Proximity-induced superconducting transition temperature

Mary Eileen Farrell; Marilyn F. Bishop

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.40.10786

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Proximity-induced superconducting transition temperature

Mary Eileen Farrell, Marilyn F. Bishop

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.40.10786 · Physical Review B

T1

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Abstract

We have calculated the proximity-induced superconducting transition temperature for a thin weak-coupling normal metal in contact with an infinitely thick strong-coupling superconductor. The model considered is that of aluminum in perfect contact with superconducting lead, where both metals are clean. The energy-dependent gap is calculated numerically as a function of temperature for the strong-coupling Pb superconductor with the Éliashberg equations, and this is used to calculate the induced energy-dependent gap in the weak-coupling Al metal through the modified Éliashberg equations for the normal-metal-superconductor configuration. In this latter calculation the presence of the Al metal is assumed to have a negligible effect on the energy gap of the Pb. We find the transition temperature of Al to be enhanced to 4.5 K, compared with its bulk transition temperature of 1.2 K. In addition, we find that the magnitude of the zero-temperature Al gap is enhanced from 0.17 to 0.68 meV.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

Formula	Reported Tc (K)	Pressure (GPa)	Type
Al Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	4.5	Pressure not reported	unknown
Al Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	1.2	Pressure not reported	unknown
UBe13 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	0.86	Pressure not reported	unknown
Nb Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	9.2	Pressure not reported	unknown
In Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	3.4	Pressure not reported	unknown