Title: Discrete breathers and Josephson Ladders

Author: Juan J. Mazo (1)
Colaborators: Enrique Trias(2), Terry P. Orlando(2) and L. Mario Floria(1)

Addresses: (1) Dpto. Fisica de la Materia Condensada and ICMA.
	       Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC
	       50009 Zaragoza
	       SPAIN

	   (2) Dpt. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
	       Massachusetts Institute of Technology
	       Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
	       USA

Abstract:

With the name of Discrete Breathers (DB) are known a type of localized
excitations generic in perfect nonlinear discrete systems. In this
poster we present this phenomenon and its recent experimental
observation in Josepshon ladders.

We will start with a physical picture of DB, giving intuitive
arguments for their existence, and continue sketching the mathematical
theorem which proves it. These localised excitations have been only
recently observed, measured and excited in a controlled way in
Josephson-junction ladder arrays [1,2]. We will report here on one of
these experiments [1].

[1] E. Trias, J.J. Mazo and T.P. Orlando, Discrete breathers in
nonlinear lattices: Experimental detection in a Josephson array,
Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 741-744 (2000).

[2] P. Binder, D. Abraimov, A. V. Ustinov, S. Flach and Y. Zolotaryuk,
Observation of breathers in josephson ladders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84,
745-748 (2000).