Conductance of a junction between a normal metal and a Berezinskii superconductor

The conductance of a junction between a normal metal and a superconductor having the symmetry proposed by Berezinskii is studied theoretically. The main feature of this symmetry is the odd frequency dependence of the anomalous Green’s function, which makes possible the s-wave triplet superconducting state (the Berezinskii superconductor). The Andreev reflection (which links positive and negative energies) is sensitive to the energetic symmetry; as a result, the conductance of the junction involving the Berezinskii superconductor is qualitatively different from the case of a conventional superconductor. Experimentally, the obtained results can be employed to test the possibility of the Berezinskii superconductivity proposed for Na _x CoO₂ and to identify the odd-ω component predicted for superconductor-ferromagnet systems. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Conductance of d-wave superconductor/normal metal/d-wave superconductor junctions

We develop a theory of the conductance of superconductor/normal metal/superconductor junctions in the case where the superconducting order parameter has d-wave symmetry. At low temperature the conductance is proportional to the square root of the inelastic electron relaxation time in the bulk of the superconductor. As a result it turns out to be much larger than the conductance of the normal part of the junction.     

Conductance in normal metal/insulator/ferromagnetic superconductor tunnel junctions

In this paper, the superconducting order parameter and the energy spectrum of the Bogoliubov excitations are obtained from the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation for a ferromagnetic superconductor (FS). In the framework of the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model, we present the differential conductance of the normal metal/insulator/FS junctions. It is shown that the exchange energy h in the FS can lead to the Zeeman splitting of the conductance peaks and the energy difference between the two splitting peaks is equal to 2h. The observation of such Zeeman splitting in the conductance spectrum can be taken as evidence for the coexistence between superconductivity and ferromagnetism.     

正常金属/自旋三重态p波超导体结隧道谱的奇异性

利用Blonder，Tinkham和Klapwijk理论计算了正常金属/绝缘层/正常金属/自旋三重态的p波超导体结的隧道谱和平均电流.计算结果表明：在自旋三重态p波超导结的隧道谱中存在零偏压电导峰、零偏压电导凹陷和双凹陷结构，并有微分电导随偏压震荡的现象出现，在I-V曲线上出现电流台阶.这些结果在理论上支持Sr₂RuO₄的超导态是自旋三重态p波超导态. 关键词： 自旋三重态超导体 p波超导体 隧道谱     

Andreev reflection between a normal metal and the FFLO superconductor

We consider a process of the Andreev reflection between a normal metal and the s-wave superconductor in the FFLO state. It is shown that the process takes place if the energy of the incoming electron is bound within the finite interval called the Andreev window. The position of the window determines the value of the non-zero total momentum of Cooper pairs and the value of the gap.     

超导体/正常金属/半导体/正常金属/超导体结的研究

在约瑟夫逊效应的理论研究中,大体上有微观和宏观两种方法。采用的是宏观的方法。利用推广的Ja-cobson方法,讨论了超导体/正常金属/半导体/正常金属/超导体结的约瑟夫逊效应,并在小电流假设下,推导出了该结的电流密度与位相之间的关系。     

Current and heat transfer through the interface between a two-band superconductor and a normal metal

Current and heat transfer through the interface between a two-band superconductor and a normal metal has been theoretically considered taking into account the interband scattering at the interface. Cases of various symmetries of the order parameter of the two-band superconductor such as s ₊₊ and s _± have been analyzed. The bolometric applications of the contacts of two-band superconductors with a normal metal have been discussed.     

The Wiedemannben Franz law in a normal metalben superconductor junction

In this paper the influence of superconducting correlations on the thermal and charge conductances in a normal metal-superconductor (NS) junction in the clean limit is studied theoretically. First we solve the quasiclassical Eilenberger equations, and using the obtained density of states we can acquire the thermal and electrical conductances for the NS junction. Then we compare the conductance in a normal region of an NS junction with that in a single layer of normal metal (N). Moreover, we study the Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law for these two cases (N and NS). From our calculations we conclude that the behaviour of the NS junction does not conform to the WF law for all temperatures. The effect of the thickness of normal metal on the thermal conductivity is also theoretically investigated in the paper.     

