Microwave gap enhancement in low-Tc superconducting thin films

Abstract

A Green-function approach is used to determine the microwave-stimulated steady-state enhancement to the energy gap of low-Tc superconducting thin films. Consequently, the following results are being reported. The first is that a closed form expression for the energy gap is obtained for weak-coupling superconductors (the general solution is given in terms of integral equations). The second is that the transparency of this approach results in an explanation of the physical mechanism underlying the enhancement of the energy gap. This explanation differs in some respects from previous interpretations. We interpret energy-gap enhancement as resulting from virtual transitions to energies within the energy gap due to the stimulated emission and subsequent reabsorption of photons by correlated electron pairs. The fact that these pairs can now be virtually closer to the bottom of the energy gap enhances their probability of momentarily being a part of the superfluid, thereby enhancing the energy gap.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

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