Switchable spiral Josephson junction: a superconducting spin-valve proposal

Superconductor Science and Technology. 2022. Vol. 35. Article 025002.

Pugach N., Heim D., Seleznev D. V., Chernov A. I., Menzel D.

We propose a superconducting spin valve based on a Josephson junction with B20-family
magnetic metal as a barrier material. Our analysis shows that the states of this element can be
switched by reorienting the intrinsic non-collinear magnetization of the spiral magnet. This
reorientation modifies long-range spin-triplet correlations and thereby strongly influences the
critical Josephson current. Compared to superconducting spin valves proposed earlier, our
device has the following advantages: (a) it contains only one barrier layer, which makes it easier
to fabricate and control; (b) its ground state is stable, which prevents uncontrolled switching;
(c) it is compatible with devices of low-T Josephson electronics. This device may switch
between two logical states which exhibit two different values of critical current, or its positive
and negative values. I.e. 0-π switch is achievable on a simple Josephson junction.

Keywords: superconducting devices, спиральные магнетики, спиновый клапан, Magnetic Josephson junctions, низкотемпературная электроника, магнитные джозефсоновские контакты, криогенный элемент памяти, Magnetically-ordered media, Ferroelectrics, Magneto-optics, Electro-optics, Femtosecond laser pulses, Magnons, Phonons, Magnetic memory, Ferroelectric memory, Femtomagnetism, электронный и спиновый транспорт, electronic and spin transport, chiral spin textures, superconducting spintronics

Publication based on the results of: Квантовые эффекты в низкоразмерных гибридных наноструктурах (2022)