Superconducting phase transitions in indium/indium-oxide thin-film composites

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.28.5075· OSTI ID:5369085

Fiory, A T; Hebard, A F; Glaberson, W I

Low-frequency techniques are used to examine the predictions of the equilibrium Kosterlitz-Thouless theory of the vortex-pair unbinding transition in indium/indium-oxide composite superconducting thin films. The renormalized superfluid density obtained from independent measurements of the kinetic inductance and the exponent of the current-dependent resistance are in agreement. At the transition temperature T/sub c/, the critical value of the superfluid density agrees with theory for a finite measurement length. Experimental sensitivity is such that the resistance near T/sub c/, measured to be about 9 orders of magnitude below the normal resistance, is explained by the motion of a single thermally excited free vortex in a superfluid background renormalized by bound-vortex pairs. The corresponding critical magnetic field for flux entry is also measured. The resistance of the thermally excited free-vortex plasma and the correlation length above the transition temperature obey the qualitative prediction of the theory. Nonuniversal constants in the renormalization-group theory are obtained from the experiment and are found to be sample dependent.

• Research Organization: AT and T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974
• OSTI ID: 5369085
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 28:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
INDIUM
CRITICAL FIELD
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
INDIUM OXIDES
SUPERCONDUCTING COMPOSITES
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
FILMS
GROUP THEORY
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RENORMALIZATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VORTICES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
360304* - Composite Materials- Physical Properties- (-1987)
656102 - Solid State Physics- Superconductivity- Acoustic
Electronic
Magnetic
Optical
& Thermal Phenomena- (-1987)