# Phase Fluctuations and Non-Equilibrium Josephson Effect

## Abstract

We consider a diffusive S-N-S junction with electrons in the normal layer driven out of equilibrium by external bias. We show that, the non-equilibrium fluctuations of the electron density in the normal layer cause the fluctuations of the phase of the order parameter in the S-layers. As a result, the magnitude of the Josephson current in the non-equilibrium junction is significantly supressed relative to its mean field value.

When an electric current flows through a metallic sample, electrons in the metal can no longer be considered as a system in equilibrium. In particular the electronic distribution function $`f(ϵ)`$ differs considerably from the equilibrium Fermi distribution. The low temperature two-step distribution function was recently observed in tunneling experiments .

The ability to change the electronic distribution by simply applying voltage to a metallic system opens a new possibility to control the supercurrent in a S-N-S junction . The idea is based on the description of the supercurrent flow in terms of the electronic states and their occupation probabilities $`f(ϵ)`$. As a function of the phase difference of the two superconducting layers in a S-N-S junction $`\theta =\theta _1\theta _2`$ the supercurrent density can be written as 

$$J(\theta )=𝑑ϵf(ϵ)j(ϵ,\theta ),$$
(1)   
where $`j(ϵ,\theta )`$ is the contribution of the states with energies between $`ϵ`$ and $`ϵ+dϵ`$. Changing the electronic distribution, one changes the probabilities $`f(ϵ)`$ and thus can change the magnitude  and even the direction  of the supercurrent (in other words, making a $`\pi `$-junction). Some particular cases of $`j(ϵ,\theta )`$ were considered theoretically .

It is important to realize that Eq. (1) was obtained within the mean field approximation where the phase $`\theta `$ is fixed. Quantum fluctuations of the phase of the order parameter do not induce dramatic change in the amplitude of the Josephson energy, if the conductance of the normal layer is large. The purpose of this Letter is to show that it may not be the case in the non-equilibrium situation.

We show that the non-equilibrium fluctuations in the normal layer cause the fluctuations of the phase of the order parameter in both S-layers, thus affecting the Josephson current in the junction \[the term $`j(ϵ,\theta )`$ in Eq. (1)\]. In particular, the critical current (which is proportional to the Josephson energy $`E_J`$) becomes strongly suppressed by the non-equilibrium. This effect accompanies the change of the magnitude and even of the direction of the supercurrent, which is due to the term $`f(ϵ)`$ in Eq. (1). Thus the critical current in the $`\pi `$-junction is smaller than the mean field value, as was observed in the experiment . Here, we will present the phenomenological derivation which yields the same results as a calculation based on the Keldysh technique (for similar consideration of S-N junction see Ref. ).

To describe the non-equilibrium fluctuations we first identify the collective modes in the junction. For simplicity we will consider an S-N-S sandwich, where each layer can be considered as a 2D film. The effects of the finite thickness of the layers will be discussed later in the Letter.

Consider a superconducting film at zero temperature. All of the excitations with the energy smaller than the superconducting gap $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ are associated with the phase $`\theta `$ of the order parameter . In the isolated S-layer, the longitudinal phase fluctuations correspond to the usual 2D plasmon with dispersion $`\omega \sqrt{Q}`$. However, when a layer of normal metal is present, the collective mode with the linear dispersion relation appears . In the S-N-S junction there two such modes corresponding to each S-layer.

The time evolution of phase $`\theta `$ is governed by hydrodynamic equations, which in the absence of external magnetic fields can be written as 

