Shapiro Steps in BSCCO Intrinsic Josephson Junctions

Abstract

In 1963, did an experiment for the microwave irradiation effect on the I-V characteristics of a Josephson junction Al/Al2O3/Sn and showed that when the microwave is impressed to the Josephson junction, clear current steps are observed on the quasiparticle (QP) branches of the I-V characteristics and those which are now called Shapiro steps, are observed on constant voltages given by nΦ0 fr (n = ±1,±2, ...) [1]. Here the Φ0 is a flux quantum (= 2.06785 × 10−15 Wb) defined by h/2e using Planck constant h and the fr is the frequency of the impressed microwave. The interactions between the Josephson junction and the electromagnetic field are important and intersting problems on not only the fundamental but also the applicational points of view. The steps are one of the important phenomena observed on a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS)-type Josephson junction.