Environment-induced overheating phenomena in Au-nanowire based Josephson junctions

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Quantum Phenomena
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Conventional planar Josephson junctions differ from nanowire-based devices due to their unique bridge geometry.
• Nanowire junctions exhibit peculiar environmental coupling, potentially leading to non-equilibrium electronic phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of electron bath overheating on the critical current of bridge-like Josephson junctions fabricated on a single gold (Au)-nanowire.
• To elucidate the interplay between neighboring junctions and their characteristics via electron gas overheating.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the Usadel theory for theoretical analysis.
• Applying a two-fluid model to describe normal and superconducting current components.
• Experimental measurement of critical current in multi-junction nanowire devices.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that electron bath overheating influences the critical current of nanowire Josephson junctions.
• Revealed mutual influence among neighboring junctions due to electron gas overheating.
• Quantified the impact of overheating on junction characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Electron gas overheating is a critical factor affecting nanowire-based superconducting devices.
• The findings offer novel methods for controlling the performance of these devices.
• This research advances the understanding of non-equilibrium phenomena in superconducting nanostructures.