SINGLE AND COLLECTIVE VORTEX DYNAMICS IN CLASSICAL JOSEPHSON-JUNCTIONARRAYS

We discuss a number of topics concerning the dynamics of vortices in J osephson junction arrays at zero temperature in the classical regime. Vortices are extended objects, whose dynamics emerges from the solutio ns of a system of coupled nonlinear differential equations for the sup erconducting phases on the islands that form the array. By computing t heir dynamics from these equations, we can elucidate to what extent vo rtices exhibit features of simple particle dynamics. By comparing comp uted observables, such as I-V-characteristics, quantitatively with exp erimental data, we can gain insight in the underlying vortex dynamics from the computations, that is not directly accessible by experiment.