The Anomalous Andreev interferometer

Josephson junctions, where both time-reversal and inversion symmetry are broken, exhibit a phase shift ϕ0 in their current-phase relation. This allows for an anomalous supercurrent to flow in the junction even in the absence of a phase bias between the superconductors. A finite phase shift also manifests in the so-called Andreev interferometers, a device that consists of a mesoscopic conductor coupled to the Josephson junction. Due to the proximity effect, the resistance of this conductor is phase sensitive — it oscillates by varying the phase of the Josephson junction. As a result, the quasiparticle current flowing through the conductor has an anomalous component, which exists only at finite ϕ0. Thus, the Andreev interferometry could be used to probe the ϕ0 effect.