$`\dot{n}_s^{(i)}+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2e}}\stackrel{}{}\stackrel{}{j}_s^{(i)}=0,`$ (3)   
(4)   
$`\stackrel{}{j}_s^{(i)}=e\pi \mathrm{}D_s^{(i)}\nu _s^{(i)}\mathrm{\Delta }\stackrel{}{}\theta ^{(i)},`$ (5)   
(6)   
$`\mathrm{}\dot{\theta }^{(i)}=2\left(e\phi +{\displaystyle \frac{n_s^{(i)}}{\nu _s^{(i)}}}\right),`$ (7)   
where the superscript $`i=1,2`$ labels the layer, $`n_s^{(i)}`$ is the perturbation of the carrier density in S-layers, $`\stackrel{}{j}_s^{(i)}`$ is the supercurrent, and $`\phi `$ is the electric potential. We wrote the London equation (5) for a dirty superconductor and expressed the superfluid density through the diffusion coefficient $`D_s^{(i)}`$ in the normal state of the superconductor and the thermodynamic density of states per unit area in the superconductor $`\nu _s^{(i)}`$. Also in Eq. (10) we neglected the terms which describe the Josephson current. We will discuss this point later.

The electron density is normal metal is governed by the continuity equation and the Ohm’s law

$$e\dot{n}_m+\stackrel{}{}\stackrel{}{j}_m=0;\stackrel{}{j}_m=D_m\stackrel{}{}\left(e^2\nu _m\phi +en_m\right),$$
(8)   
where $`n_m`$ is the carrier density, $`\stackrel{}{j}_m`$ is the current and $`D_m`$ is the diffusion coefficient in the N-layer.

Fluctuations of the densities in three layers are coupled through the Coulomb potential

$$\phi =𝑑r^{}V(rr^{})\left[n_s^{(1)}(r^{})+n_s^{(2)}(r^{})+n_m(r^{})\right];$$
(9)   
$$V=\frac{e^2}{r}.$$
(10)   
So far we have neglected the thickness of the metallic layer wherefore only the sum of the electron densities in two S-layers is coupled to the density of electrons in the metal. Therefore in a strictly two-dimensional model of the S-N-S junction with two identical S-layers the Josephson current (which depends on the phase it difference) is not affected by the density fluctuations in the metal. To couple the fluctuations in the normal metal to the phase difference one needs to introduce some asymmetry into the model either by having two different S-layers or by taking into account the non-zero thickness of the metallic layer. Here we chose the former (see Eq. (5)). The final results do not depend on the asymmetry explicitly, and thus are independent of this choice.

The requirement of the consistency of Eqs. (10) gives two acoustic branches of the collective mode corresponding to the sum and difference of the electron densities of the S-layers with dispersion relations $`\omega _{1,2}(Q)=\omega _2^{}i\omega _{1,2}^{\prime \prime }`$. The lifetime of both modes is finite. These modes are similar to the Schmid-Schön mode in the vicinity of the critical temperature . The only difference is that the normal excitations are not thermally activated in the superconductor itself but rather exist in the normal metallic layer close to the superconductor, however, it does not change the charge dynamics. In the latter (odd) mode finite lifetime appears only due to the asymmetry of the sandwich $`\delta D=[D_s^{(1)}D_s^{(2)}]/2`$

$$\omega _1^{}=Q\sqrt{\frac{\pi \mathrm{\Delta }D_s}{\mathrm{}}};\omega _1^{\prime \prime }=\frac{\pi }{2}\left(\frac{\nu _m(\delta D)^2}{\nu _sD_mD_s}\right)\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }}{\mathrm{}},$$
(11)   
where $`\nu _s=\nu _s^{(1)}+\nu _s^{(2)}`$, and $`G_{s,m}`$ denote dimensionless conductances of the superconducting (in the normal state) and normal layers respectively: $`G_{s,m}=2\pi \mathrm{}\sigma _{s,m}/e^2=2\pi \mathrm{}\nu _{s,m}D_{s,m}`$. The conductances are measured in units of $`e^2/2\pi \mathrm{}=1/(25.8K\mathrm{\Omega })`$. The even mode is similar to the “phason” mode found in the NS junction . The lifetime of this mode is due to the coupling with the relaxation mode in the N-layer

$$\omega _2^{}=Q\left(\frac{\pi \mathrm{\Delta }D_s(\nu _s+\nu _m)}{\mathrm{}\nu _m}\right)^{1/2};\omega _2^{\prime \prime }=\frac{\pi }{2}\left(\frac{G_s}{G_m}\right)\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }}{\mathrm{}}.$$
(12)   
Equations (12) and (11) are valid for $`\omega _i^{}>\omega _i^{\prime \prime }`$. For the phason mode this condition is satisfied already at small frequencies $`\mathrm{}\omega \mathrm{}\omega _2^{}\mathrm{\Delta }(G_s/G_m)\mathrm{\Delta }`$. The condition for the odd mode is weaker, given the smallness of the asymmetry parameter $`(\mathrm{}\nu _m\delta D)^2G_sG_m`$.

