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Title: Dynamic pair-breaking current, critical superfluid velocity, and nonlinear electromagnetic response of nonequilibrium superconductors

Abstract

Here, we report numerical calculations of a dynamic pair-breaking current density $$J_d$$ and a critical superfluid velocity $$v_d$$ in a nonequilibrium superconductor carrying a uniform, large-amplitude AC current density $$J(t) = J_a$$sinΩ$$\textit{t}$$ with Ω well below the gap frequency Ω $$\ll Δ_0/ℏ$$. The dependencies $$J_d$$(Ω, $$\textit{T}$$) and $$v_d$$(Ω, $$\textit{T}$$) near the critical temperature $$T_c$$ were calculated from either the full time-dependent nonequilibrium equations for a dirty $$\textit{s}$$-wave superconductor or the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations for a gapped superconductor, taking into account the GL relaxation time of the order parameter $$τ_{\text{GL}}$$ and the inelastic electron-phonon relaxation time of quasiparticles $$τ_E$$. We show that both approaches give similar frequency dependencies of $$J_d$$(Ω) and $$v_d$$(Ω) which gradually increase from their static pair-breaking GL values $$J_c$$ and $$v_c$$ at Ω$$τ_E \ll$$1 to $$\sqrt{2}J_c$$ and $$\sqrt{2}v_c$$ at Ω$$τ_E \gg$$ 1. Here $$J_d, v_d$$ and a dynamic superheating field at which the Meissner state becomes unstable were calculated in two different regimes of a fixed AC current and a fixed AC superfluid velocity induced by the applied AC magnetic field $$H = H_a$$ sinΩ$$\textit{t}$$ in a thin superconducting filament or a type-II superconductor with a large GL parameter. We also calculated a nonlinear electromagnetic response of a nonequilibrium superconducting state, particularly a dynamic kinetic inductance and a dissipative quasiparticle conductivity, taking into account the oscillatory dynamics of superconducting condensate and the kinetics of quasiparticles driven by a strong AC current. It is shown that an AC current density produces multiple harmonics of the electric field, the amplitudes of the higher-order harmonics diminishing as $$τ_E$$ increases.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1802034
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0010081; PHY 1734075
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review. B
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 102; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; Materials Science; Physics

Citation Formats

Sheikhzada, Ahmad, and Gurevich, Alex. Dynamic pair-breaking current, critical superfluid velocity, and nonlinear electromagnetic response of nonequilibrium superconductors. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1103/physrevb.102.104507.
Sheikhzada, Ahmad, & Gurevich, Alex. Dynamic pair-breaking current, critical superfluid velocity, and nonlinear electromagnetic response of nonequilibrium superconductors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.102.104507
Sheikhzada, Ahmad, and Gurevich, Alex. Tue . "Dynamic pair-breaking current, critical superfluid velocity, and nonlinear electromagnetic response of nonequilibrium superconductors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.102.104507. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1802034.
@article{osti_1802034,
title = {Dynamic pair-breaking current, critical superfluid velocity, and nonlinear electromagnetic response of nonequilibrium superconductors},
author = {Sheikhzada, Ahmad and Gurevich, Alex},
abstractNote = {Here, we report numerical calculations of a dynamic pair-breaking current density $J_d$ and a critical superfluid velocity $v_d$ in a nonequilibrium superconductor carrying a uniform, large-amplitude AC current density $J(t) = J_a$sinΩ$\textit{t}$ with Ω well below the gap frequency Ω $\ll Δ_0/ℏ$. The dependencies $J_d$(Ω, $\textit{T}$) and $v_d$(Ω, $\textit{T}$) near the critical temperature $T_c$ were calculated from either the full time-dependent nonequilibrium equations for a dirty $\textit{s}$-wave superconductor or the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations for a gapped superconductor, taking into account the GL relaxation time of the order parameter $τ_{\text{GL}}$ and the inelastic electron-phonon relaxation time of quasiparticles $τ_E$. We show that both approaches give similar frequency dependencies of $J_d$(Ω) and $v_d$(Ω) which gradually increase from their static pair-breaking GL values $J_c$ and $v_c$ at Ω$τ_E \ll$1 to $\sqrt{2}J_c$ and $\sqrt{2}v_c$ at Ω$τ_E \gg$ 1. Here $J_d, v_d$ and a dynamic superheating field at which the Meissner state becomes unstable were calculated in two different regimes of a fixed AC current and a fixed AC superfluid velocity induced by the applied AC magnetic field $H = H_a$ sinΩ$\textit{t}$ in a thin superconducting filament or a type-II superconductor with a large GL parameter. We also calculated a nonlinear electromagnetic response of a nonequilibrium superconducting state, particularly a dynamic kinetic inductance and a dissipative quasiparticle conductivity, taking into account the oscillatory dynamics of superconducting condensate and the kinetics of quasiparticles driven by a strong AC current. It is shown that an AC current density produces multiple harmonics of the electric field, the amplitudes of the higher-order harmonics diminishing as $τ_E$ increases.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevb.102.104507},
journal = {Physical Review. B},
number = 10,
volume = 102,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

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