skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Cylindrical Josephson junctions in magnetic fields

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6970139

The radial Josephson current I/sub J/ between co-axial cylinders was measured as a function of axial and azimuthal magnetic fields. The junctions were of two types: 0.25 mm diameter Nb-oxide-Sn single junctions and 0.25 mm film diameter Nb-oxide-Sn film double junctions. The Sn film of the single junctions was 160 nm or 200 nm. The Sn films of the double junctions were both either 155 nm or 230 nm. For a pair of cylinders I/sub J/ is zero except when both members are in the same fluxoid quantum state. When I/sub J/not equal to O, the relative phase is independent of aximuthal angle theta. In all measurements the cylinders were in fluxoid state zero. There was a critical value of axial field B/sub s/ which destroyed the Josephson coupling for each junction. This critical field is smallest for the outer tin junction of the double junction. It depends upon geometry and film thickness but is independent of the value of I/sub J/. The calculated value of the Gibbs function per unit volume of the tin films is, however, nearly the same for all junctions at their respective critical fields. Th Josephson current for the 160 nm Sn film single cylindrical junction was measured as a function of axial field B/sub z/ and azimuthal field B/sub theta/. When the axial field was zero the Josephson current as a function of azimuthal field showed the Fraunhofer like pattern of a flat junction in a magnetic field. As the axial field was increased, the central lobe of the Fraunhofer pattern decreased and disappeared at the critical field leaving the side lobes broadened. It is well known that a Josephson junction may switch to the voltage state at any current less than the maximum Josephson current. For some cylindrical junctions the switching currents are not continuously distributed but discrete with certain values occurring repeatedly. This observation is not understood.

Research Organization:
Clemson Univ., SC (USA)
OSTI ID:
6970139
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English