Spatially-resolved probing of a non-equilibrium superconductor

Spatially resolved relaxation of non-equilibrium quasiparticles in a superconductor at ultra-low temperatures was experimentally studied. It was found that the quasiparticle injection through a tunnel junction results in modification of the shape of I-V characteristic of a remote `detector' junction. The effect depends on temperature, injection current and proximity to the injector. The phenomena can be understood in terms of creation of quasiparticle charge and energy disequilibrium characterized by two different length scales $\Lambda_{Q^{\ast}}$ $\sim5$ $\mu$m and $\Lambda_{T^{\ast}}\sim$ $40$ $\mu$m. The findings are in good agreement with existing phenomenological models, while more elaborated microscopic theory is mandatory for detailed quantitative comparison with experiment. The results are of fundamental importance for understanding electron transport phenomena in various nanoelectronic circuits.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Loss of Andreev Backscattering in Superconducting Quantum Point Contacts

We study effects of magnetic field on the energy spectrum in a superconducting quantum point contact. The supercurrent induced by the magnetic field leads to intermode transitions between the electron waves that pass and do not pass through the constriction. The latter experience normal reflections which couple the states with opposite momenta inside the quantum channel and create a minigap in the energy spectrum that depends on the magnetic field

IMAGE PROCESSING AT ELLIPSOIDAL PHOTOMETRY

Ellipsoidal photometry using Charge-Coupled Device (CCD photometry), as a new kind of optical diagnostics of scattering media in reflected and/or transmitted light, requires the development of specific principles of data analysis. The object of this work was substantiation the principles of ellipsoidal CCD photometry at implementation of a new data processing method of spatial distribution of scattered optical flux. Procedure of photometric analysis include the steps of determining the image significance, as well as the size, configuration and illuminance in its respective areas with regard to the criteria to optimize the shape and sensitivity of the zone. Zone analysis schemes of photometric images for media with a radially symmetric and directed scattering are developed. Recommended to use the method of comparison with etalon for studies the technical surfaces and turbid media to determine their roughness and optical characteristics, respectively. During the analysis of biological media, there is a possible of prognosis the spatial distribution of the brightness of the image by means of statistical modeling of optical radiation in the system «biological medium + ellipsoidal reflector». That confirmed by comparing results of the numerical (direct Monte Carlo simulation) and the real experiment for samples different thickness of muscle porcine tissue in vitro. Parameters of the optical radiation, which used as input data for the simulation, correspond to a laser wavelength of 632.8 nm with a Gaussian distribution profile of power of 2 mW. As a CCD detector was used monochrome camera DMK-21Au04.AS, and ellipsoidal reflector with an eccentricity of 0.66 and working aperture of 33.75 mm. Obtained results of zone distribution of illumination across the field in real experimental photometric images during biometrics showed correlation with the total transmission, absorption and diffuse scattering coefficients. This interdependence may be important part of improvement inverse methods of determination the optical parameters of biological media

Circuit theory of multiple Andreev reflections in diffusive SNS junctions: the incoherent case

The incoherent regime of Multiple Andreev Reflections (MAR) is studied in long diffusive SNS junctions at applied voltages larger than the Thouless energy. Incoherent MAR is treated as a transport problem in energy space by means of a circuit theory for an equivalent electrical network. The current through NS interfaces is explained in terms of diffusion flows of electrons and holes through tunnel and Andreev resistors. These resistors in diffusive junctions play roles analogous to the normal and Andreev reflection coefficients in OTBK theory for ballistic junctions. The theory is applied to the subharmonic gap structure (SGS); simple analytical results are obtained for the distribution function and current spectral density for the limiting cases of resistive and transparent NS interfaces. In the general case, the exact solution is found in terms of chain-fractions, and the current is calculated numerically. SGS shows qualitatively different behavior for even and odd subharmonic numbers, and the maximum slopes of the differential resistance correspond to the gap subharmonics. The influence of inelastic scattering on the subgap anomalies of the differential resistance is analyzed.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, title and text revised, to appear in PR

Proximity Effect and Multiple Andreev Reflections in Chaotic Josephson junctions

We study the dc-current transport in a voltage biased superconductor-chaotic dot-superconductor junction with an induced proximity effect(PE) in the dot. It is found that for a Thouless energy $E_{Th}$ of the dot smaller than the superconducting energy gap $\Delta$, the PE is manifested as peaks in the differential conductance at voltages of order $E_{Th}$ away from the even subharmonic gap structures $eV \approx 2(\Delta\pm E_{Th})/2n$. These peaks are insensitive to temperatures $kT \ll \Delta$ but are suppressed by a weak magnetic field. The current for suppressed PE is independent of $E_{Th}$ and magnetic field and is shown to be given by the Octavio-Tinkham-Blonder-Klapwijk theory.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Nonequilibrium electron cooling by NIS tunnel junctions

We discuss the theoretical framework to describe quasiparticle electric and heat currents in NIS tunnel junctions in the dirty limit. The approach is based on quasiclassical Keldysh-Usadel equations. We apply this theory to diffusive NIS'S tunnel junctions. Here N and S are respectively normal metal and superconductor reservoirs, I is an insulator layer and S' is a nonequilibrium superconducting lead. We calculate the quasiparticle electric and heat currents in such structures and consider the effect of inelastic relaxation in the S' lead. We find that in the absence of strong relaxation the electric current and the cooling power for voltages $eV < \Delta$ are suppressed. The value of this suppression scales with the diffusive transparency parameter. We ascribe this suppression to the effect of backtunneling of nonequilibrium quasiparticles into the normal metal.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, proceedings, to be published in JLT

Acoustic Cyclotron Resonance and Giant High Frequency Magnetoacoustic Oscillations in Metals with Locally Flattened Fermi Surface

We consider the effect of local flattening on the Fermi surface (FS) of a metal upon geometric oscillations of the velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic waves in the neighborhood of the acoustic cyclotron resonance. It is shown that such peculiarities of the local geometry of the FS can lead to a significant enhancement of both cyclotron resonance and geometric oscillations. Characteristic features of the coupling of ultrasound to shortwave cyclotron waves arising due to the local flattening of the FS are analyzed. PACS numbers 71.18.+y; 72.15.Gd; 72.15.-vComment: 8 pages, 3 figures, text revise