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Japanese Journal of Applied Physics

Characteristics of Charging Effect in One-Dimensional Array of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ Intrinsic Josephson Junctions

Takeshi Kawae, Takashi Yasuda, Satoshi Awaji, Kensuke Nakajima, Takeshi Hatano, Tsutomu Yamashita

Published Jun 1, 2005• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

For the observation of the charging effect on a Josephson junction, the charging energy (E c) must be much larger than the Josephson coupling energy (E J) and thermal energy (k B T). We investigated the properties of submicron-sized Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) at low temperature. The current–voltage curve of IJJs with a junction area of 0.06 µm2 showed a much higher resistance state near the zero bias voltage regions when the measurement temperature decreased to 72.6 mK. The ratios of E c/E J and E c/k B T were 7.04 and 5.78, respectively, which indicates that the charging effect is dominant. In addition, a characteristic voltage structure due to the charging effect in one-dimensional junction array, which is composed of the offset voltage and the threshold voltage of the junction, was observed.

DOI
10.1143/jjap.44.l766

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For the observation of the charging effect on a Josephson junction, the charging energy (E c) must be much larger than the Josephson coupling energy (E J) and thermal energy (k B T). We investigated the properties of submicron-sized Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) at low temperature. The current–voltage curve of IJJs with a junction area of 0.06 µm2 showed a much higher resistance state near the zero bias voltage regions when the measurement temperature decreased to 72.6 mK. The ratios of E c/E J and E c/k B T were 7.04 and 5.78, respectively, which indicates that the charging effect is dominant. In addition, a characteristic voltage structure due to the charging effect in one-dimensional junction array, which is composed of the offset voltage and the threshold voltage of the junction, was observed.
We have measured Current-Voltage ( I-V ) characteristics of a large number of two-dimensional arrays of small area Al-AlOx-Al junctions down to temperatures of 40 mK, recording the temperature dependence of the zero bias resistance R 0 ( T ). The normal state resistance of the junctions R N varies from 2 kΩ to 270 kΩ and the junction capacitance C from 0.2 f F to 2.2 f F. The arrays are classified into different types according to the E J / E c and the R Q / R N ratios, and mapped onto a parameter diagram. E J is the Josephson coupling energy, E c = e 2 /2 C is the charging energy, and R Q = h /4 e 2 = 6.5 kΩ is the quantum resistance. For low resistance arrays, R Q / R N >> 1 with E J / E c > 1, the Josephson current prevails and the arrays are superconducting. When R Q / R N << 1 and E J / E c < 1, the I-V characteristics show typical Coulomb blockade features. In an intermediate region where R Q / R N similar 0.4, E J / E c similar 0.2, we find a "back-bending" I-V curve with negative differential resistance. The behavior of R 0 ( T ) also falls into three categories which can be correlated with the type of I-V characteristic. At the lowest temperature the arrays appear to be either insulating (d R 0 /d T < 0) or superconducting (d R 0 /d T > 0) depending on whether R N is greater than R Q or less than R Q respectively.
We fabricated submicron-sized intrinsic Josephson junctions of Bi-2212 by the focused-ion-beam (FIB) etching method. The main result was a reduction of the in-plane junction area to 0.3 µm 2 by direct FIB etching with no degradation in the critical transition temperature ( T c ). At the current ( I )-voltage ( V ) characteristic of these stacks, the gap structure and the normal-state resistance are clearly observed by a reduction of the Joule heating. The critical current density is considerably suppressed, the hysteresis and multibranch structure are eliminated and a periodic structure of current peaks appears reproducibly on the I - V curves. The period V of the structure is consistent with the Coulomb charging energy of a single pair, V = e / C , where C is the effective capacitance of the stack. It is considered that this behaviour originates from the Coulomb blockade of intrinsic Josephson tunnelling in submicron Bi-2212 stacks. We demonstrated the junction operating up to 10 K for the stack with an in-plane size of 0.3 µm 2 and an elementary junction number of 50.
