Magnetic-Field Enhancement of Superconductivity in Ultranarrow Wires

A. Rogachev, T.-C. Wei, D. Pekker, A. T. Bollinger, P. M. Goldbart, and A. Bezryadin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 137001 – Published 25 September 2006

Abstract

We study the effect of an applied magnetic field on sub-10-nm wide MoGe and Nb superconducting wires. We find that magnetic fields can enhance the critical supercurrent at low temperatures, and do so more strongly for narrower wires. We conjecture that magnetic moments are present, but their pair-breaking effect, active at lower magnetic fields, is suppressed by higher fields. The corresponding microscopic theory, which we have developed, quantitatively explains all experimental observations, and suggests that magnetic moments have formed on the wire surfaces.

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  • Received 13 April 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.137001

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Rogachev, T.-C. Wei, D. Pekker, A. T. Bollinger, P. M. Goldbart, and A. Bezryadin

  • Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3080, USA

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Issue

Vol. 97, Iss. 13 — 29 September 2006

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