives even for arbitrarily large values of the junction capacitance. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 565934
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 57; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ANISOTROPY
CAPACITANCE
FLUCTUATIONS
JOSEPHSON EFFECT
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
KOSTERLITZ-THOULESS THEORY
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VORTICES