Article (Scientific journals)
Density of states of chaotic Andreev billiards
Kuipers, Jack; Engl, Thomas; Berkolaiko, Gregory et al.
2011In Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 83 (19), p. 195316-21
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
Phys. Rev. B 2011 Kuipers.pdf
Publisher postprint (1.69 MB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Abstract :
[en] Quantum cavities or dots have markedly different properties depending on whether their classical counterparts are chaotic or not. Connecting a superconductor to such a cavity leads to notable proximity effects, particularly the appearance, predicted by random matrix theory, of a hard gap in the excitation spectrum of quantum chaotic systems. Andreev billiards are interesting examples of such structures built with superconductors connected to a ballistic normal metal billiard since each time an electron hits the superconducting part it is retroreflected as a hole (and vice versa). Using a semiclassical framework for systems with chaotic dynamics, we show how this reflection, along with the interference due to subtle correlations between the classical paths of electrons and holes inside the system, is ultimately responsible for the gap formation. The treatment can be extended to include the effects of a symmetry-breaking magnetic field in the normal part of the billiard or an Andreev billiard connected to two phase-shifted superconductors. Therefore, we are able to see how these effects can remold and eventually suppress the gap. Furthermore, the semiclassical framework is able to cover the effect of a finite Ehrenfest time, which also causes the gap to shrink. However, for intermediate values this leads to the appearance of a second hard gap-a clear signature of the Ehrenfest time.
Disciplines :
Physics
Author, co-author :
Kuipers, Jack;  Univ Regensburg, Inst Theoret Phys, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
Engl, Thomas;  Univ Regensburg, Inst Theoret Phys, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
Berkolaiko, Gregory;  Texas A&M Univ, Dept Math, College Stn, TX 77843 USA.
Petitjean, Cyril ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique quantique statistique
Waltner, Daniel;  Univ Regensburg, Inst Theoret Phys, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
Richter, Klaus;  Univ Regensburg, Inst Theoret Phys, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
Language :
English
Title :
Density of states of chaotic Andreev billiards
Publication date :
2011
Journal title :
Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
ISSN :
1098-0121
eISSN :
1550-235X
Publisher :
Amer Physical Soc, College Pk, United States - Maryland
Volume :
83
Issue :
19
Pages :
195316-21
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [DE]
NSF - National Science Foundation [US-VA] [US-VA]
CEA Eurotalent
AvH - Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung [DE]
Commentary :
The authors would like to thank. I. Adagideli for useful conversations, and we gratefully acknowledge the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within GRK 638 (D. W., K. R.) and FOR 760 (K. R.), the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0604859 (G. B.), CEA Eurotalent (C. P.), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (J.K., C. P.) for funding.
Available on ORBi :
since 04 December 2013

Statistics


Number of views
52 (1 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
0 (0 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
19
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
8
OpenCitations
 
18

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi