Coupling of Two Superconductors through a Ferromagnet: Evidence for a π Junction

V. V. Ryazanov, V. A. Oboznov, A. Yu. Rusanov, A. V. Veretennikov, A. A. Golubov, and J. Aarts
Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2427 – Published 12 March 2001
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Abstract

We report measurements of the temperature dependence of the critical current, Ic, in Josephson junctions consisting of conventional superconducting banks of Nb and a weakly ferromagnetic interlayer of a CuxNi1x alloy, with x around 0.5. With decreasing temperature Ic generally increases, but for specific thicknesses of the ferromagnetic interlayer, a maximum is found followed by a strong decrease down to zero, after which Ic rises again. Such a sharp cusp can be explained only by assuming that the junction changes from a 0-phase state at high temperatures to a π phase state at low temperatures.

  • Received 24 August 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2427

©2001 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

V. V. Ryazanov1, V. A. Oboznov1, A. Yu. Rusanov1, A. V. Veretennikov1, A. A. Golubov2, and J. Aarts3

  • 1Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
  • 2University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
  • 3Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

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Issue

Vol. 86, Iss. 11 — 12 March 2001

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