We fabricated submicron-sized intrinsic Josephson junctions by the focused-ion-beam (FIB) etching method. The principal result was a reduction of the in-plane junction area to 0.3 μm2 by direct FIB etching with no degradation in the critical transition temperature (Tc). In the current (I)–voltage (V) characteristics of these stacks, the gap structure and the normal state resistance are clearly observed together with a reduction of the Joule heating and disappearance of the branch structure. The Coulomb staircase structure was found in the I–V curves of submicron junctions as a result of their small effective capacitance of fF order.
We studied current-voltage characteristics of long one-dimensional Josephson junction chains with Josephson energy much larger than charging energy, ${E}_{J}\ensuremath{\gg}{E}_{C}$. In this regime, typical I-V curves of the samples consist of a supercurrent-like branch at low-bias voltages followed by a voltage-independent chain current branch, Ichain{I}_{\mathrm{chain}}Ichain​ at high bias. Our experiments showed that Ichain{I}_{\mathrm{chain}}Ichain​ is not only voltage-independent but it is also practically temperature-independent up to T=0.7TCT=0.7{T}_{C}T=0.7TC​. We have successfully model the transport properties in these chains using a capacitively shunted junction model with nonlinear damping.
Two-stacked intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs) on a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ(Bi-2212) whisker with a submicron hole are micromachined by a 3D focused ion beam (FIB) etching method. The junction area, the number of elementary junctions, and the loop area of the SQUIDs are 3, 20, and 0.42 μm2, respectively. The SQUIDs show typical I–V characteristics of IJJs with a critical current IC of 12 μA at 4.2 K. The modulation parameter βL(=2ICL/Φ0) is 6.4, and the inductance L of the SQUID is 1120 pH. That includes the inductances of the elementary junction around a SQUID loop. In a strong magnetic field, the Fraunhofer pattern is obtained and well fitted to the calculated value from the junction size, ΔB=Φ0/tW; t is the interlayer distance, and W is the junction width. In a low magnetic field, approximately 10% of the IC modulation corresponding to the value of βL is observed. Eighty G of the modulation period approximately agrees with the value calculated from the SQUID.
This thesis presents the results of an experimental study on single-charge effects in nanoscale Josephson junctions and Cooper pair transistors (CPTs). In nanoscale Josephson junctions the charging energy EC becomes significant at sub-Kelvin temperatures and single-charge effects, such as the Coulomb blockade of Cooper pair tunneling, influence the transport properties. In order to observe charging effects in a single Josephson junction, the impedance of the electromagnetic environment surrounding the junction has to be larger than the quantum resistance (RQ=h/4e2≈6.45kΩ). In this work the high impedance environment is obtained by biasing the sample under test (single Josephson junction or CPT) with four one-dimensional Josephson junction arrays having SQUID geometry. The advantage of this configuration is the possibility of tuning in situ the effective impedance of the electromagnetic environment. By applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the SQUID loops, the Josephson energy EJ of the SQUIDs is suppressed, resulting in an increase of the measured zero bias resistance of the arrays of several orders of magnitude (104< R0 (Ω) <109). This bias method enables the measurement of the same sample in environments with different impedance. As the impedance of the environment is increased, the current-voltage characteristics (IVCs) of the single Josephson junction and of the CPT show a well defined Coulomb blockade feature with a region of negative differential resistance, signature of the coherent tunneling of single Cooper pairs. The measured IVCs of a single Josephson junction with SQUID geometry in the high impedance environment show a qualitative agreement with the Bloch band theory as the EJ/EC ratio of the junction is tuned with the magnetic field. We also studied a single nontunable Josephson junction with strong coupling (EJ/EC > 1), where the exact dual of the overdamped Josephson effect is realized, resulting in a dual shape of the IVC, where the roles of current and voltage are exchanged. Here, we make for the first time a detailed quantitative comparison with a theory which includes the effect of fluctuations due to the finite temperature of the environment. The measurements on CPTs in the high impedance environment showed that the Coulomb blockade voltage is modulated periodically by the gate-induced charge. The gate-voltage dependence of the CPT changes from e-periodic to 2e-periodic as the impedance of the environment is increased. The high impedance environment reduces quasiparticle tunneling rates, thereby restoring the even parity of the CPT island. This behavior suggests that high impedance leads can be used to effectively suppress quasiparticle poisoning.