Possible Observation of Phase Separation near a Quantum Phase Transition in Doubly Connected Ultrathin Superconducting Cylinders of Aluminum

H. Wang; M. M. Rosario; N. A. Kurz; B. Y. Rock; M. Tian; P. T. Carrigan; Y. Liu

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.197003

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Possible Observation of Phase Separation near a Quantum Phase Transition in Doubly Connected Ultrathin Superconducting Cylinders of Aluminum

H. Wang, M. M. Rosario, N. A. Kurz, B. Y. Rock, M. Tian, P. T. Carrigan, Y. Liu

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.197003 · Physical Review Letters

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Abstract

The kinetic energy of superconducting electrons in an ultrathin, doubly connected superconducting cylinder, determined by the applied flux, increases as the cylinder diameter decreases, leading to a destructive regime around half-flux quanta and a superconductor to normal metal quantum phase transition (QPT). Regular steplike features in resistance versus temperature curves taken at fixed flux values were observed near the QPT in ultrathin Al cylinders. It is proposed that these features are most likely resulting from a phase separation near the QPT in which normal regions nucleate in a homogeneous superconducting cylinder.

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.	—	Pressure not reported	unknown