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Quantum phase fluctuations and density of states in superconducting nanowires

Radkevich, Alexey; Semenow, Andrew G.; Zaikin, Andrei D. 1
1 Institut für Nanotechnologie (INT), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

We argue that quantum fluctuations of the phase of the order parameter may strongly affect the electron density of states (DOS) in ultrathin superconducting wires. We demonstrate that the effect of such fluctuations is equivalent to that of a quantum dissipative environment formed by soundlike plasma modes propagating along the wire. We derive a nonperturbative expression for the local electron DOS in superconducting nanowires which fully accounts for quantum phase fluctuations. At any nonzero temperature these fluctuations smear out
the square-root singularity in DOS near the superconducting gap and generate quasiparticle states at subgap energies. Furthermore, at sufficiently large values of the wire impedance this singularity is suppressed down to T = 0 in which case DOS tends to zero at subgap energies and exhibits the power-law behavior above the gap. Our predictions can be directly tested in tunneling experiments with superconducting nanowires.


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Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.96.085435
Scopus
Zitationen: 9
Web of Science
Zitationen: 8
Dimensions
Zitationen: 8
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Nanotechnologie (INT)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsjahr 2017
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 0163-1829, 0556-2805, 1094-1622, 1095-3795, 1098-0121, 1550-235X, 2469-9950, 2469-9969
KITopen-ID: 1000074096
HGF-Programm 43.21.02 (POF III, LK 01) Quantum Properties of Nanostructures
Erschienen in Physical review / B
Verlag American Physical Society (APS)
Band 96
Heft 8
Seiten Art.Nr.: 085435
Nachgewiesen in Dimensions
Web of Science
Scopus
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