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IBM Journal of Research and Development

Modeling of Characteristics for Josephson Junctions Having Nonuniform Width or Josephson Current Density

Ronald F. Broom, W. Kotyczka, A. Moser

Published Mar 1, 1980• 21 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Several models, both static and dynamic, for calculating the maximum dc Josephson current versus external magnetic field “characteristic” of tunnel junctions of various geometries are described. The static models have the advantage of short computation times; the dynamic models, although slower, yield additional information on circuit-switching times. The dependence of the characteristics on the junction shape is described. The accuracy of a one-dimensional approximation used in the models has been tested experimentally, and theoretically against a two-dimensional approximation. In both cases, the one-dimensional treatment yields quantitatively good agreement provided the inductance of the junction is included in the model. Junctions defined by an oxide “window” of sinusoidal shape (maximum and minimum width at the center and ends, respectively) have a characteristic in which the side lobes are almost completely suppressed. The characteristics of a wide variety of junction shapes, including interferometers having two or more junctions, have been accurately calculated, permitting the design of devices for specific purposes.

DOI
10.1147/rd.242.0178

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Journal of Applied Physics•Nov 1, 1981•29 citations
Several models, both static and dynamic, for calculating the maximum dc Josephson current versus external magnetic field “characteristic” of tunnel junctions of various geometries are described. The static models have the advantage of short computation times; the dynamic models, although slower, yield additional information on circuit-switching times. The dependence of the characteristics on the junction shape is described. The accuracy of a one-dimensional approximation used in the models has been tested experimentally, and theoretically against a two-dimensional approximation. In both cases, the one-dimensional treatment yields quantitatively good agreement provided the inductance of the junction is included in the model. Junctions defined by an oxide “window” of sinusoidal shape (maximum and minimum width at the center and ends, respectively) have a characteristic in which the side lobes are almost completely suppressed. The characteristics of a wide variety of junction shapes, including interferometers having two or more junctions, have been accurately calculated, permitting the design of devices for specific purposes.
We have measured Nb–AlOx–Nb Josephson tunnel junctions which have resistive shunts with different parasitic inductances. Numerical simulations reveal that specific features in the experimental current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of these devices are dc signatures of complex ac behavior. Depending on the inductance of the shunt loop and the capacitance of the junction, these features may either appear or disappear as the temperature of the device is increased. Examination of the simulated voltage waveforms allows us to map regions of the parameter space which exhibit complicated behavior. These regions should be avoided when a nearly sinusoidal voltage waveform is desired, as is the case for Josephson junction-based oscillators. The agreement of the experimental and simulated I–V curves also enables us to accurately determine the inductance of the shunts and the capacitance of the junctions.
A model for describing the interference and diffraction of wave functions of one-dimensional Josephson array interferometers is presented. The derived expression for critical current modulations accounts for an arbitrary number of square junctions, the variable distance between these, and the variable size of their area. Predictions are tested on real arrays containing up to 20 equally spaced and identical junctions and on arrays shaped with peculiar geometries. A very good agreement with the modulations predicted by the model and the experimental results is obtained for all the tested configurations. It is shown that specific designs of the arrays generate significant differences in their static and dynamical (non-zero voltage) properties. The results demonstrate that the magnetic field dependence of Josephson supercurrents shows how interference and diffraction of macroscopic quantum wavefunctions can be manipulated and controlled.
The magnetic field dependence of the Josephson current of a Josephson tunnel junction whose shape was a normal distribution is analyzed for superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) photon detector applications. It was found that the Josephson current of a normal distribution junction is very sensitive to the external magnetic field and follows a function of exp (-B 2), while a conventional rectangular STJ exhibits the well-known Fraunhofer pattern of sin x/x. Numerical calculations show that the Josephson current of the normal distribution junction can be suppressed by an external magnetic field that is one tenth of that needed for conventional rectangular junctions. Calculations of a normal distribution junction approximated with a 1 µm mesh also show that the Josephson current is sufficiently suppressed by a small magnetic field. The effect of the misalignment of the angle between the junction and the magnetic field was evaluated. It was found that for a normal-distribution-shaped junction, misalignment of the magnetic field is allowed within ± 5°, suppressing the Josephson effect by two orders of magnitude more than that of a rectangular junction.
The amplitudes of the current steps in the I-V characteristics of mutually coupled two-dimensional distributed Josephson tunnel junctions driven by microwaves are investigated. For this purpose a numerical computation algorithm that is based on a planar resonator model for the individual Josephson tunnel junctions is used to calculate the DC current density distribution. In addition to the fundamental microwave frequency, harmonic contents of the tunneling current are also considered. The lateral dimensions of the individual junctions are small compared to the microwave wavelength and the Josephson penetration depth, giving an almost constant current density distribution. Therefore, the coupled junctions can give much greater step amplitudes than a single junction with an equal tunneling area, because of their nonuniform current density distribution. The calculation show a strong dependence of the Shapiro step amplitudes with respect to the coupling of the tunnel junctions. These studies imply that the choice of proper coupling conditions is important to achieve maximum step amplitudes. These results are helpful in designing tunnel junctions with optimized step amplitudes.
The microwave response of the dc quasiparticle tunneling current in Josephson tunnel junctions, where the Josephson current is suppressed by an external magnetic field, has been studied quantitatively in order to clarify its characteristics as a probe for the measurement of the junction capacitance. Extensive experiments for both small and long junctions are carried out for distinguishing between microwave behaviors of lumped and distributed constant junctions. It is shown that the observed voltage dependence of the dc quasiparticle tunneling current modified by an applied rf field is in good agreement with a theoretical result which takes into account the influence of the microwave circuit connected to the junction. The comparison between theory and experiment gives the magnitude of the internal rf field in the junction. Together with the applied rf field, this internal rf field leads to the junction rf impedance which is dominated by the junction capacitance in our experimental condition. In the case of lumped junctions, this experimental rf impedance is in reasonable agreement with the theoretical one with the junction capacitance estimated from the Fiske step of the distributed junction fabricated on the same substrate; the obtained ratio of the experimental impedance to the theoretical one is approximately 0.6–1.7. In the case of distributed junctions, however, experimental values of their characteristic impedances are approximately 0.2–0.3 of theoretical values calculated by assuming the one-dimensional junction model and taking account of the standing-wave effect in the junction.
The dynamics of two inductively-coupled Josephson junctions, driven by a current source and by an external flux were studied. Approximate analytical arguments and numerical simulations were used. The various characteristics times of the DC-SQUID were systematically obtained as functions of the parameters of the junctions and the superconducting loop. We have studied the effects of the external magnetic field and quasiparticle conductance on the structure of the I-V characteristics. The transition times between the various branches of the I-V characteristics were calculated using approximate analytical arguments as well as numerical simulations. The results, both for the I-V characteristics and the transition times, were compared with existing experiments.