Quantum fluctuations in ultranarrow superconducting nanowires

Abstract

Progressive reduction of the effective diameter of a nanowire is applied to trace evolution of the shape of superconducting transition $R(T)$ in quasi-one-dimensional aluminum structures. In nanowires with effective diameter $\le$ 15 nm the $R(T)$ dependences are much wider than predicted by the model of thermally activated phase slips. The effect can be explained by quantum fluctuations of the order parameter. Negative magnetoresistance is observed in the thinest samples. Experimental results are in reasonable agreement with existing theoretical models. The effect should have a universal validity indicating a breakdown of zero resistance state in a superconductor below a certain scale.

18 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (4)

• Magnetic field enhancement of superconductivity in ultra-narrow wires
• Universal conductance of nanowires near the superconductor-metal quantum transition
• Negative magnetoresistance of ultra-narrow superconducting nanowires in the resistive state
• Quantum phase slips in the presence of finite-range disorder

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Proximity DC squids in the long junction limit
• Inherent stochasticity of superconductive-resistive switching in nanowires
• Thermal fluctuations in superconducting nanowires
• Quantum mechanics of superconducting nanowires
• Suppression of diamagnetism in superconducting nanorings by quantum fluctuations