Josephson Junctions with Tunable Weak Links

The electrical properties of organic molecular crystals, such as polyacenes or C60, can be tuned from insulating to superconducting by application of an electric field by structuring the gate electrode of such a field-effect switch, and the charge carrier density and therefore also the superfluid density can be modulated.

Abstract

The electrical properties of organic molecular crystals, such as polyacenes or C60, can be tuned from insulating to superconducting by application of an electric field. By structuring the gate electrode of such a field-effect switch, the charge carrier density, and therefore also the superfluid density, can be modulated. Hence, weak links that behave like Josephson junctions can be fabricated between two superconducting regions. The coupling between the superconducting regions can be tuned and controlled over a wide range by the applied gate bias. Such devices might be used in superconducting circuits, and they are a useful scientific tool to study superconducting material parameters, such as the superconducting gap, as a function of carrier concentration or transition temperature.