Ballistic Four-Terminal Josephson Junction: Bistable States and Magnetic Flux Transfer

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum interference effects in a four-terminal ballistic Josephson junction, revealing nonlocal electrodynamics, phase dragging, and flux transfer phenomena that enable bistable states controlled by magnetic flux.

Contribution

It introduces a novel four-terminal Josephson system exhibiting nonlocal coupling and flux transfer, demonstrating bistability and phase control via magnetic flux.

Findings

Nonlocal electrodynamics leads to unique current-phase relations.

The system exhibits phase dragging effects among terminals.

Magnetic flux transfer enables bistable states controlled externally.

Abstract

The macroscopic quantum interference effects in ballistic Josephson microstructures are investigated. The studied system consists of four bulk superconductors (terminals) which are weakly coupled through the mesoscopic rectangular normal metal (two dimensional electron gas). We show that nonlocal electrodynamics of ballistic systems leads to specific current-phase relations for the mesoscopic multiterminal Josephson junction. The nonlocal coupling of supercurrents produces the "dragging" effect for phases of the superconducting order parameter in different terminals. The composite Josephson junction, based on this effect, exhibits the two -level system behaviour controlled by the external magnetic flux. The effect of magnetic flux transfer in a system of nonlocally coupled superconducting rings is studied.