Effects of a focused laser beam on the critical Josephson tunneling current

Abstract

We have calculated the effect of a focused laser beam on the critical current of a short Josephson tunnel junction. The focused beam is assumed to change the local temperature of the irradiated region modifying the maximum current density, the London penetration depth, and the Josephson screening length over the cross section of the beam. This produces a local change of the current density in the irradiated region while, in the presence of an external magnetic field, the change of the London penetration depth induces a nonlocal long-range change of the current density.