Quantum coherence and phase transitions in granular superconductors with dissipation. I. Ordered arrays (original) (raw)

Quantum fluctuations and dissipative phase transition in granular superconductors

The zero temperature phase diagram of d-dimensional granular superconductors is considered. For small values of Josephson coupling Vcollective long-range quantum fluctuations play the leading role in the destruction of global phase coherence. At V-+0 the critical value of the dimensionless ohmic conductance o, diverges for d< 2 and it is equal to (Y,Z 0.82 for d= 3. For not very small values of V superconductivity may be destroyed by quantum phase slips on inidividual grains. In this case global phase coherence is restored only due to dissipative phase transition. The value of the critical resistance is found to be universal for strongly disordered granular films.

Quantum coherence and phase transitions in granular superconductors with dissipation. II. Effect of disorder

We study the effect of disorder on a superconducting phase transition in granular arrays with dissipation. It is shown that, for a quite weak Gaussian disorder, this effect does not lead to a qualitative change of the phase diagram. Local quantum fluctuations suppress Cooper pair tunneling for a part of Josephson junctions and thus effectively increase disorder. For strongly disordered systems, the critical resistance which corresponds to a dissipative phase transition is found to be universal for a wide range of parameters.

Superconducting phase transitions in granular systems

Physical Review B, 1974

We consider a model for granular superconductors consisting of an array of small superconducting particles interacting by Josephson coupling through insulating barriers. %'e obtain systematically the various critical regions, critical temperature shifts, and crossover regions between zeroand three-dimensional behavior as functions of measurable sample parameters. The qualitative behavior of the system in the various regimes is analyzed and results for the specific heat and fluctuation conductivity in the Gaussian region above T, are obtained. The possibility of obtaining large critical regions is emphasized. The conditions for observing the phase-locking transition distinct from quasiordering within the grains are found. Theoretical predictions are compared with existing experimental results.

Charging effects and quantum crossover in granular superconductors

Physical Review B, 1993

The effects of the charging energy in the superconducting transition of granular materials or Josephson junction arrays is investigated using a pseudospin one model. Within a mean-field renormalization-group approach, we obtain the phase diagram as a function of temperature and charging energy. In contrast to early treatments, we find no sign of a reentrant transition in agreement with more recent studies. A crossover line is identified in the nonsuperconducting side of the phase diagram and along which we expect to observe anomalies in the transport and thermodynamic properties. We also study a charge ordering phase, which can appear for large nearest neighbor Coulomb interaction, and show that it leads to first-order transitions at low temperatures. We argue that, in the presence of charge ordering, a non monotonic behavior with decreasing temperature is possible with a maximum in the resistance just before entering the superconducting phase. 74.40+k, 64.60.Cn

On the theory of diamagnetism in granular superconductors

1994

We study a highly disordered network of superconducting granules linked by weak Josephson junctions in magnetic field and develop a mean field theory for this problem. The diamagnetic response to a slow variations of magnetic field is found to be analogous to the response of a type-II superconductor with extremely strong pinning. We calculate an effective penetration depth λg and critical current jc and find that both λ −1 g suppressed by frustration. and jc are non-zero but are strongly Typeset using REVTEX 1 In the physics of type II superconductors it is common to distinguish between weakly and strongly disordered limits of the mixed state. The former case is described by the flux lattice distorted by disorder, while in the latter case the vortex loops proliferate and more adequate description is provided by the model in which the set of granules is coupled by

Granularity in superconductors: intrinsic properties and processing-dependent effects

Physica C-superconductivity and Its Applications, 2001

This contribution presents a selected set of results, obtained as part of a systematic investigation, evidencing that many eects exhibited by superconductors are distinct manifestations of granularity which, in turn, is envisaged as a break of symmetry. The Wohlleben eect, the``®shtail anomaly'', the magnetic remanence exhibited by Josephson junction arrays, and the jumps on the magnetic moment of superconducting samples of mesoscopic dimensions, are examples which we brie¯y review and discuss taking granularity as the basic ingredient. The emphasis of the present approach is to recognize the importance of granularity in every scenario intended to explain the magnetic properties of superconducting systems. Ó

Insulating state of granular superconductors in a strong-coupling regime

Physical Review B, 2006

We analyze the possibility of the formation of a magnetic-field-induced insulating state in a twodimensional granular superconductor with relatively strong intergranular coupling and show that such a state appears in a model with spatial variations of the single-grain critical magnetic field. This model describes realistic granular samples with the dispersion in grain sizes and explains the mechanism leading to a giant peak in the magnetoresistance.

