Observation of a Phase-Modulated Quasiparticle Current in Superconducting Weak Links

Abstract

Current-voltage characteristics of current-biased Josephson junctions with a phase-dependent dissipative current ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}Vcos\ensuremath{\phi}$ have been calculated in the presence of thermal noise. Measurements on superconducting weak links indicate the existence of such a phase-dependent dissipative current of the same magnitude and sign observed in tunnel junctions.