Instability of granular superconductivity

E. Šimánek
Phys. Rev. B 22, 459 – Published 1 July 1980
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Abstract

It is shown that bulk superconductivity of a three-dimensional granular metal can become unstable with respect to the diverging zero-point phase fluctuations which result from grain charging. A model of Josephson-coupled superconducting grains is used to calculate the effect of charging energy on the average order parameter at T=0. In the mean-field approximation this system exhibits a second-order transition to normal state at a certain critical value of the ratio of the Josephson-coupling constant to the charging energy. The self-consistent harmonic approximation is shown to yield a spurious first-order transition.

  • Received 23 August 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.22.459

©1980 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

E. Šimánek

  • Department of Physics, University of California, Riverside, California 92521

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Vol. 22, Iss. 1 — 1 July 1980

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