Josephson Effect

Superconductivity and Superfluidity
Josephson effects
I
V
A/e
normal metal superconductor
Fermi
Energy
2A
superconductor
normal metal
V= A/e
We have already noted
tunneling effects between a
superconductor and a
normal metal (through an
insulating barrier)
This provides evidence of a
superconducting energy
gap
Josephson demonstrated
tunneling between two
superconductors separated
by an insulating barrier
The dc Josephson effect
I S S
d
A B
Insulating
weak link
Macroscopic wave function
assume that the
barrier is sufficiently
thin, ie d 0 and
0
2
n
s
2
= +
The phase difference between any two points
along the wavefunction is
dl
x
2
2
1
2 1 12
}

t = = A
whilst the supercurrent density is
v
2
n
e 2 J
s
s
=
So, with =h/2mv, we have =hn
s
e/2mJ
s,
and
l d J
e hn
m 4
2
1
s
s
12
}
t
= A
ie V =
m 2
e n
J
s
s

or, along the x-direction
dx
d
m 2
e 2
J
2
x

+ =

I S S
d
A B
Assuming that both J
x
and ||
2
are both constant
across the link AB
=
o x
J J
where is the difference in phase |
B
|
A
and
d dx
d
A B

=
2
o
md 2
e 2
J + =

and
dx
d
m 2
e 2
J
2
x

+ =

Now as |
B
|
A
and |
B
|
A
+2tn are indistinguishable, we have

= sin J J
o x
where J
o
is the critical current of the
superconducting insulator
I S S
d
A B
The insulating weak link may be a bridge of area A
for which J
o
=I
o
/A
I
o

I
2A/e
a
b
d
c
So below I
o
the supercurrent will dominate the
transport across the weak link, but above I
o
the
current is entirely normal
At I
o
the device crosses from operation at b to
operation at c
To increase the current above I
o
the potential
difference across the junction must be increased
If the current is then reduced from point c it follows
the curve to point d: The Josephson junction is
hysteretic
Below I
o
there is a supercurrent, but because
there is a potential difference across the junction
the current oscillates rapidly
- only the dc component is shown here
I S S
d
A B
Typically I
o
~1mA
This dc Josephson device can be used as a switch in logic circuits
It is 10
3
times faster than the semiconducting equivalent, and
dissipates 0.01% of the power
The ac Josephson effect
If we now apply a voltage, V, while I<I
o
such that the energy difference across
the junction is AE=2eV, there will be an additional time dependent phase
difference across the junction such that:
) eVt 2 sin( J J
o x
=
The supercurrent density therefore oscillates at a frequency of eV 2
If the voltage difference is maintained this will correspond to emission of
radiation of this frequency
Photon emission is necessary for conservation of energy,
because unless is AE=2eV emitted by the electron pairs they
will be unable to tunnel into pair states on the other side of the
barrier
For V=10
-6
volts, f=484Mhz, =620m - independent of the superconducting
material
Note: this relates, for the first time, voltage to frequency directly through
fundamental constants. It is now used to define the Volt
A radiation detector
The ac Josephson effect can be used to accurately determine the frequency of
em radiation
The junction is biased with a voltage of V
o
, and is subject to em radiation of the
form V
1
sinet
(
e = ) t sin(
eV 2 t eV 2
sin J J
1 o
A B o

With some mathematical manipulation this gives
=
(
|
.
|
\
|
e A =
0 s
o
o s o
t s
eV 2
sin A J J
where the A
s
are
Bessel functions
and s is an integer
So, as the external potential V
o
is increased through the values
e 2
s V
o
e
=

steps will occur in the current density when the potential difference is a
multiple of e 2 e
A radiation detector
V
0

I
2A/e
I
o

Shapiro steps
50V
Josephson junction subject to em radiation and increasing bias voltage V
o

The Superconducting QUantum Interference Device
I
I
DC SQUID: superconducting ring containing
two Josephson junctions (of critical current I
c
)
in parallel
Assume flux threading each separate junction
is negligible
The total current flowing into the circuit is
) sin (sin I I
B A c
+ =
where
A 1 A 2 A
| | =
B 1 B 2 B
| | =
Remember that the total phase difference is:
( ) dl . A
h
* e 2
dl . J
* e hn
* m 2
Y
X
Y
X
S
*
s
XY
} }
t
+
t
= A
Phase difference
due to current
Phase difference due to
change of flux density
Zero in centre of
superconductor
1B
2B
1A
2A
B

C
1

C
2

I
I
1B
2B
1A
2A
B

C
1

C
2

So the phase difference between two points
inside the superconductor is:
( ) dl . A
h
* e 2
Y
X
XY
}
t
= A
dl . A
h
* e 2
dl . A
h
* e 2
A 2
B 2
B 2 A 2
B 1
A 1
A 1 B 1
}
}
t
= |
t
= |
and the phase differences along C
1
and C
2
are
Summing these equations
}
t
= | + | dl . A
h
* e 2
B 2 A 2 A 1 B 1
o
2
u
u
t =
hence
o
B A
2
u
u
t =
where u is the flux threading the SQUID loop
I
I
1B
2B
1A
2A
B

C
1

C
2

if
o
B A
2
u
u
t =
we can write
o
o A
u
u
t + =
o
o B
u
u
t =
o
o c
cos sin I 2 I
u
u
t =
So ) sin (sin I I
B A c
+ = becomes
o max
sin I =
where
o
c max
cos I 2 I
u
u
t =
I
max
is the maximum current that can flow through the SQUID.
This critical current is modulated by the magnetic flux trapped between the
junctions with a period defined by the flux quantum
The DC SQUID
u/u
o
-3-2-10123
I
max
As we are only concerned with the current necessary to drive the SQUID normal
we need only worry about |I
max
|
SQUIDs are therefore capable of measuring extremely small changes in magnetic
flux, much less than that associated with a single flux quantum
Interference: diffraction effects
The form of the critical current through a SQUID is the same form as the Fraunhofer
formula for optical interference from two parallel slits:
I
max
is equivalent to the resultant amplitude of the optical oscillation, A
I
c
is equivalent to the amplitude of each of the two interfering beams, a
tu/u
o
is one half the phase difference between the two interfering beams
The amplitude of such Youngs fringes is additionally modulated by the diffraction
pattern of the individual slits, ie
|
|
=
sin
a a
o
where | is one half of the phase difference between rays from the two opposite
sites of one slit
By analogy we might therefore expect the critical current I
c
of a weak link to depend
on the magnetic field as
( )
o J
o J
c c
sin
) 0 ( I I
u u t
u u t
=
where u
J
is the flux of the applied field passing through the area of the link
Interference: diffraction effects
u/u
o
-3-2-10123
I
max
( )
o J
o J
c c
sin
) 0 ( I I
u u t
u u t
=

Josephson Effect

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Josephson Effect

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Superconductivity and Superfluidity

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