Lattice effects on the current-voltage characteristics of superconducting arrays

The lattice effects on the current-voltage characteristics of two-dimensional arrays of resistively shunted Josephson junctions are investigated. The lattice potential energies due to the discrete lattice structure are calculated for several geometries and directions of current injection. We compare the energy barrier for vortex-pair unbinding with the lattice pinning potential, which shows that lattice effects are negligible in the low-current limit as well as in the high-current limit. At intermediate currents, on the other hand, the lattice potential becomes comparable to the barrier height and the lattice effects may be observed in the current-voltage characteristics.Comment: 5 pages including 5 figures in two columns, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Mesoscopic scattering in the half-plane: squeezing conductance through a small hole

We model the 2-probe conductance of a quantum point contact (QPC), in linear response. If the QPC is highly non-adiabatic or near to scatterers in the open reservoir regions, then the usual distinction between leads and reservoirs breaks down and a technique based on scattering theory in the full two-dimensional half-plane is more appropriate. Therefore we relate conductance to the transmission cross section for incident plane waves. This is equivalent to the usual Landauer formula using a radial partial-wave basis. We derive the result that an arbitrarily small (tunneling) QPC can reach a p-wave channel conductance of 2e^2/h when coupled to a suitable reflector. If two or more resonances coincide the total conductance can even exceed this. This relates to recent mesoscopic experiments in open geometries. We also discuss reciprocity of conductance, and the possibility of its breakdown in a proposed QPC for atom waves.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, REVTeX. Revised version (shortened), accepted for publication in PR