2013/07/30 by E. Goldobin, R. Kleiner, D. Koelle +1 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Mathematics · #cond-mat.supr-con #math-ph #math.MP #nlin.CD
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.111.057004
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 057004 (2013)
arxiv created 2013/07/30 · arxiv updated 2013/08/02
We consider a φ Josephson junction, which has a bistable zero-voltage state with the stationary phases ψ=±φ. In the non-zero voltage state the phase "moves" viscously along a tilted periodic double-well potential. When the tilting is reduced quasistatically, the phase is retrapped in one of the potential wells. We study the viscous phase dynamics to determine in which well (-φ or +φ) the phase is retrapped for a given damping, when the junction returns from the finite-voltage state back to zero-voltage state. In the limit of low damping the φ Josephson junction exhibits a butterfly effect --- extreme sensitivity of the destination well on damping. This leads to an impossibility to predict the destination well.