Half-integer Shapiro Steps in MgB₂ Focused He Ion Beam Josephson Junctions

Abstract Half-integer microwave induced steps (Shapiro steps) have been observed in many different Josephson Junction systems which have attracted a lot of intention because they signify the deviation of current phase relation (CPR) and uncover many unconventional physical properties. In this article, we first report the discovery of half-integer Shapiro steps in MgB2 Focused He Ion Beam (He-FIB) Josephson Junctions. The half-integer steps’ dependence on microwave frequency, temperature, microwave power and magnetic field is also analysed. We find that the existence of half-integer steps can be controlled by magnetic field periodically which is similar with that of high temperature superconductors (HTS) grain boundary junctions and the similarity of the microstructures between gain boundary junctions and He-FIB junctions is discussed. As a consequence, we mainly attribute the physical origin of half-integer steps in MgB2 He-FIB junctions to the model that a He-FIB junction is analogous to a parallel junctions’ array. Our results show that He-FIB technology is a promising platform for researching CPR in junctions made of different superconductors.