Electrically controlled field-free Josephson diode effect in two-dimensional antiferromagnets

We theoretically study the Josephson diode effect (JDE) in two-dimensional antiferromagnets. The staggered potential and Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) can break both time-reversal and inversion symmetries in this antiferromagnetic Josephson junction, so the JDE is expected. It is demonstrated that the staggered potential can be employed to achieve and modulate the nonreciprocal current. This yields an electrically tunable JDE without applying any external magnetic field. The diode efficiency, which reaches up to ±60%, exhibits antisymmetry with respect to the staggered potential and antiferromagnetic field. The proposed JDE provides an electrical operation in designing field-free superconducting devices.