Nonlocal Andreev reflection in a three-terminal Aharonov-Bohm interferometer

We theoretically report a nonlocal Andreev reflection in an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer, which is a three-terminal normal metal/superconductor (NS) mesoscopic hybrid system. It is found that this nonlocal Andreev reflection is sensitive to the systematic parameters, such as the bias voltages, the quantum dot levels, and the external magnetic flux. If we set the chemical potential of one normal metal lead equal to zero, the electronic current in the lead results from two competing processes: the quasiparticle transmission and nonlocal Andreev reflection. The appearance of zero electronic current signals unambiguously the existence of this nonlocal Andreev reflection.     

Josephson Effect in FS/I/N/I/FS Tunnel Junctions

The Bogoliubov de Gennes equation is applied to the study ofcoherence effects in the ferromagnetic superconductor/insulator/normalmetal/insulator/ferromagnetic/superconductor (FS/I/N/I/FS) junction. We calculated the Josephson current in FS/I/N/I/FS as a function of exchange field in ferromagnetic superconductor, temperature, and normal metal thickness. It is found that the Josephson critical current in FS/I/N/I/FS exhibits oscillations as a function of the length of normal metal. The exchange field always suppresses the Josephson critical current I_p for a parallel configuration of the magnetic moments of two ferromagnetic superconductor (FS) electrodes. In the antiparallel configuration, the Josephson critical current I_Ap at the minimum values of oscillation increases with the exchange field for strong barrier strength and at low temperatures.     

Interlayer tunnelling in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals

We present measurements of the intrinsic quasi-particle conductivity along the c-axis of 2212-BSCCO single-crystal mesa structures in the superconducting and normal states. Direct measurement of the mesa temperature enables corrections to be made for self-heating and permits the acquisition of reliable I–V characteristics over a wide range of temperatures and voltages. Unlike a conventional superconductor, there is no evidence for any change in the quasi-particle conductivity at T_c, consistent with precursor pairing of electrons in the normal state. At low temperatures the initial low-voltage linear conductivity exhibits a T² dependence, approaching a limiting value at zero temperature.     

Resonance energy and charge pumping through quantum SINIS contacts

We propose a mechanism of quantum pumping mediated by the spectral flow in a voltage-biased superconductor/insulator/normal-metal/insulator/superconductor quantum junction and realized via the sequential closing of the minigaps in the energy spectrum in resonance with the Josephson frequency. We show that the pumped dc current exhibits giant peaks at rational voltages.     

Entangled electron current through finite size normal-superconductor tunneling structures

We investigate theoretically the simultaneous tunneling of two electrons from a superconductor into a normal metal at low temperatures and voltages. Such an emission process is shown to be equivalent to the Andreev reflection of an incident hole. We obtain a local tunneling Hamiltonian that permits to investigate transport through interfaces of arbitrary geometry and potential barrier shapes. We prove that the bilinear momentum dependence of the low-energy tunneling matrix element translates into a real space Hamiltonian involving the normal derivatives of the electron fields in each electrode. The angular distribution of the electron current as it is emitted into the normal metal is analyzed for various experimental setups. We show that, in a full three-dimensional problem, the neglect of the momentum dependence of tunneling causes a violation of unitarity and leads to the wrong thermodynamic (broad interface) limit. More importantly for current research on quantum information devices, in the case of an interface made of two narrow tunneling contacts separated by a distance r, the assumption of momentum-independent hopping yields a nonlocally entangled electron current that decays with a prefactor proportional to r ^-2 instead of the correct r ^-4.Received: 14 June 2004, Published online: 24 September 2004PACS: 74.45. + c Proximity effects; Andreev effect; SN and SNS junctions - 74.50. + r Tunneling phenomena; point contacts, weak links, Josephson effects     

Josephson current through a half metal at low temperatures

We study the Josephson effect in the superconductor/diffusive half metal/superconductor junctions by using the recursive Green function method. In the presence of spin-flip scatterings at the interface, odd-frequency spin-triplet Cooper pairs penetrate deeply into a half metal and carry Josephson current. The critical Josephson current increases with decreasing temperatures near the transition temperature. At low temperatures, however, the critical current decreases with decreasing temperatures. Such reentrant behavior is unusual in the case of s-wave superconductor junctions. The penetration of odd-frequency pairs modifies quasiparticle density of states in a half metal near the Fermi energy, which is responsible for the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of critical Josephson current.     

