Resonant tunneling in small current-biased Josephson junctions

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.43.229· OSTI ID:6096652

Schmidt, J M; Cleland, A N; Clarke, J ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (US) Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720

We investigate the theory of resonant tunneling of the phase difference {phi} in current-biased, small-capacitance Josephson junctions. Tunneling of {phi} occurs between states localized in adjacent wells of the tilted cosine ( washboard'') potential when the states are nearly degenerate, and leads to unique junction behavior. Most notable are the presence of voltage spikes along the supercurrent branch of the current-voltage characteristic, the reduction of the bias current at which the junction switches to the free-running state to a value well below the thermodynamic value, and peaks in the distribution of rates at which this switching occurs as a function of bias current. For a range of junction parameters, we estimate the magnitude and width of the first (lowest bias current) voltage spike and the rate of switching to the free-running state in the zero temperature, low damping limit. Experimentally, the most readily observable signature of resonant tunneling should be the characteristic peaks in the switching distribution.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6096652
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 43:1; ISSN PRBMD; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

656100* -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Superconductivity
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BOUND STATE
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
JUNCTIONS
RESONANCE
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
TUNNEL EFFECT