Phase-coherent electron transport in asymmetric crosslike Andreev interferometers

Pavel E. Dolgirev; Mikhail S. Kalenkov; Andrei E. Tarkhov; Andrei D. Zaikin

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.100.054511

← Back to search

Phase-coherent electron transport in asymmetric crosslike Andreev interferometers

Pavel E. Dolgirev, Mikhail S. Kalenkov, Andrei E. Tarkhov, Andrei D. Zaikin

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.100.054511 · Physical Review B

T1

Active bibliographic source — not scientific approval

Bibliographic access preserves source history; it does not approve extracted materials or validate reported claims. Review warnings on each occurrence separately.

Abstract

We present a detailed theoretical description of quantum coherent electron transport in voltage-biased crosslike Andreev interferometers. Making use of the charge conjugation symmetry encoded in the quasiclassical formalism, we elucidate a crucial role played by geometric and electron-hole asymmetries in these structures. We argue that a nonvanishing Aharonov-Bohm-like contribution to the current IS flowing in the superconducting contour may develop only in geometrically asymmetric interferometers making their behavior qualitatively different from that of symmetric devices. The current IN in the normal contour—along with IS—is found to be sensitive to phase-coherent effects thereby also acquiring a 2π-periodic dependence on the Josephson phase. In asymmetric structures this current develops an odd-in-phase contribution originating from electron-hole asymmetry. We demonstrate that both phase-dependent currents IS and IN can be controlled and manipulated by tuning the applied voltage, temperature, and system topology, thus rendering Andreev interferometers particularly important for future applications in modern electronics.