Critical currents in frustrated two-dimensional Josephson arrays

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.42.6165· OSTI ID:6003617

Benz, S P; Rzchowski, M S; Tinkham, M; Lobb, C J ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (USA)

Using the peak in dynamic resistance versus current to indicate the intrinsic critical current {ital I}{sub {ital c}0}, the magnetic-field dependence of {ital I}{sub {ital c}0} in two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays has been inferred from differential resistance measurements at finite voltages. This peak is particularly clear when a magnetic-field-induced vortex superlattice is strongly commensurate with the underlying lattice. At weakly commensurate fields, {ital dV}/{ital dI} rises sharply at approximately 10% of the zero-field {ital I}{sub {ital c}0}, in qualitative agreement with the prediction of Lobb {ital et} {ital al}. (Phys. Rev. B 27, 150 (1983)) for the pinning of isolated vortices. New exact calculations of the critical current are presented for the cases of {ital f}=1/2 and 1/3 ({ital f} is the average number of flux quanta per cell of the array), which agree well with our experimental measurements. Implications of these exact results for the effect of boundary conditions in computer simulations on small arrays are also noted.

• OSTI ID: 6003617
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 42:10; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
426001 -- Engineering-- Superconducting Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
656100 -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Superconductivity
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
COPPER
CRITICAL CURRENT
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELEMENTS
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
JUNCTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
METALS
NIOBIUM
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS