Gap enhancement in phonon-irradiated superconducting tin films

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.26.4739· OSTI ID:6802893

Miller, N D; Rutledge, J E

We have measured the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of tin-tin tunnel junctions driven out of equilibrium by a flux of near-thermal phonons from a heater. The reduced ambient temperature was T/T/sub c/ = 0.41. The nonequilibrium I-V curves are compared to equilibrium thermal I-V curves at an elevated temperature chosen to match the total number of quasiparticles. The nonequilibrium curves show a smaller current near zero bias and a larger gap than the thermal curves. This is the first experimental evidence of phonon-induced gap enhancement far below T/sub c/. The results are discussed in terms of the coupled kinetic equations of Chang and Scalapino.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, California 92717
• OSTI ID: 6802893
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 26:8; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
656102 -- Solid State Physics-- Superconductivity-- Acoustic
Electronic
Magnetic
Optical
& Thermal Phenomena-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY GAP
FILMS
IRRADIATION
METALS
OHM LAW
PHONONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASI PARTICLES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TIN
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
TUNNEL DIODES
TUNNEL EFFECT
VERY LOW TEMPERATURE