Influence of the in-plane magnetic field on the Andreev conductance of a superconductor–insulator–normal metal structure

Pronounced conductance due to electrons experiencing Andreev reflection from a superconducting condensate has been observed in superconductor (aluminum)–insulator (aluminum oxide)–normal metal (copper) tunnel junctions at low voltages, along with single-electron tunneling. It has been discovered experimentally that the collective current is suppressed in the magnetic field parallel to the tunnel junction plane and the Andreev conductance decreases nearly twofold in a field of ～20–30 mT.     

Josephson junctions based on c-axis oriented YBaCuO/PrBaCuO/YBaCuO trilayers

We have fabricated sandwich SNS (superconductor/normal metal/superconductor) junctions using in-situ grown c-axis oriented YBaCuO/PrBaCuO/YBaCuO trilayers. We observe supercurrents for PrBaCuO thicknesses up to 130 nm at 4.2 K. To confirm or rule out the presence of shorts through the barrier, the junction behaviour has been further characterised. Magnetic-field and PrBaCuO thickness dependences of the critical current, as well as a correct scaling with the junction area of both the critical current and the normal resistance, appear to indicate a reasonable uniformity for the barriers on the scale of the size of the junctions, typically 10 μm. These results suggest that either we are observing real c-axis transport in PrBaCuO or, if the behaviour is defect dominated, that the criteria commonly used to demonstrate good device behaviour should be applied carefully. The temperature dependence of the junction critical current and normal resistance are also reported and compared.     

Spin torque on magnetic domain walls exerted by supercurrents

We calculate the spin density, spin currents and spin torque due to a spin polarized current on a magnetic domain wall juxtaposed to or inserted in a conventional superconductor. The superconductor is part of a heterostructure of the type NSN or FSF. In general, the spin torque exerted on the domain wall is weaker with respect to a normal metal. However, there are regimes where the torque is enhanced with respect to the normal metal. In these regimes the motion of the domain wall is therefore more efficient. A notable case is the passing of an unpolarized current which leads to a finite torque in the case of the superconductor.     

Coherence effects in S/I/N/I/FS tunnel junctions

The dc Josephson effect in superconductor / insulator / normal metal / insulator/ferromagnetic superconductor junctions has been studied. We calculate the de Josephson current based on the Bogoliubov de Gennes equation. The Josephson current is derived as a function of exchange field in ferromagnetic superconductor, normal metal thickness and insulating barrier strength. It is found that there exists an oscillation relation between the critical Josephson current and the normal metal thickness. The oscillation amplitude decreases as the thickness of the normal metal increases or the exchange field augments.[第一段]     

The Influence of Parameters of the Stabilizing Layer of 2G HTS Tapes and the Specifics of Heat Removal on the CVC Shape in the Resistive State and on the Critical Voltage Inducing Irreversible Changes in Superconducting Properties

The actual form of the resistive section of the AC current–voltage curve (CVC) is determined experimentally. It is found that the CVC is shaped both by the electrical properties of the superconducting layer and by the thermomechanical properties of layers in the tape structure. The specific features of CVC behavior in different current ranges are determined. It is demonstrated that small amounts of heat released in stabilizing and superconducting layers do not affect the CVC shape below the critical current. Above the critical current, combined heat releases in stabilizing and superconducting layers raise the temperature and the resistance of an HTS tape in the resistive state. It is found that the stabilizing layer has a critical thickness. Below this critical level, the current in the resistive state flows primarily along the HTS layer, and its slight overheating initiates the transition of the sample to the normal state due to the thermal instability of heat removal to liquid nitrogen. In tapes with thicker copper layers, the current in the resistive state is distributed between stabilizing and HTS layers, and the transition to the normal state occurs near the critical temperature of the superconductor at zero current. The dependence of critical voltages characterizing different damage levels of HTS tapes on the thickness of the copper layer is determined. It is found that the breakdown occurs at higher voltages if step voltage is applied.     

Incomplete Andreev reflection in a clean SFS junction

We study the stationary Josephson effect in a ballistic superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor junction for arbitrarily large spin polarizations. Due to the exchange interaction in the ferromagnet, the Andreev reflection is incomplete. We describe how this effect modifies the Josephson current in the crossover from a superconductor/normal metal/superconductor junction to a superconductor/half metal/superconductor junction.     

