Controlling hysteresis in superconducting constrictions with a resistive shunt

We demonstrate control of the thermal hysteresis in superconducting constrictions by adding a resistive shunt. In order to prevent thermal relaxation oscillations, the shunt resistor is placed in close vicinity of the constriction, making the inductive current-switching time smaller than the thermal equilibration time. We investigate the current-voltage characteristics of the same constriction with and without the shunt-resistor. The widening of the hysteresis-free temperature range is explained on the basis of a simple model.