Abstract
The current-voltage characteristics measured in the insulating state terminating the superconducting phase in disordered superconductors exhibit sharp threshold voltages, where the current abruptly changes by as much as 5 orders of magnitude. We analyze the current-voltage characteristics of an amorphous indium oxide film in the field-tuned insulating state, and show that they are consistent with a bistability of the electron temperature, and with a significant overheating of the electron system above the lattice temperature. An analysis of these current jumps indicates that, in the insulating state, the electrons are thermally decoupled from the phonon bath.
- Received 28 January 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.176802
©2009 American Physical Society
Synopsis
Overheated electrons in disordered films
Published 11 May 2009
Giant jumps in the current-voltage characteristics of disordered films could be the first evidence that electron transport in insulators can occur in the absence of phonons.
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