Large Arrays of Linearly Coupled Josephson Junctions: A Survey

Abstract

In this note I survey the extensive literature on the dynamics of large series arrays of identical current biased Josephson junctions coupled through various shared loads. The equations describing the dynamics are invariant under permutation of the junctions so that in addition to the usual dynamical systems and numerical methods, group theoretic methods can be applied. In practice it is desirable to operate these circuits at a stable in-phase oscillation. The works summarized here are devoted to the study of where in parameter space the in-phase oscillations are stable and how the stability is lost. In particular, they focus on the variety of states produced through bifurcation as the in-phase oscillation loses stability. These states include discrete rotating waves and semirotors.