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Physical review. B, Condensed matter

Semiclassical theory of small Josephson junctions: Solution of the master equation

Akira Furusaki, Masahito Ueda

Published May 1, 1992• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Within a semiclassical approximation and at the weak-coupling limit, where the charging energy dominates the Josephson coupling energy, the dynamics of small-capacitance superconducting tunnel junctions can be described by a stochastic master equation for the probability distribution of junction charges. We develop a method of solving this equation and obtain an analytic solution when Cooper-pair, quasiparticle, and Zener tunneling are all present under an arbitrary Ohmic conductance at zero temperature. We use this solution to systematically investigate the static and dynamic properties of small Josephson junctions. The charge distributions, current-voltage characteristics, and voltage spectra are analytically calculated and numerically evaluated for wide ranges of parameters. The separate contributions from quasiparticle and Cooper-pair tunneling to voltage spectra are evaluated and compared based on their respective sum rules. The linewidths of the resonance peaks for single-electron tunneling and Bloch oscillations are also discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.45.10576

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Within a semiclassical approximation and at the weak-coupling limit, where the charging energy dominates the Josephson coupling energy, the dynamics of small-capacitance superconducting tunnel junctions can be described by a stochastic master equation for the probability distribution of junction charges. We develop a method of solving this equation and obtain an analytic solution when Cooper-pair, quasiparticle, and Zener tunneling are all present under an arbitrary Ohmic conductance at zero temperature. We use this solution to systematically investigate the static and dynamic properties of small Josephson junctions. The charge distributions, current-voltage characteristics, and voltage spectra are analytically calculated and numerically evaluated for wide ranges of parameters. The separate contributions from quasiparticle and Cooper-pair tunneling to voltage spectra are evaluated and compared based on their respective sum rules. The linewidths of the resonance peaks for single-electron tunneling and Bloch oscillations are also discussed.
We study ultrasmall Josephson junctions using the coherent picture to describe the pair dynamics and the semiclassical approach for the quasiparticles. We find that the dynamics depends crucially on the ratio of the superconducting gap energy \ensuremath{\Delta}(T) to the charging energy e2{\mathrm{e}}^{2}e2/2C. The pair ``Bloch oscillations'' can be practically observed when 2\ensuremath{\Delta}(T)>e2{\mathrm{e}}^{2}e2/2C; for 2\ensuremath{\Delta}(T)e2{\mathrm{e}}^{2}e2/2C the Idc/e{\mathrm{I}}_{\mathrm{dc}/\mathrm{e}}Idc/e​ oscillations due to quasiparticle tunneling can be observed. We discuss under what conditions the I-V characteristic will be S-shaped, exhibiting both oscillations at different values of the current.
Properties of weak links between two superconductors, or Josephson junctions, make them interesting for fundamental physics research. Since their discovery over four decades ago, they have provided a unique way to study the behavior of the superconducting quantum phase. More recently, ultra small, or mesoscopic, Josephson junctions with substantial single Cooper pair charging energy have gained interest due to their behavior as macroscopic quantum objects. In addition to the theoretical interest, Josephson junctions can be used as active elements in circuit applications. Particularly, in this Thesis we study two different devices. We develop the required theoretical treatments, derive device properties, and compare the results with experimental data. The first application is a Josephson voltage standard based on externally damped Superconductor - Insulator - Superconductor junctions. It consists of an array of large Josephson junctions connected in series and irradiated with a 70 GHz microwave signal. Phase locking the Josephson dynamics into the signal leads to the quantization of the voltage. This is utilized in metrology. We introduce a new circuit solution based on frequency dependent damping of the junctions. Optimization and some designs for practical arrays are presented. The purpose is to find such a design that the array is fast, has low power consumption and is as stable as possible. Arrays able to generate DC voltages of order 1 volt with metrological accuracy are demonstrated experimentally and their applicability in AC voltage calibrations is analyzed. The second application is the Bloch Oscillating Transistor (BOT). The BOT is based on controlling the Cooper pair current in an ultra small Josephson junction by means of quasiparticles tunneling through a normal junction. As part of the thesis work, the principle of operation is first demonstrated computationally. The model is then refined to yield quantitative predictions of the characteristics. Finally, an analytic theory for the device is developed and the properties as an amplifier are derived.
The current-voltage characteristics of ultrasmall Josephson junctions sensitively depend on the electromagnetic environment of the junction. When the charging energy exceeds the Josephson coupling energy, the usual supercurrent at zero voltage is completely suppressed. However, for typical environmental impedances, which are small compared to the resistance quantum, stochastic Cooper-pair tunneling leads to a supercurrent peak at a small finite voltage which is proportional to the temperature and the low-frequency resistance of the external circuit. An analytic expression for the form of this universal peak, which is independent of the high-frequency behavior of the environment, is given. With increasing Josephson coupling the peak merges into the usual supercurrent of a Josephson junction. At larger voltages the Cooper-pair current depends on details of the environment. Current peaks are shown to result from resonances in the environmental impedance. Specifically, the case of an LC transmission line of finite length is discussed.
We have measured the current-voltage $(I\ensuremath{-}V)$ characteristics of small-capacitance single Josephson junctions at low temperatures (T=0.02−−0.6K),(T=0.02--0.6\mathrm{K}),(T=0.02−−0.6K), where the strength of the coupling between the single junction and the electromagnetic environment was controlled with one-dimensional arrays of dc superconducting quantum interence devices (SQUIDs). The single-junction $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curve is sensitive to the impedance of the environment, which can be tuned in situ. We have observed Coulomb blockade of Cooper-pair tunneling and even a region of negative differential resistance, where the zero-bias resistance ${R}_{0}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ of the SQUID arrays is much higher than the quantum resistance ${R}_{K}\ensuremath{\equiv}{h/e}^{2}\ensuremath{\approx}26\mathrm{k}\ensuremath{\Omega}.$ The negative differential resistance is evidence of the coherent single-Cooper-pair tunneling within the theory of current-biased single Josephson junctions. Based on this theory, we have calculated the $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curves numerically in order to compare then with the experimental ones at ${R}_{0}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gg}{R}_{K}.$ The numerical calculation agrees with the experiments qualitatively. We also discuss the ${R}_{0}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ dependence of the single-Josephson-junction $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curve in terms of the superconductor-insulator transition driven by changing the coupling to the environment.