Binding evaluation of the combination between the superconductor and matrix by ultrasonic spectra

Combination of the superconductor and high conductive normal metal is now indispensable in the practical use of superconducting magnet. And the binding property of both materials is one of the key points whether superconductive characteristics are fully attained or the current fails prematurely in the practical magnet. But this binding evaluation is not so easy, because even in the mechanically well-jointed conductor, it often appears poor in electric and magnetic joint in cryogenic temperature. Since we have examined and reported fundamental AE properties of superconductor from UI-91, UI-93, UI-95, and UI-97, we have found the simple but important discovery for getting new information about the binding evaluation. Here we report a new technique for evaluating these bindings by observing ultrasonic spectra when a normal transition is propagated along the superconductor. We have discovered that a good contacting conductor has an emission of this sound with sharp resonating frequency peak or peaks at around the highest spectrum area; from 0.5 to 1.0 MHz. Our interpretation of the evaluations are so simple that we can say that binding degrees are best, good or bad, according to the resonating Q-value at around the highest spectrum of the ultrasonic sound.     

On the mechanism of dissipation in the internal Josephson effect in layered superconductors at low temperatures

The current-voltage characteristics (IVCs) of a layered superconductor with singlet d pairing at low temperatures are calculated in the internal Josephson effect (IJE) regime. Coherent electron tunneling between layers is assumed. A finite resistance of the superconductor in the resistive state arises because of quasiparticle transitions through the superconducting gap near nodes. Because of charge effects the interaction of the Josephson junctions formed by the layers does not lead to substantial differences in the shapes of different branches of the IVCs. The model describes the basic qualitative features of the effect in high-temperature superconductors for voltages which are low compared with the amplitude of the superconducting gap. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 8, 516–521 (25 October 1999)     

Charge transfer statistics and entanglement in normal-quantum dot-superconductor hybrid structures

We analyze the full counting statistics (FCS) of a single-site quantum dot coupled to multiple metallic electrodes in the normal state and a superconductor for arbitrary transmission. We present an analytical solution of the problem taking into account the full energy dependence of the transmission coefficient. We identify two transport processes as sources of entanglement between the current carriers by observing positive cross current correlations. Furthermore, we consider ferromagnetic electrodes and show how they can be used as detectors in experiments violating the Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality.     

Side-gate modulation of critical current in mesoscopic Josephson junction

We study the normal state conductance and the Josephson current in a superconductor–2DEG–superconductor structure where the size/shape of the 2DEG-region can be modified by an additional side-gate electrode. The considered transport properties follow from the retarded Green function which we compute by employing a tight-binding-like representation of the Hamiltonian in the 2DEG region. Our model studies offer a qualitative demonstration of the recently observed effects caused by side-gate modulation.     

Interlayer current near the edge of an InAs/GaSb double quantum well in proximity with a superconductor

We investigate charge transport through the junction between a niobium superconductor and the edge of a two-dimensional electron-hole bilayer, realized in an InAs/GaSb double quantum well. For the transparent interface with a superconductor, we demonstrate that the junction resistance is determined by the interlayer charge transfer near the interface. From an analysis of experimental I?V curves, we conclude that the proximity-induced superconductivity efficiently couples electron and hole layers at low currents. The critical current demonstrates periodic dependence on the in-plane magnetic field, while it is monotonic for the field that is normal to the bilayer plane.     

Phase fluctuations in a strongly disordered s-wave NbN superconductor close to the metal-insulator transition

We explore the role of phase fluctuations in a three-dimensional s-wave superconductor, NbN, as we approach the critical disorder for destruction of the superconducting state. Close to critical disorder, we observe a finite gap in the electronic spectrum which persists at temperatures well above T(c). The superfluid density is strongly suppressed at low temperatures and evolves towards a linear-T variation at higher temperatures. These observations provide strong evidence that phase fluctuations play a central role in the formation of a pseudogap state in a disordered s-wave superconductor.     

Analytical Result on the Supercurrent Through a Superconductor/Quantum-Dot/Superconductor Junction

We present an analytical result for the supercurrent across a superconductor/quantum-dot/superconductor junction. By converting the current integration into a special contour integral, we can express the current as a sum of the residues of poles. These poles are real and give a natural definition of the Andreev bound states. We also use the exact result to explain some features of the supercurrent transport behavior.