Superconducting and Insulating Behavior in One-Dimensional Josephson Junction Arrays

TL;DR

This paper investigates the transition from superconducting to insulating behavior in one-dimensional Josephson junction arrays, demonstrating tunable quantum phase transitions and hysteretic current-voltage characteristics.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of a quantum phase transition in Josephson arrays with large junction capacitance, including a dynamic model for Coulomb blockade hysteresis.

Findings

Observation of superconducting to insulating transition

Hysteretic I-V characteristics in Coulomb blockade state

Dynamic dual model explaining hysteresis

Abstract

Experiments on one-dimensional small capacitance Josephson Junction arrays are described. The arrays have a junction capacitance that is much larger than the stray capacitance of the electrodes, which we argue is important for observation of Coulomb blockade. The Josephson energy can be tuned in situ and an evolution from Josephson-like to Coulomb blockade behavior is observed. This evolution can be described as a superconducting to insulating, quantum phase transition. In the Coulomb blockade state, hysteretic current-voltage characteristics are described by a dynamic model which is dual to the resistively shunted junction model of classical Josephson junctions.