Magnetic Field Dependence and Q of the Josephson Plasma Resonance

The results of an experimental study of the magnetic field dependence of the Josephson-plasma-resonance frequency and linewidth in Pb-Pb oxide-Pb tunnel junctions are reported. In the presence of an external magnetic field, the plasma mode is found to be sensitive to an antisymmetric component of supercurrent density which is not observed in conventional measurements of the field-dependent critical current.

The frequency and field dependence of the plasma-resonance linewidth are interpreted as evidence that the previously unobserved quasiparticle-pair-interference tunnel current predicted by Josephson exists and has the expected magnitude but the opposite sign.