Realization of 0-π states in superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator/superconductor Josephson junctions: The role of spin-orbit interaction and lattice impurities

M. Minutillo; R. Capecelatro; P. Lucignano

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.104.184504

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Realization of 0-π states in superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator/superconductor Josephson junctions: The role of spin-orbit interaction and lattice impurities

M. Minutillo, R. Capecelatro, P. Lucignano

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.104.184504 · Physical Review B

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Abstract

Josephson devices with ferromagnetic barriers have been widely studied. Much less is known when the ferromagnetic layer is insulating. In this paper we investigate the transport properties of superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator/superconductor (SFIS) junctions with particular attention paid to the temperature behavior of the critical current that may be used as a fingerprint of the junction. We investigate the specific role of impurities as well as of possible spin-mixing mechanisms due to the spin-orbit coupling. The transition between the 0 and the π phases can be properly tuned, thus achieving stable π junctions over the entire temperature range that may be possibly employed in superconducting quantum circuits.