Abstract
We report magnetic and electrical measurements of Nb Josephson junctions with strongly ferromagnetic barriers of Co, Ni, and Ni80Fe20 (Py). All these materials show multiple oscillations of critical current with a barrier thickness implying repeated 0-pi phase transitions in the superconducting order parameter. We show, in particular, that the Co barrier devices can be accurately modeled using existing clean limit theories and that, despite the high exchange energy (309 meV), the large IcRN value in the pi state means Co barriers are ideally suited to the practical development of superconducting pi-shift devices.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 177003 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Physical Review Letters |
Volume | 97 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 27 Oct 2006 |
Keywords
- SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION-TEMPERATURE
- DEAD LAYERS
- NB-CO
- MULTILAYERS
- THICKNESS
- FILMS
- METAL
- TOP