Vortex dynamics in Josephson ladders with π-junctions

Both experimental and numerical studies of a self-frustrated triangular array of pi-junctions are reported. The array of SFS Josephson junctions shows a transition to the pi-state and self-frustration with a decrease in temperature. This manifests itself in a half-period shift of the bias critical current versus applied magnetic field. At temperatures close to the 0-pi transition this dependence shows a doubling of its periodicity frequency that can be explained by 0-pi bistability of the SFS junctions. The change in the array behaviour with number of unit cells has been studied by means of numerical simulation.