Josephson vortex

In superconductivity, a Josephson vortex is a vortex of supercurrent in a long Josephson junction (LJJ). The supercurrents circulate around the vortex center which is situated inside the Josephson barrier. Opposite to Abrikosov vortices in type-II superconductors, Josephson vortex has no normal core.

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Usually the Josephson vortex's supercurrents create magnetic field with the total flux equal to Φ₀ --- a single flux quantum. Such vortex is therefore called a (Josephson) fluxon. Recently it was demonstrated by Hilgenkamp et al. that Josephson vortices in the so-called 0-π LJJ can also carry half of the flux quantum, and are called semifluxons.

References

• H. Hilgenkamp, Ariando, H.-J. H. Smilde, D. H. A. Blank, G. Rijnders, H. Rogalla, J. R. Kirtley and C. C. Tsuei, (2003). "Ordering and manipulation of the magnetic moments in large-scale superconducting π-loop arrays". Nature (London) 442: 50.