Anharmonic Josephson current in junctions with an interface pair breaking

Abstract

Planar superconducting junctions with a large effective Josephson coupling constant and a pronounced interface pair breaking are shown to represent weak links with small critical currents and strongly anharmonic current-phase relations. The supercurrent near Tc is described taking into account the interface pair breaking as well as the current depairing and the Josephson coupling-induced pair breaking of arbitrary strengths. A new analytical expression for the anharmonic supercurrent, which is in excellent agreement with the numerical data presented, is obtained. In junctions with a large effective Josephson coupling constant and a pronounced interface pair breaking, the current-induced depairing is substantially enhanced in the vicinity of the interface thus having a crucial influence on the current-phase relation despite a small depairing in the bulk.