Now let us consider what happens, when a dc \- current is driven in the normal layer. The average currents in the metal are accompanied by the fluctuations known as the shot noise. Since the currents in the metal are coupled to those in the S-layers, it is natural to expect that in the superconductors the fluctuating currents appear as well, and consequently, the phasons are generated.

To include these fluctuations in our description of the S-N-S sandwich, we add Langevin sources $`\delta \stackrel{}{j}_l`$ to the current in the normal metal. Equation (8) takes the form

$$\stackrel{}{j}_m=D_m\stackrel{}{}\left(e^2\nu _m\phi +en_m\right)+\delta \stackrel{}{j}_l.$$
(13)   
The Gaussian fluctuations $`\delta \stackrel{}{j}_l`$ are described by their correlator. Out of equilibrium, when the energy relaxation is negligible $`\tau _ϵ\mathrm{}`$, the electronic distribution function $`f(ϵ)`$ in the normal metal is the two-step function

$$f_{ne}(ϵ)=\frac{1}{2}\left[\eta \left(ϵ+\frac{eU}{2}\right)+\eta \left(ϵ\frac{eU}{2}\right)\right],$$
(14)   
where $`\eta (x)`$ is the Heaviside function. In that case the non-equilibrium part of the correlator of the fluctuations can be written as 

$$\delta j_l^\alpha \delta j_l^\beta _{\omega ,Q}=\frac{1}{2}\delta _{\alpha \beta }e^2D_m\nu _m(eU\mathrm{}|\omega |)\eta (eU\mathrm{}|\omega |).$$
(15)   
The difference of superconducting phases of the S-layers $`\theta =\theta _1\theta _2`$ in the presence of the current fluctuations $`\delta \stackrel{}{j}_l`$ can be determined from the system of Eqs. (10), and (13) in the first order in asymmetry

$$\delta \theta =\frac{1}{2e\mathrm{}}\frac{\delta D}{\nu _mD_m}\frac{\pi \mathrm{\Delta }\omega \delta \stackrel{}{j}_l\stackrel{}{Q}}{(\omega ^2\omega _1^2(Q))(\omega ^2\omega _2^2(Q))}.$$
(16)   
Therefore, the correlator of the phase fluctuations has two well pronounced poles corresponding to the two collective modes in the S-N-S sandwich and is proportional to the applied voltage $`U`$.

To find the effect of the phase fluctuations on the Josephson current, we need the phase fluctuations in a single point. With the help of Eqs. (15) and (16), we find in the lowest order order in asymmetry

$$\delta \theta ^2_\omega =\frac{d^2Q}{\left(2\pi \right)^2}\delta \theta ^2_{\omega ,Q}=\frac{1}{G_s\mathrm{\Delta }}\frac{eU}{\mathrm{}|\omega |}\eta (eU\mathrm{}|\omega |),$$
(17)   
at $`\mathrm{}|\omega |<eU`$ and $`\delta \theta ^2_\omega =0`$ at $`\mathrm{}|\omega |>eU`$. Equation (17) is valid, provided $`\mathrm{}\omega G_s\mathrm{\Delta }/G_m`$.

