Observation of 0– π transition in SIsFS Josephson junctions

The 0–π transition in Superconductor-Insulator-superconductor-Ferromagnet-Superconductor (SIsFS) Josephson junctions (JJs) was investigated experimentally. As predicted by theory, an s-layer inserted into a ferromagnetic SIFS junction can enhance the critical current density up to the value of an SIS tunnel junction. We fabricated Nb′ | AlOx | Nb | Ni60Cu40 | Nb JJs with wedge-like s (Nb) and F (Ni60Cu40) layers and studied the Josephson effect as a function of the s- and F-layer thickness, ds and dF, respectively. For ds = 11 nm, π-JJs with SIFS-type jc(dF) and critical current densities up to jcπ=60 A/cm2 were obtained at 4.2 K. Thicker ds led to a drastic increase of the critical current decay length, accompanied by the unexpected disappearance of the 0–π transition dip in the jc(dF) dependence. Our results are relevant for superconducting memories, rapid single flux quantum logic circuits, and solid state qubits.