Controlling hysteresis in superconducting constrictions with a resistive shunt

International audienceWe demonstrate control of the thermal hysteresis in superconducting constrictions by adding aresistive shunt. In order to prevent thermal relaxation oscillations, the shunt resistor is placed inclose proximity to the constriction, making the inductive current-switching time smaller than thethermal equilibration time. We investigate the current–voltage characteristics of the sameconstriction with and without the shunt-resistor. The widening of the hysteresis-free temperaturerange is explained on the basis of a simple model