Macroscopic Aharonov--Bohm Effect in Type-I Superconductors
arXiv:cond-mat/0501624 · doi:10.1209/epl/i2004-10369-0
Abstract
In type-I superconducting cylinders bulk superconductivity is destroyed above the first critical current. Below the second critical current the `type-I mixed state' displays fluctuation superconductivity which contributes to the total current. A magnetic flux on the axis of the cylinder can change the second critical current by as much as 50 percent so that half a flux quantum can switch the cylinder from normal conduction to superconductivity: the Aharonov--Bohm effect manifests itself in macroscopically large resistance changes of the cylinder.
five pages, one figure