Doubled Shapiro steps in a dynamic axion insulator Josephson junction

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a Josephson junction with a dynamic axion insulator exhibits doubled Shapiro steps, providing a new way to identify and study the properties of dynamic axion insulators through their unique electrodynamics.

Contribution

It introduces the phenomenon of doubled Shapiro steps in such junctions and links it to axion electrodynamics driven by antiferromagnetic resonance, offering a novel experimental signature.

Findings

Doubled Shapiro steps occur with suppressed odd steps in the junction.

Simulation confirms the origin from axion electrodynamics.

Differential conductance provides an experimentally feasible measurement.

Abstract

Dynamic axion insulators feature a time-dependent axion field that can be induced by antiferromagnetic resonance. Here, we show that a Josephson junction incorporating this dynamic axion insulator between two superconductors exhibits a striking doubled Shapiro steps wherein all odd steps are completely suppressed in the jointly presence of a DC bias and a static magnetic field. The resistively shunted junction simulation confirms that these doubled Shapiro steps originate from the distinctive axion electrodynamics driven by the antiferromagnetic resonance, which thus not only furnishes a hallmark to identify the dynamic axion insulator but also provides a method to evaluate its mass term. Furthermore, the experimentally feasible differential conductance is also determined. Our work holds significant importance in condensed matter physics and materials science for understanding the dynamic axion insulator, paving the way for its further exploration and applications.