Two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays coupled through a high-Q cavity

Abstract

The problem of disordered two-dimensional arrays of underdamped Josephson junctions is addressed. Our simulations show that when coupled to a high-Q cavity, the array exhibits synchronized behavior, and the power emitted can be considerably increased once enough junctions are activated to pump the cavity. The highly resonant cavity induces synchronized behavior, which is qualitatively different than what is familiar from other studies on nonlinear oscillator arrays, for example the Kuramoto model. We also address the effects of disorder, as well as the role of detuning between the spontaneous emission frequency of the junctions and the cavity resonant frequency. We show with a simple argument that we can predict the scaling behavior of disorder with the size of the array. The consequences for the design of microwave oscillators in the Gigahertz region are discussed.