Andreev reflection between a normal metal and the FFLO superconductor II: A self-consistent approach

We consider Andreev reflection in a two dimensional junction between a normal metal and a heavy fermion superconductor in the Fulde–Ferrell (FF) type of the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. We assume s-wave symmetry of the superconducting gap. The parameters of the superconductor: the gap magnitude, the chemical potential, and the Cooper pair center-of-mass-momentum Q, are all determined self-consistently within a mean-field (BCS) scheme. The Cooper pair momentum Q is chosen as perpendicular to the junction interface. We calculate the junction conductance for a series of barrier strengths. In the case of incoming electron with spin σ = ↑ only for magnetic fields close to the upper critical field H_c2, we obtain the so-called Andreev window, i.e. the energy interval in which the reflection probability is maximal, which in turn is indicated by a peak in the conductance. The last result differs with other non-self-consistent calculations existing in the literature.     

Tunable supercurrent in superconductor/normal metal/superconductor Josephson junctions

When two superconductors are connected by a weak link a supercurrent flows determined by the difference in the macroscopic quantum phases of the superconductors. Originally, this phenomenon was discovered by Josephson for the case of a weak link formed by a thin tunnel barrier. The supercurrent I is related to the phase difference ϕ through the Josephson current–phase relation, I = I_csin ϕ, with I_c, the critical current, depending on the properties of the weak link. A similar relation holds for weak links consisting of a normal metal, a semiconductor or a constriction . In all cases, the phase differenceϕ =  0 when no supercurrent flows through the junction, and ϕ increases monotonically with increasing supercurrent until the critical current is reached. Using nanolithography techniques we have succeeded in making and studying a Josephson junction with a normal metal weak link, in which we have direct access to the microscopic current-carrying states inside the link. We find that the fundamental Josephson relation can be changed fromI = I_csin ϕ toI = I_csin(ϕ + π), i.e. to a π -junction, by suitably controlling the energy distribution of the current-carrying states in the normal metal. This fundamental change in the way these Josephson junctions behave has potential implications for their use in superconducting electronics as well as (quantum) logic circuits based on superconductors.     

Josephson current in a clean superconductor normal-metal superconductor junction

Based on a simple matrix method, we investigate the effects of Fermi vector mismatch and elastic barrier on the dc Josephoson current through a ballistic, normal, one-dimensional quantum channel in contact with two superconducting electrodes. Our results are able to account for the recent experimental results.     

正常金属-绝缘层-铁磁/超导结微分电导峰的Zeeman劈裂

通过求解Bogoliubov-de Gennes(BdG)方程，利用推广的Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk(BTK)理 论，计算了考虑结界面粗糙散射情况下正常金属-绝缘层-铁磁超导结（N/I/FS）的微分电导 .研究表明，铁磁超导态中的磁交换能E_h能使微分电导峰产生Zeeman劈裂， 劈裂峰的 能量间隔为2E_h，结界面势垒散射和结界面粗糙散射降低了隧道结的微分电导峰 值. 关键词： N/I/FS超导结 铁磁超导共存态 微分电导 Zeeman劈裂     

Josephson current in a clean superconductor normal-metal superconductor junction

Based on a simple matrix method, we investigate the effects of Fermi vector mismatch and elastic barrier on the dc Josephoson current through a ballistic, normal, one-dimensional quantum channel in contact with two superconducting electrodes. Our results are able to account for the recent experimental results.     

Thermoelectric effects in normal metal/superconductor interface structures

The thermopower of Andreev interferometers, which are doubly connected loops in which one arm is a superconductor and one arm is a normal metal, oscillates as a function of magnetic field with a fundamental period corresponding to a flux quantum h / 2 e through the area of the loop. While the magnetoresistance of an Andreev interferometer is symmetric with respect to the magnetic field, the thermopower can be either symmetric or antisymmetric, depending on the topology of the sample. The temperature dependence of the thermopower oscillations is nonmonotonic. This nonmonotonic behavior does not appear to be related to the reentrance observed by many groups in the conductance of normal-metal/superconductor (NS) structures.     

