Nonlinear Electrodynamics of Randomly Inhomogeneous Superconductors

A. Gurevich; V. M. Vinokur

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3037

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Nonlinear Electrodynamics of Randomly Inhomogeneous Superconductors

A. Gurevich, V. M. Vinokur

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3037 · Physical Review Letters

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Abstract

We investigate the effect of macroscopic inhomogeneities on nonlinear transport properties of type-II superconductors and develop an effective medium theory to derive general relations between the global and local currents and electric fields. We show that even weak inhomogeneities with 〈δJc2〉≪Jc2 can qualitatively change nonlinear transport characteristics (here δJc denotes fluctuations of the critical current density Jc), causing a nonmonotonic magnetic field dependence of the global averaged J¯c(B), even if the local Jc(B) decreases with B. We predict a superconducting Gunn effect, for which inhomogeneities can give rise to negative differential conductivity, bistability, and electric field domains.