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Eliashberg function. cap alpha. /sup 2/F (. omega. ) and phonon spectrum F (. omega. ). A simple model for an amorphous s-p superconductor

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev., B; (United States)

A simple expression of the Eliashberg function ..cap alpha../sup 2/F (..omega..) for an amorphous s-p superconductor is obtained. One finds that ..cap alpha../sup 2/F (..omega..) = (1/..omega..) ..sigma../sub q/ (L (q) + N (q))delta (..omega.. - ..omega../sub q/), where q includes the phonon branch index; N (q)/..omega../sub q/ is the N process which conserves ''lattice'' momentum; L (q)/..omega../sub q/ replaces the U process in the crystalline phase and it selects ''lattice'' momentum through the structure factor of the amorphous phase. Both L (q) and N (q) are evaluated using the Heine-Animalu pseudopotential form factor and experimental structure factor. A qualitative deconvolution of the phonon spectrum F (..omega..) from ..cap alpha../sup 2/F (..omega..) for four alloys is attempted. The main findings are: (i) Due to the nonconservation of ''lattice'' momentum in the conventional sense, ..cap alpha../sup 2/F (..omega..) depends linearly on ..omega.. in the low-..omega.. region, similar to Bergmann's results on disordered superconductors. The calculated first derivatives of ..cap alpha../sup 2/F (..omega..) are in good agreement with tunneling data on amorphous superconductors. (ii) The deconvoluted F (..omega..) are in better agreement with theoretical results obtained using the Morse potential than the Lennard-Jones potential. (iii) The Hopfield-McMillan parameter eta tends to decrease in the amorphous phase. Results (ii) and (iii) are discussed in terms of structural short-range order in the amorphous state. For the purpose of comparison, a similar calculation is made for crystalline Pb; it is found that there is no unambiguous enhanced ..cap alpha../sup 2/F (..omega..) in the low-..omega.. region.

Research Organization:
Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
OSTI ID:
6750649
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev., B; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., B; (United States) Vol. 18:1; ISSN PLRBA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English