Controllable Josephson current through a pseudo-spin-valve structure

2003/09/18 by C. Bell, G. Burnell, C. W. Leung +3
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.supr-con

paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/1.1646217

3 pages, 4 figures, (submitted to Appl. Phys. Lett.)

arxiv created 2003/09/18 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01

Abstract

A thin Co/Cu/Permalloy (Ni₈₀Fe₂₀) pseudo-spin-valve structure is sandwiched between superconducting Nb contacts. When the current is passed perpendicular to the plane of the film a Josephson critical current (I_C) is observed at 4.2 K, in addition to a magnetoresistance (MR) of ∼ 0.5 % at high bias. The hysteresis loop of the spin-valve structure can be cycled to modulate the zero field I_C of the junction in line with the MR measurements. These modulations of resistance and I_C occur both smoothly and sharply with the applied field. For each type of behaviour there is a strong correlation between shape of the MR loops and the I_C modulation.

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