Superconducting proximity effect in Pb∕Ag nanocomposites

Sangita Bose; Pushan Ayyub

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.76.144510

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Superconducting proximity effect in Pb∕Ag nanocomposites

Sangita Bose, Pushan Ayyub

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.76.144510 · Physical Review B

T1

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Abstract

We show that the superconducting transition temperature (TC) of a two-component system consisting of a random distribution of Pb and Ag nanoparticles, with sizes less than their respective coherence lengths, is governed essentially by proximity effect. The microstructure of the nanodispersed two-phase system has been studied using in-lens secondary electron and energy selective backscattered electron detectors. The theory of the superconducting proximity effect as previously applied to bilayers and multilayers can be suitably modified to include the ratio of the volume fraction of the superconducting and the normal metal components so as to explain the observed variation in TC in such nanocomposites with varying metal composition. Interestingly, Pb behaves as a weak-coupling superconductor in the random Pb-Ag nanocomposite.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

Formula	Reported Tc (K)	Pressure (GPa)	Type
Pb Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	7.25	Pressure not reported	onset