Novel tunneling technique for measuring electron scattering rates in superconductors: Application to Sn and Sn-In films

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.37.3324· OSTI ID:5289278

Yen, Y; Lemberger, T R

The low-voltage resistances R/sub j/(T,I/sub s/) of low-resistance SnSn-oxideCu and Sn/sub 0.95/In/sub 0.05/Sn-In--oxideCu tunnel junctions were measured as functions of temperature and supercurrent along the Sn or Sn-In film. From precise numerical fits to a recent theory, we determined the electron-phonon scattering rate at T/sub c/ for both Sn and Sn-In to be tau/sub e//sub -ph/(T/sub c/)/sup -1/approx. =2.8 x 10/sup 9/s/sup -1/ +- 10%, with the assumption of an electron-phonon coupling ..cap alpha../sup 2/F(..omega..)proportional..omega../sup 2/. We determined that the crystalline anisotropy of the order parameter ..delta.. was proportional to electron mean free path squared, as expected theoretically. Extrapolation to infinite mean free path gave a value for the mean-square anisotropy in ..delta.. in pure Sn of /sub 0/ = 0.0053 +- 13%. The consistency of these results from sample to sample, and the agreement between all of these results and published theoretical and experimental work, verifies the theory and demonstrates the feasibility of using such measurements to study electron scattering in novel superconducting materials

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
• OSTI ID: 5289278
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 37:7; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
420201 -- Engineering-- Cryogenic Equipment & Devices
656100 -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Superconductivity
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALLOYS
COPPER
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON-PHONON COUPLING
ELEMENTS
INDIUM
INDIUM ALLOYS
JUNCTIONS
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
PHONONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASI PARTICLES
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TIN
TIN ALLOYS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNNEL EFFECT