[en] The main dissipation mechanism in superconducting nanowires arises from phase slips. Thus far,
most of the studies focus on long nanowires where coexisting events appear randomly along the
nanowire. In the present work we investigate highly confined phase slips at the contact point of two superconducting leads. Profiting from the high current crowding at this spot, we are able to shrink in-situ the nanoconstriction. This procedure allows us to investigate, in the very same sample, thermally activated phase slips and the probability density function of the switching current I sw needed to trigger an avalanche of events. Furthermore, for an applied current larger than I sw , we unveil the existence of two distinct thermal regimes. One corresponding to efficient heat removal where the constriction and bath temperatures remain close to each other, and another one in which the constriction temperature can be substantially larger than the bath temperature leading to the formation of a hot spot. Considering that the switching current distribution depends on the exact thermal properties of the sample, the identification of different thermal regimes is of utmost importance for properly interpreting the dissipation mechanisms in narrow point contacts.
Research center :
Experimental Physics of Nanostructured Materials
Disciplines :
Physics
Author, co-author :
Baumans, Xavier ; Université de Liège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés
Zharinov, Vyacheslav; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Raymenants, Eline
Blanco Alvarez, Sylvain ; Université de Liège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés
Scheerder, Jeroen; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Brisbois, Jérémy ; Université de Liège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés
Massarotti, Davide; Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli > Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell ́ Informazione
Caruso, Roberta; Università degli Studi di Napoli ’Federico II’ > Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Pancini”
Tafuri, Francesco; Università degli Studi di Napoli ’Federico II’ > Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Pancini”
Janssens, Ewald; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Physics and Astronomy
Moshchalkov, Victor; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Van de Vondel, Joris; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - KUL > Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Silhanek, Alejandro ; Université de Liège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE] FWO - Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen [BE] COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology [BE]
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