DISORDER AND SYNCHRONIZATION IN A JOSEPHSON-JUNCTION PLAQUETTE

We describe the effects of disorder on the coherence properties of a 2 X2 array of Josephson junctions (a ''plaquette''). The disorder is int roduced through variations in the junction characteristics. We show th at the array will remain one-to-one frequency locked despite large amo unts of the disorder, and determine analytically the maximum disorder that can be tolerated before a transition to a desynchronized state oc curs. Connections with larger NxM arrays are also drawn. (C) 1995 Amer ican Institute of physics.