Quantum Phase Slips and Transport in Ultrathin Superconducting Wires

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.1552· OSTI ID:467437

Zaikin, A D ^[1]; Zaikin, A D; Golubev, D S ^[2]; van Otterlo, A ^[3]; van Otterlo, A; Zimanyi, G T ^[4]

---

1. Institut fuer Theoretische Festkoerperphysik, Universitaet Karlsruhe, 76128 Karlsruhe (Germany)
2. I.E. Tamm Department of Theoretical Physics, P.N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Leninskii pr.53, 117924 Moscow (Russia)
3. Theoretische Physik, ETH-Hoenggerberg, CH-8093 Zuerich (Switzerland)
4. Physics Department, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States)

We present a microscopic study of the quantum fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter in thin homogeneous superconducting wires at all temperatures below T{sub c}. The rate of quantum phase-slip processes determines the resistance R(T) of the wire, which is observable in very thin wires, even at low temperatures. Furthermore, we predict a new low-temperature metallic phase below a critical wire thickness in the 10-nm range, in which quantum phase slips proliferate. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 467437
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 78, Issue 8; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTING WIRES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
FLUCTUATIONS
ORDER PARAMETERS
THICKNESS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS