105 research outputs found
Quantum coherent transport in a three-arm beam splitter and a Braess paradox
The Braess paradox encountered in classical networks is a counterintuitive
phenomenon when the flow in a road network can be impeded by adding a new road
or, more generally, the overall net performance can degrade after addition of
an extra available choice. In this work, we discuss the possibility of a
similar effect in a phase-coherent quantum transport and demonstrate it by
example of a simple Y-shaped metallic fork. To reveal the Braess-like partial
suppression of the charge flow in such device, it is proposed to transfer two
outgoing arms into a superconducting state. We show that the differential
conductance-vs-voltage spectrum of the hybrid fork structure varies
considerably when the extra link between the two superconducting leads is added
and it can serve as an indicator of quantum correlations which manifest
themselves in the quantum Braess paradox.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, the author version presented at the Quantum 2017
Workshop (Torino, Italy, 7-13 May 2017) and submitted to the International
Journal of Quantum Information; v2: reference 9 added and the introduction
extende
Substrate induced proximity effect in superconducting niobium nanofilms
Structural and superconducting properties of high quality Niobium nanofilms
with different thicknesses are investigated on silicon oxide and sapphire
substrates. The role played by the different substrates and the superconducting
properties of the Nb films are discussed based on the defectivity of the films
and on the presence of an interfacial oxide layer between the Nb film and the
substrate. The X-ray absorption spectroscopy is employed to uncover the
structure of the interfacial layer. We show that this interfacial layer leads
to a strong proximity effect, specially in films deposited on a SiO
substrate, altering the superconducting properties of the Nb films. Our results
establish that the critical temperature is determined by an interplay between
quantum-size effects, due to the reduction of the Nb film thicknesses, and
proximity effects
Universality of transport properties of ultra-thin oxide films
We report low-temperature measurements of current-voltage characteristics for
highly conductive Nb/Al-AlOx-Nb junctions with thicknesses of the Al interlayer
ranging from 40 to 150 nm and ultra-thin barriers formed by diffusive oxidation
of the Al surface. In the superconducting state these devices have revealed a
strong subgap current leakage. Analyzing Cooper-pair and quasiparticle currents
across the devices, we conclude that the strong suppression of the subgap
resistance comparing with conventional tunnel junctions originates from a
universal bimodal distribution of transparencies across the Al-oxide barrier
proposed earlier by Schep and Bauer. We suggest a simple physical explanation
of its source in the nanometer-thick oxide films relating it to strong local
barrier-height fluctuations which are generated by oxygen vacancies in thin
aluminum oxide tunnel barriers formed by thermal oxidation.Comment: revised text and a new figur
Vortex dynamics in NbTi films at high frequency and high DC magnetic fields
We report on the characterization of NbTi films at ∼ 11 GHz and in DC magnetic fields up to 4
T, performed by means of the coplanar waveguide resonator technique, providing quantitative
information about the penetration depth, the complex impedance, and the vortex-motion-induced
complex resistivity. This kind of characterization is essential for the development of radiofrequency
cavity technology. To access the vortex-pinning parameters, the complex impedance was analyzed
within the formalism of the Campbell penetration depth. Measurements in this frequency range
allowed us to determine the complete set of vortex-pinning parameters and the flux flow resistivity,
both analyzed and discussed in the framework of high-frequency vortex dynamics models. The
analysis also benefits from the comparison with results obtained by a dielectric-loaded resonator
technique on similar samples and by other ancillary structural and electromagnetic characterization
techniques that provide us with a comprehensive picture of the material. It turns out that the
normalized flux flow resistivity follows remarkably well the trend predicted by the time dependent
Ginzburg-Landau theory, while the pinning constant exhibits a decreasing trend with the field which
points to a collective pinning regime
Intrinsically shunted Josephson junctions for electronics applications
Conventional Josephson metal-insulator-metal devices are inherently underdamped and exhibit hysteretic current -voltage response due to a very high subgap resistance compared to that in the normal state. At the same time, overdamped junctions with single-valued characteristics are needed for most superconducting digital applications. The usual way to overcome the hysteretic behavior is to place an external low-resistance normal-metal shunt in parallel with each junction. Unfortunately, such solution results in a considerable complication of the circuitry design and introduces parasitic inductance through the junction. This paper provides a concise overview of some generic approaches that have been proposed in order to realize internal shunting in Josephson heterostructures with a barrier that itself contains the desired resistive component. The main attention is paid to self-shunted devices with local weak-link transmission probabilities that are so strongly disordered in the interface plane that transmission probabilities are tiny for the main part of the transition region between two super-conducting electrodes, while a small part of the interface is well transparent. We discuss the possibility of realizing a universal bimodal distribution function and emphasize advantages of such junctions that can be considered as a new class of self-shunted Josephson devices promising for practical applications in superconducting electronics operating at 4.2 K
Shape-resonant superconductivity in nanofilms: from weak to strong coupling
Ultrathin superconductors of different materials are becoming a powerful
platform to find mechanisms for enhancement of superconductivity, exploiting
shape resonances in different superconducting properties. Here we evaluate the
superconducting gap and its spatial profile, the multiple gap components, and
the chemical potential, of generic superconducting nanofilms, considering the
pairing attraction and its energy scale as tunable parameters, from weak to
strong coupling, at fixed electron density. Superconducting properties are
evaluated at mean field level as a function of the thickness of the nanofilm,
in order to characterize the shape resonances in the superconducting gap. We
find that the most pronounced shape resonances are generated for weakly coupled
superconductors, while approaching the strong coupling regime the shape
resonances are rounded by a mixing of the subbands due to the large energy gaps
extending over large energy scales. Finally, we find that the spatial profile,
transverse to the nanofilm, of the superconducting gap acquires a flat behavior
in the shape resonance region, indicating that a robust and uniform multigap
superconducting state can arise at resonance.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to the Proceedings of the Superstripes
2016 conferenc
Biochemical– and biophysical–induced barriergenesis in the blood brain barrier: a review of barriergenic factors for use in in vitro models
Central nervous system (CNS) pathologies are a prevalent problem in aging populations, creating a need to understand the underlying events in these diseases and develop efficient CNS‐targeting drugs. The importance of the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) has become evident, acting both as a physical barrier to drug entry into the CNS, and potentially as the cause or aggravator of CNS diseases. The development of a biomimetic BBB in vitro model is required for the understanding of BBB‐related pathologies and in the screening of drugs targeting the CNS. There is currently a great interest in understanding the influence of biochemical and biophysical factors, as these have the potential to greatly improve the barrier function of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). Recent advances in understanding how these may regulate barriergenesis in BMECs can help promote the development of improved BBB in vitro models, and therefore novel interventional therapies for pathologies related to its disruption. This review provides an overview of specific biochemical and biomechanical cues in the formation of the BBB, with a focus on in vitro models and how these might recapitulate BBB function
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