High-frequency dynamics of hybrid oxide Josephson heterostructures

Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2008

We summarize our results on Josephson heterostructures Nb/Au/YBa2Cu3Ox that combine conventional (S) and oxide high-Tc superconductors with a dominant d-wave symmetry of the superconducting order parameter(D). The heterostructures were fabricated on (001) and C1 1 20) YBa2Cu3Ox films grown by pulsed laser deposition. The structural and surface studies of the (1 1 20) YBa2Cu3Ox thin films reveal nanofaceted surface structure with two facet domain orientations, which are attributed as (001) and (110)-oriented surfaces of YBa2Cu3Ox and result in S/D(001) and S/D(110) nanojunctions formed on the facets. Electrophysical properties of the Nb/Au/YBa2Cu3Ox heterostructures are investigated by the electrical and magnetic measurements at low temperatures and analyzed within the faceting scenario. The superconducting current-phase relation (CPR) of the heterostructures with finite first and second harmonics is derived from the Shapiro steps, which appear in the I-V curves of the heterostructures irradiated at frequencies up to 100 GHz. The experimental positions and amplitudes of the Shapiro steps are explained within the modified resistive Josephson junction model, where the second harmonic of the CPR and capacitance of the Josephson junctions are taken into account. We experimentally observe a crossover from a lumped to a distributed Josephson junction limit for the size of the heterostructures smaller than Josephson penetration depth. The effect is attributed to the variations of the harmonics of the superconducting CPR across the heterojunction, which may give rise to splintered vortices of magnetic flux quantum. Our investigations of parameters and phenomena that are specific for superconductors having d-wave symmetry of the superconducting order parameter may be of importance for applications such as high-frequency detectors and novel elements of a possible quantum computer.