Fluctuating current-voltage characteristic and activation phase reversals of a high-Q Josephson junction

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6333847

Mel'nikov, V I

The phase and voltage in a Josephson junction fluctuate in full analogy with the motion of a Brownian particle in a tilted periodic potential. It is shown that if the junction has high Q and the potential energy is large compared with the temperature the Fokker-Planck equation for these fluctuations can be written in the form of a system of integral equations that can be solved by the Wiener-Hopf method. An exact expression is obtained for the current-voltage characteristic (IVC) of the junction. It is shown that at the threshold current, which corresponds in the absence of fluctuations to the bifurcation point of the solution of the equation for the phase, the fluctuation IVC of the junction has a break at which the logarithmic derivative has a jump of order unity. The decay of the superconducting state of the junction is determined. The relative probabilities of the different phase flips and the probability of junction activation into the resistive state are calculated. Expressions are given for the activation time and for the lifetime of the resistive state, and their connection with the noise characteristics of the junction is discussed.

• Research Organization: L. D. Landau Institute of Theoretical Physics, USSR Academy of Sciences
• OSTI ID: 6333847
• Journal Information: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 61:4; ISSN SPHJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

656102* -- Solid State Physics-- Superconductivity-- Acoustic
Electronic
Magnetic
Optical
& Thermal Phenomena-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CURRENTS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EQUATIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
JUNCTIONS
NOISE
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
THRESHOLD CURRENT
VARIATIONS