Nonequilibrium behavior of the dynamic resistive transition in superconducting thin films

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5113177

Butler, D P

A detailed investigation of the dynamic resistive transition in superconducting thin films was performed. The superconductors were excited into the nonequilibrium resistive state by picosecond optical excitation, producing a deep excitation of the superconductor, or by picosecond risetime current pulse injection producing a shallow excitation of the superconductor. Under optical excitation, the superconducting lead and tin films underwent a first-order transition into the intermediate state when the critical optical power was exceeded. In the intermediate state, superconducting and normal regions coexist producing a resistance less than the normal state value. Only at much larger power did the superconductor enter the normal state. The range of optical power producing the intermediate state was proportional to the strength of the electron-phonon interaction. Under current injection, the superconducting-normal transition (SN) of tin films was found to be dominated by a delay time. As a consequence, it was possible to exceed the dc critical current of the superconductor for a short period of time. The behavior was investigated by a transmission experiment that increased the effective bandwidth of the apparatus into the subnanosecond regime. The behavior of the SN transition was adequately predicted by TDGL theory.

• Research Organization: Rochester Univ., NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5113177
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
656101 -- Solid State Physics-- Superconductivity-- General Theory-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CRITICAL CURRENT
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
FILMS
LEAD
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIATIONS
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
TIN
VISIBLE RADIATION