Multiple-peak switching current distribution in Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O intrinsic Josephson junctions

Conference item

We have fabricated series arrays of intrinsic Josephson junctions of area (2 mum)(2) in thin films of Tl2BaCaCu2O8 grown on vicinal substrates. Measurements of the distribution of the bias current at which a voltage first appears across the array show two peaks in the temperature range between 14 and 20 K. Fitting the data to a simple thermal activation model for a small Josephson junction shows that these peaks correspond to phase-locked switching of two or three junctions respectively. Below 14 K the distribution broadens significantly which we attribute to a crossover to long-junction behaviour. Intrinsic junctions of smaller area (0.5 x 0.7 mum(2)) display no such fluctuations down to 4.2 K, confirming this interpretation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Authors: Warburton, P; Kuzhakhmetov, A; Chana, O; Hyland, D; Grovenor, C

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: PHYSICA C-SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND ITS APPLICATIONS
• Volume: 372
• Issue: PART 1
• Pages: 322-326
• Publication date: 2002-08-01
• Event title: 5th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS 2001)
• DOI: 10.1016/S0921-4534(02)00660-3
• ISSN: 0921-4534
• Keywords: intrinsic Josephson effect; focussed ion-beam; vicinal substrates