Phase retrapping in a pointlike $φ$ Josephson junction: the Butterfly effect

Abstract

We consider a $φ$ Josephson junction, which has a bistable zero-voltage state with the stationary phases $ψ=\pmφ$. In the non-zero voltage state the phase "moves" viscously along a tilted periodic double-well potential. When the tilting is reduced quasistatically, the phase is retrapped in one of the potential wells. We study the viscous phase dynamics to determine in which well ($-φ$ or $+φ$) the phase is retrapped for a given damping, when the junction returns from the finite-voltage state back to zero-voltage state. In the limit of low damping the $φ$ Josephson junction exhibits a butterfly effect --- extreme sensitivity of the destination well on damping. This leads to an impossibility to predict the destination well.