Investigating superconductor-insulator transition in thin films using drag resistance:Theoretical analysis of a proposed experiment
arXiv:0812.1793 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.80.180503
Abstract
The magnetically driven superconductor-insulator transition in amorphous thin films (e.g., InO, Ta) exhibits several mysterious phenomena, such as a putative metallic phase and a huge magnetoresistance peak. Unfortunately, several conflicting categories of theories, particularly quantum-vortex condensation, and normal region percolation, explain key observations equally well. We propose a new experimental setup, an amorphous thin-film bilayer, where a drag resistance measurement would clarify the role quantum vortices play in the transition, and hence decisively point to the correct picture. We provide a thorough analysis of the device, which shows that the vortex paradigm gives rise to a drag with an opposite sign and orders of magnitude larger than the drag measured if competing paradigms apply.
5 pages, 2 figures
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