Coherent motion of vortices driven by both dc and ac current in a Josephson junction ratchet array

Abstract

We have studied the vortex dynamics in a ratchet array of Josephson junctions in the presence of magnetic field of 1/5 flux quantum per plaquette. The ratchet potential consists of both alternate critical currents for all the vertical junctions and alternate shunt capacitances for all the horizontal junctions. The vortices driven by an ac current in some parameters are found to show the directional motion as well as the asymmetric current–voltage characteristics. We use the time-dependent vorticity and the time-dependent vorticity–vorticity correlation function to analyze the motion of vortices on a few fractional Shapiro steps. We have found that vortices on a fractional Shapiro n / 5 -step move coherently through n plaquettes during a single ac cycle. The asymmetric features of the ratchet array gradually disappear as finite temperature increases.