Switching currents limited by single phase slips in one-dimensional superconducting Al nanowires.
Abstract
An aluminum nanowire switches from superconducting to normal as the current is increased
in an upsweep. The switching current (I(s)) averaged over upsweeps approximately follows
the depairing critical current (I(c)) but falls below it. Fluctuations in I(s) exhibit
three distinct regions of behaviors and are nonmonotonic in temperature: saturation
well below the critical temperature T(c), an increase as T(2/3) at intermediate temperatures,
and a rapid decrease close to T(c). Heat dissipation analysis indicates that a single
phase slip is able to trigger switching at low and intermediate temperatures, whereby
the T(2/3) dependence arises from the thermal activation of a phase slip, while saturation
at low temperatures provides striking evidence that the phase slips by macroscopic
quantum tunneling.
Type
Journal articleSubject
Science & TechnologyPhysical Sciences
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physics
ZERO-VOLTAGE STATE
RESISTIVE TRANSITION
QUANTUM
WIRES
JUNCTIONS
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/19626Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1103/physrevlett.107.137004Publication Info
Li, Peng; Wu, Phillip M; Bomze, Yuriy; Borzenets, Ivan V; Finkelstein, Gleb; & Chang,
AM (2011). Switching currents limited by single phase slips in one-dimensional superconducting
Al nanowires. Physical review letters, 107(13). pp. 137004. 10.1103/physrevlett.107.137004. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/19626.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Albert M. Chang
Professor of Physics
Gleb Finkelstein
Professor of Physics
Gleb Finkelstein is an experimental physicist interested in inorganic and biologically
inspired nanostructures: carbon nanotubes, graphene, and self-assembled DNA 'origami'.
These objects reveal a variety of interesting electronic properties that may form
a basis for future detectors and sensors, or serve as individual devices in quantum
information processing.
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