Transmission formalism for supercurrent flow in multiprobe superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor devices

B. J. van Wees; K.-M. H. Lenssen; C. J. P. M. Harmans

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.44.470

← Back to search

Transmission formalism for supercurrent flow in multiprobe superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor devices

B. J. van Wees, K.-M. H. Lenssen, C. J. P. M. Harmans

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.44.470 · 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

A theoretical study is given of supercurrent flow in a one-dimensional semiconductor channel coupled to superconductors at both ends. In addition, the channel is coupled to a semiconductor reservoir by means of a junction with variable coupling strength ɛ. The supercurrent I(cphi) is calculated from the phase-coherent propagation of electronlike and holelike excitations emitted by the superconductor reservoirs, together with electron and hole excitations from the semiconductor reservoir. The effect of temperature and ɛ on I(cphi) is studied. It is shown that a voltage applied between the semiconductor reservoir and the superconductors modifies the I(cphi) relation, even in the limit ɛ→0.