Current-Induced Chiral Phase Transition in a Josephson-Junction Array

TL;DR

This paper predicts a current-induced transition in a Josephson-junction array from a zero-chirality state to a nonzero chirality state, followed by a transition to a nonsuperconducting state, depending on the array's parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a novel prediction of a chiral phase transition driven by external current in a specially designed Josephson-junction array.

Findings

Transition from zero to nonzero chirality at critical current $I_{c1}$

Transition to nonsuperconducting state at $I_{c2}$

Dependence of transitions on array parameters like $erfmu$

Abstract

It is predicted that the fully frustrated Josephson-junction array on a square lattice with alternating columns of junctions having a reduced critical current $I_{weak}=\mu I_{0}$(with $\mu<1$ and $I_{0}$ the critical current of all other junctions) in certain range of $\mu$ will under increasing of the external current first change from the state with zero chirality to the state with nonzero one at the lower critical current $I_{c1}$ before entering nonsuperconducting state at the upper critical current $I_{c2}$.