This article is cited in 90 papers

CONDENSED MATTER

Critical current in SFIFS junctions

A. A. Golubov^a, M. Yu. Kupriyanov^b, Ya. V. Fominov<sup>ca

a</sup> Department of Applied Physics, University of Twente
^b Nuclear Physics Institute, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
^c L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract: Quantitative theory of the Josephson effect in SFIFS junctions (S denotes bulk superconductor, F — metallic ferromagnet, I — insulating barrier) is presented in the dirty limit. Fully self-consistent numerical procedure is employed to solve the Usadel equations at arbitrary values of the F-layers thicknesses, magnetizations, and interface parameters. In the case of antiparallel ferromagnets magnetizations the effect of the critical current $I_c$ enhancement by the exchange energy $H$ is observed, while in the case of parallel magnetizations the junction exhibits the transition to the $\pi$-state. In the limit of thin F-layers, we study these peculiarities of the critical current analytically and explain them qualitatively; the scenario of the $0$-$\pi$ transition in our case differs from those studied before. The effect of switching between $0$ and $\pi$ states by changing the F-layers mutual orientation is demonstrated.

PACS: 74.50.+r, 74.80.Dm, 75.30.Et

Received: 17.01.2002

Language: English

 English version: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters, 2002, 75:4, 190–194

Bibliographic databases:

•