Received ( )In the quasi-twodimensional (Q2D) electron gas of an InAs channel between an AlSb substrate and superconducting Niobium layers the proximity effect induces a pair potential so that a Q2D mesoscopic superconducting-normal-superconducting (SNS) junction forms in the channel. The pair potential is calculated with quasiclassical Green's functions in the clean limit. For such a junction alternating Josephson currents and current-voltage characteristics (CVCs) are computed, using the non-equilibrium quasiparticle wavefunctions which solve the time-dependent Bogoliubov-de Gennes Equations. The CVCs exhibit features found experimentally by the Kroemer group: A steep rise of the current at small voltages ("foot") changes at a "corner current" to a much slower increase of current with higher voltages, and the zero-bias differential resistance increases with temperature. Phase-coherent multiple Andreev reflections and the associated Cooper pair transfers are the physical mechanisms responsible for the oscillating Josephson currents and the CVCs. Additional experimental findings not reproduced by the theory require model improvements, especially a consideration of the external current leads which should give rise to hybrid quasiparticle/collective-mode excitations.
The absorption of photons by quasiparticles in the Bloch bands of multilayers, formed by alternating normal (N) and superconducting (S) regions. is computed for the vector of the oscillating electric field being perpendicular to the N-S interfaces. The absorption spectrum extends down to frequencies below the gap of the S-layers, and its structure results from the combined effects of Andreev scattering and conventional Scattering at the N-S interfaces. For not too different Fermi energies EFS and EFN in the S and N layers there is one prominent resonance peak. With increasing temperature low frequency absorption goes UP. For EFS >> EFN, on the other hand, a sharp multipeak structure at low frequencies is found.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.