Electric field dependence of the thermal conductivity of a granular superconductor: Giant field-induced effects predicted

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters, 2002

The temperature and electric field dependence of electronic contribution to the thermal conductivity (TC) of a granular superconductor is considered within a 3D model of inductive Josephson junction arrays. In addition to a low-temperature maximum of zero-field TC κ(T, 0) (controlled by mutual inductance L0 and normal state resistivity Rn), the model predicts two major effects in applied electric field: (i) decrease of the linear TC, and (ii) giant enhancement of the nonlinear (i.e. ∇T -dependent) TC with ∆κ(T, E)/κ(T, 0) reaching 500% for parallel electric fields E ≃ ET (ET = S0|∇T | is an "intrinsic" thermoelectric field). A possiblity of experimental observation of the predicted effects in granular superconductors is discussed. PACS: 74.25.Fy, 74.50.+r, 74.80.Bj 1. Introduction. Inspired by new possibilities offered by the cutting-edge nanotechnologies, the experimental and theoretical physics of increasingly sophisticated mesoscopic quantum devices (heavily based on Josephson junctions and their arrays) is becoming one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas of modern science . In addition to the traditional fields of expertise (such as granular superconductors [2]), Josephson junction arrays (JJAs) are actively used for testing principally novel ideas (like, e.g., topologically protected quantum bits [3]) in a bid to solve probably one of the most challenging problems in quantum computing. Though traditionally, the main emphasis in studying JJAs has been on their behavior in applied magnetic fields, since recently a special attention has been given to the so-called electric field effects (FEs) in JJs and granular superconductors . The unusually strong FEs observed in bulk high-T c superconducting (HTS) ceramics [4] (including a substantial enhancement of the critical current, reaching ∆I c (E)/I c (0) = 100% for E = 10 7 V /m) have been attributed to a crucial modification of the original weaklinks structure under the influence of very strong electric fields. This hypothesis has been corroborated by further investigations, both experimental (through observation of the correlation between the critical current behavior and type of weak links [5]) and theoretical (by studying the FEs in SN S-type structures [6] and d-wave granular superconductors ). Among other interesting field induced effects, one can mention the FE-based Josephson transistor and Josephson analog of the magnetoelectric effect [9] (electric field generation of Josephson magnetic moment in zero magnetic field). At the same time, very little is known about influence of electric fields on

Absence of quantum diffusion in two-dimensional short coherence length superconductors

Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 1993

After presenting an intuitive picture of quasi-panicle UanspOrf in m e s m p i c superconductors, which emphasizes the intimate relation behueen Andreev scauering and m resistivity. we develop a general Wry of oc transport in mesoscopic.normal~uperconducting shuctures. Generalized multi-pmte conductance formulae are derived, which fake into aCFoun1 MK only Ihe effect of Andreev rcatte~ng on transpon coeffidents. but also the nonsonservation of quasi-panicle charge which arises in the presence of a superconducting mndensate. Experiments on quari-panicl& charge imbalance are described naturally by this approach. ~. 1. Introduction At.a low enough temperature, or for small enough systems, a quasi-particle such as an electron or hole can pass through a sample without scattering inelastically. In this mesoscopic limit, the phase coherence of quasi-particles is preserved and transport pmperties depend in detail on the diffraction pattern produced by elastic scattering from inhomogeneities and boundaries. During the past decade, the study of normal mesoscopic systems has Jed to the .discovery of a range of .new phenomena, including universal conductance fluctuations [1,2], quantized conductance of point contacts [3,4] and the detection of macroscopic changes in transpoa coefficients arising from tunnelling within a single atomic two-level system [5]. Until recently, these advances had centred almost exclusively on normal mesoscopic systems. However during the past few years, the hitherto distinct fields of mesoscopic physics and superconductivity have come together, leading to the possibility of a range of new developments involving hybrid normal-superconducting structures. One class of such systems is typified by mesoscopic Josephson junctions, which arise when a mesoscopic weak link is~fofied between two non-mesoscopic superconducting contacts. For such structures, the critical current I, is predicted to exhibit a range of new quantum phenomena Recent examples are the discretization of the'critical c-nt through a ballistic point contact [SI, the appearance of a universal resonant Josephson current through quantum dots [7] and the prediction of universal supercurrent fluctuations in diffusive point contacts [SI. Another class of hybrid systems arises when the superconductor itself is mesoscopic. This irises when a small superconducting sample is connected to the outside world through normal extemal leads, or when superconducting islands are immersed in a normal mesoscopic background. In such systems, transpon propetties such as electrical or thermal conductances exhibit new effects which are absent from their normal counterparts. For

Fluctuation spectroscopy of granularity in superconducting structures

Physical review letters, 2008

We suggest to use "fluctuation spectroscopy" as a method to detect granularity in a disordered metal close to a superconducting transition. We show that with lowering temperature T the resistance R(T) of a system of relatively large grains initially grows due to the fluctuation suppression of the one-electron tunneling but decreases with further lowering T due to the coherent charge transfer of the fluctuation Cooper pairs. Under certain conditions, such a maximum in R(T) turns out to be sensitive to weak magnetic fields due to a novel Maki-Thompson-type mechanism.