A superconductor/semiconductor/superconductor junction with a long-split gate

Measurements of superconducting and normal transport in a superconductor/semiconductor/superconductor junction with a long-split gate show that when the two-dimensional electron gas in the semiconductor is put into the pinched-off state by applying a gate voltage, the two superconducting electrodes couple through a long and narrow channel with a small number of modes. Multiple Andreev reflections the focusing of Andreev-reflected holes are observed in this situation, but the supercurrent decreases quickly as gate voltage is increased and it disappears when the channel is long and narrow. A sharp conductance peak due to the coherent motion of the electrons and holes in the narrow channel is also observed.     

Differential conductance in normal-metal/insulator/metal/d-wave superconductor junction carrying a supercurrent

This paper applies the Bogoliubov--de Gennes equation and the Blonder--Tinkham--Klapwijk approach to study the oscillatory behaviour of differential conductance in a normal metal/insulator/metal/d-wave superconductor junction carrying a supercurrent I_s. We find that (i) a three-humped structure appears at a nearly critical supercurrent I_s and z ≈ 0.5 for the normal metal/insulator/metal/d_x² + y²-wave superconductor junction; (ii) the zero-bias conductance peak splits into two peaks with sufficiently large applied current for the normal metal/insulator/metal/d_xy-wave superconductor junction; (iii) the conductance spectrum exhibits oscillating behaviour with the bias voltage and the peaks of the resonances are suppressed by increasing supercurrent I_s.     

Electron transport across the interface of a normal metal and a two-band superconductor with interband pairing

A consistent scheme taking into account both intra- and interband pairings has been proposed for diagonalizing the Hamiltonian of a superconductor. The temperature dependence of the order parameter of the superconductor with interband pairing has been calculated. The electron transport across the interface of a normal metal and the two-band superconductor with interband pairing has been analyzed.     

Conductance in a T-shaped proximity structure of a p-wave superconductor

We discuss the proximity effect of spin-triplet superconductors on electric conductance of remote current by using the quasiclassical Green function method. Conductance spectra show a zero-bias anomaly, which reflects enhancement of quasiparticle density of states at the Fermi energy in a normal metal. Odd-frequency symmetry of Cooper pairs in a normal metal is responsible for the zero-bias anomaly.     

Proximity effects in a superconductor/ferromagnet junction

A proximity effect in an s-wave superconductor/ferromagnet (SC/F) junction is theoretically studied using the second order perturbation theory for the tunneling Hamiltonian and Green's function method. We calculate a pair amplitude induced by the proximity effect in a weak ferromagnetic metal (FM) and a half-metal (HM). In the SC/FM junction, it is found that a spin-singlet pair amplitude (Ψ_s) and spin-triplet pair amplitude (Ψ_t) are induced in FM and both amplitudes depend on the frequency in the Matsubara representation. Ψ_s is an even function and Ψ_t is an odd function with respect to the Matsubara frequency (ω_n). In the SC/HM junction, we examine the proximity effects by taking account of magnon excitations in HM. It is found that the triplet-pair correlation is induced in HM. The induced pair amplitude in HM shows a damped oscillation as a function of the position and contains the terms of even and odd functions of ω_n as in the case of the SC/FM junction. We discuss that in our tunneling model the pair amplitude of even function of ω_n only contributes to a Josephson current.     

Paramagnetic reentrant effect in mesoscopic cylinders made of a normal metal in proximity with a superconductor

We show that the paramagnetic reentrant effect observed in experiments by Mota et al. in mesoscopic cylinders made of a normal metal in proximity with a superconductor, can be caused by paramagnetic persistent currents flowing on the outer shell of the cylinder.