Note that in Eq. (17) the asymmetry parameter $`\delta D`$ have disappeared and therefore only the subleading terms depend on the asymmetry parameter $`\delta D`$. The leading term Eq. (17) is the contribution of the odd mode Eq. (11) to the integral in Eq. (17). This term dominates because when both modes Eq. (11) and Eq. (12) are well defined, the lifetime of the odd mode is always longer than the lifetime of the even phason mode (provided the asymmetry parameter $`\delta DD_m,D_s`$). However, the asymmetry parameter can not be arbitrary small, as the lifetime of the odd mode should be less than the escape time (which is the time it takes to remove a phason from the system and thus is the characteristic relaxation time). As we consider the S-N-S sandwich of the infinite size, the escape time is practically set to infinity, which is the reason the asymmetry disappears from the odd mode contribution Eq. (17). In this case, the correlator Eq. (17) is independent of the particular choice of asymmetry. The difference between various asymmetry realizations becomes important if one considers a situation when the odd mode is still ballistic, while the even phason mode is already damped. We will not discuss this situation in this Letter.

We have found that in the presence of the normal layer the phase fluctuations in the superconductor are large due to the large number ($`eU/\mathrm{}\omega `$) of the phasons. Now we are interested in the effect of these fluctuations on the Josephson current. In equilibrium it is determined by the difference of time-independent phases of the superconducting order parameter in two S-layers $`J(\theta )\mathrm{sin}(\theta ^{(0)})`$. In the non-equilibrium situation one has to average over the phase fluctuations so the Josephson current becomes modified by a phase factor.

The supercurrent flow in Josephson junctions was analyzed by many authors . Equation (1) expresses the Josephson current density as a sum of contributions of individual electronic states weighted with their distribution function. The exact form of these contributions $`j(ϵ,\theta )`$ depends on the boundary conditions at the S-N interface . In the case of diffusive junction the supercurrent density in the lowest non-vanishing order of transparency can be written as 

$`J(\theta )={\displaystyle \frac{2e}{\mathrm{}}}E_J^{(0)}L_f\mathrm{sin}(\theta )e^{i\delta \theta (0)}_\theta ,`$ (19)   
(20)   
$`L_f=Re{\displaystyle \frac{dϵ}{\sqrt{iϵE_T}}\frac{f(ϵ)}{\mathrm{sinh}\sqrt{{\displaystyle \frac{iϵ}{E_T}}}}},`$ (21)   
where the transverse Thouless energy is $`E_T=\mathrm{}D_n/d^2`$ ($`d`$ is the width of the normal layer) and the overall scale is given by the bare Josephson energy $`E_J^{(0)}G_1G_2/\nu _m`$, where $`G_1`$ and $`G_2`$ are the tunneling conductances (in units of $`e^2/\mathrm{}`$) per unit area of the two N-S interfaces in the junction.

Strictly speaking, Eq. (19) is exact only for homogeneous in space phase fluctuation. The effect of the inhomogeneity can be estimated as $`\mathrm{}D_sQ^2/\mathrm{\Delta }`$, while the main contribution comes from the odd phason mode with $`D_sQ^2\mathrm{}\omega ^2/\mathrm{\Delta }`$, and so the correction is of the order $`\mathrm{}^2\omega ^2/\mathrm{\Delta }^2`$ and is small since we consider frequencies $`\mathrm{}\omega eU\mathrm{\Delta }`$.

In equilibrium $`f(ϵ)`$ is given by the Fermi distribution. There are no divergent phase fluctuations, so the factor $`e^{i\delta \theta (0)}_\theta `$ in Eq. (19) is just a number which can be incorporated in the definition of $`E_J^{(0)}`$. At low temperatures the dominant contribution to the integral in Eq. (21) is due to small frequencies. At $`E_TT`$ the critical current is given by 

$$J_c^{(0)}=\frac{2e}{\mathrm{}}E_J^{(0)}\mathrm{ln}\left(\frac{E_T}{T}\right).$$
(22)   
In the non-equilibrium situation the critical current (22) is modified by two effects. First, the distribution function deviates from the Fermi distribution. At low temperatures it is given by the two-step function (14). The applied voltage $`eU`$ sets the lower limit for the integration in Eq. (21) and for the real part of the integral we obtain

$`L_f=\mathrm{ln}\left({\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{tanh}^2\sqrt{\frac{eU}{8E_T}}+\mathrm{tan}^2\sqrt{\frac{eU}{8E_T}}}{1+\mathrm{tanh}^2\sqrt{\frac{eU}{8E_T}}\mathrm{tan}^2\sqrt{\frac{eU}{8E_T}}}}\right).`$ (23)   
Increasing the applied voltage changes the sign of the logarithm in Eq. (23), see dashed line on Fig. 1, corresponding to the $`\pi `$-junction.

