We propose the use of a laser beam tightly focused on a superconducting strip to create a Josephson junction by the photothermal effect. The critical current of this junction can be easily controlled by the laser intensity. We show that a periodic modulation of the intensity substantially changes the dynamic properties of the junction and results in the appearance of Shapiro steps without microwave radiation. The experimental realization of optically driven Josephson junctions may open a way for the ultrafast creation and switching of complex patterns of superconducting devices with tunable geometry and current-phase relations.

1.
K. K.
Likharev
and
V. K.
Semenov
,
IEEE Trans. Appl. Superconductivity
1
,
3
(
1991
).
2.
Y.
Makhlin
,
G.
Schön
, and
A.
Shnirman
,
Rev. Mod. Phys.
73
,
357
(
2001
).
3.
G.
Wendin
and
V. S.
Shumeiko
,
Low Temp. Phys.
33
,
724
(
2007
).
4.
R. L.
Fagaly
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
77
,
101101
(
2006
).
5.
A.
Barone
and
G.
Paternò
,
Physics and Applications of the Josephson Effect
(
Wiley
,
2013
), pp.
1
549
.
6.
K. K.
Likharev
,
Dynamics of Josephson Junctions and Circuits
(
Gordon and Breach
,
New York
,
1986
).
7.
A. I.
Buzdin
,
Rev. Mod. Phys.
77
,
935
(
2005
).
8.
A. I.
Buzdin
,
L. N.
Bulaevskii
, and
S. V.
Panyukov
,
Pis'ma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz.
35
,
147
(
1982
).
A. I.
Buzdin
,
L. N.
Bulaevskii
, and
S. V.
Panyukov
,
[
JETP Lett.
35
,
178
(
1982
)].
9.
V. V.
Ryazanov
,
V. A.
Oboznov
,
A. Y.
Rusanov
,
A. V.
Veretennikov
,
A. A.
Golubov
, and
J.
Aarts
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
86
,
2427
(
2001
).
10.
11.
D. B.
Szombati
,
S.
Nadj-Perge
,
D.
Car
,
S. R.
Plissard
,
E. P. A. M.
Bakkers
, and
L. P.
Kouwenhoven
,
Nat. Phys.
12
,
568
(
2016
).
12.
M.
Eschrig
,
T.
Löfwander
,
T.
Champel
,
J. C.
Cuevas
,
J.
Kopu
, and
G.
Schön
,
J. Low Temp. Phys.
147
,
457
(
2007
).
13.
T.
Yokoyama
,
M.
Eto
, and
Y. V.
Nazarov
,
Phys. Rev. B
89
,
195407
(
2014
).
14.
E.
Terzioglu
and
M. R.
Beasley
,
IEEE Trans. Appl. Superconductivity
8
,
48
(
1998
).
15.
A. V.
Ustinov
and
V. K.
Kaplunenko
,
J. Appl. Phys.
94
,
5405
5407
(
2003
).
16.
I. S.
Veshchunov
,
W.
Magrini
,
S. V.
Mironov
,
A. G.
Godin
,
J.-B.
Trebbia
,
A. I.
Buzdin
,
Ph.
Tamarat
, and
B.
Lounis
,
Nat. Commun.
7
,
12801
(
2016
).
17.
P. G.
De Gennes
,
Superconductivity of Metals and Alloys
(
Westview Press
,
New York, NY
,
1999
).
18.
A.
Baratoff
,
J. A.
Blackburn
, and
B. B.
Schwartz
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
25
,
1096
(
1970
).
19.
L. R.
Testardi
,
Phys. Rev. B.
4
,
2189
(
1971
).
20.
D. Y.
Smith
,
E.
Shiles
, and
M.
Inokuti
,
Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids
(
Elsevier
,
1997
), pp.
369
406
.
21.
F. S.
Cataliotti
,
S.
Burger
,
C.
Fort
,
P.
Maddaloni
,
F.
Minardi
,
A.
Trombettoni
,
A.
Smerzi
, and
M.
Inguscio
,
Science
293
,
843
(
2001
).
22.
C. A.
Hamilton
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
71
,
3611
(
2000
).
You do not currently have access to this content.