Jr. Fletcher et al., HELICAL CURRENT FLOW AT THE JUNCTION BETWEEN 2 TILTED ANISOTROPIC CONDUCTORS, Physical review letters, 79(13), 1997, pp. 2522-2525
We consider the current flow near the junction between two tilted anis
otropic conductors resulting from an electric field parallel to the ju
nction, in the situation where the anisotropy is so severe that conduc
tion away from the junction is poor. We show that current flows along
the junction in helical paths and calculate the effective conductivity
of the junction per unit length, the form of the current flow, and it
s spatial extent. The helical current path provides inductance, which
is calculated, and the magnetic field components resulting from the cu
rrent now are estimated. The structure also acts as a localized detect
or of time dependent magnetic flux.