Effects of d-wave symmetry on the critical current of high Tc step-edge Josephson junctions were studied theoretically by using the concept of grain-boundary junctions, and the theory was compared with experimental results of YBa2Cu3O7 step-edge junctions on SrTiO3 (100) substrates. A step-edge junction contains two grain boundaries, and each grain boundary has both in-plane and out-of-plane misorientation angles at the same time. The critical current of the step-edge junction as a function of the in-plane misorientation angle has a periodic modulation with maxima when the step line is parallel to one of the major axes of the SrTiO3 (100) substrate. Experimental results of c-oriented YBa2Cu3O7 step-edge junctions with various in-plane misorientation angles were qualitatively in good agreement with the theory. The out-of-plane misorientation angle is formed between two grains usually with the c axes perpendicular to each other and is normally not controllable.

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