The second effect is the appearance of the fluctuation phase factor in Eq. (19). To evaluate the average over $`\theta `$ we use the phase correlator Eq. (17), Fourier transformed to the time domain

$$e^{i\delta \theta (0)}_\theta =\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{d\omega }{2\pi }\delta \theta ^2_\omega \right).$$
(24)   
The frequency integration in Eq. (24) diverges logarithmically $`\delta \theta ^2\mathrm{ln}(eU/ϵ_{})`$. At large frequencies it is cut off at $`\mathrm{}\omega =eU`$, because at $`\omega >eU`$ there are no classical fluctuations, see Eq. (17).

The infrared divergency in Eq. (24) is due to the fact that we have neglected the Josephson current in the continuity equation (3). When taken into account, it leads to the opening of the gap in the spectrum of the collective modes, $`ϵ_{}=\sqrt{E_J/\nu _m}`$ (where $`E_J`$ is the Josephson energy per unit area). This gap, provides the infrared cut off in Eq. (24). It is essential that in the non equilibrium situation, the Josephson energy decreases with the increase of the bias voltage $`U`$ and vanishes at the critical point. The actual value of $`E_J`$ at a given $`U`$ should be determined from the self-consistency equation \[obtained by substitution of Eq. (24) into Eq. (19)\]

$$E_J=E_J^{(0)}L_f\mathrm{exp}\left[\frac{eU}{\pi \mathrm{\Delta }G_s}\mathrm{ln}\left(eU\sqrt{\frac{\nu _m}{E_J}}\right)\right].$$
(25)   
Solving Eq. (25) we obtain

$`E_J(U)=E_J^{(0)}L_f^{\frac{1}{1\alpha }}\left({\displaystyle \frac{E_J^{(0)}}{(eU)^2\nu _m}}\right)^{\frac{\alpha }{1\alpha }}.`$ (26)   
where $`\alpha =eU/2\pi \mathrm{\Delta }G_s`$. The expression Eq. (26) is valid when $`eU>\sqrt{E_J/\nu _m}`$. In this case the resulting $`E_J`$ becomes suppressed by the non-equilibrium (compared to its mean field value $`E_J^{(0)}L_f`$).

We now can write down the non equilibrium critical current as

$$J_c=\frac{2e}{\mathrm{}}E_J(U),$$
(27)   
where the renormalized Josephson energy is given by Eq. (26). The dependence of the critical current on the bias voltage is illustrated on Fig. 1.

The expression for the Josephson energy Eq. (26) is the main qualitative result of the paper. It shows the effects of non-equilibrium are not limited to the change of the electronic distribution function. In addition, one has to take into account the fluctuations of the superconducting phases in both S-layers of the S-N-S junction. The phase fluctuations result in two observable effects. First, the Josephson energy at the critical point is not described by the mean field power law, but exhibits the non-analytic behavior Eq. (26), illustrated by the inset on Fig. 1. Second, when the bias exceeds the critical value (so that the critical current becomes negative) the Josephson energy is further suppressed relative to the mean field value.

We should warn the reader that Eqs. (23), (26) were obtained for the simplest model of the S-N-S junction, namely the 2D sandwich. The spectrum of collective modes is sensitive to the geometry of the system, therefore, our results are not expected to describe the experimental data (e.g. of Ref. ) in detail. However, we have presented a strong evidence that the acoustic collective modes, which are present in the junction in the non-equilibrium, can be observed by measuring the suppression of the Josephson energy.

In conclusion, we showed that the non-equilibrium fluctuations of the superconducting phases in the S-N-S junction lead to the non-analytic behavior of the Josephson energy at the critical point and to its suppression in the region of the negative critical current, providing a possibility to observe the acoustic collective modes (phasons).

We acknowledge helpful conversations with L.I. Glazman. I.A. is A.P. Sloan and Packard research fellow.