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arXiv · 1603.04273

How many quasiparticles can be in a superconductor?

Anton Bespalov·Manuel Houzet·Julia S. Meyer·Yuli V. Nazarov
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Abstract

Experimentally and mysteriously, the concentration of quasiparticles in a gapped superconductor at low temperatures always by far exceeds its equilibrium value. We study the dynamics of localized quasiparticles in superconductors with a spatially fluctuating gap edge. The competition between phonon-induced quasiparticle recombination and generation by a weak non-equilibrium agent results in an upper bound for the concentration that explains the mystery.

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Anton Bespalov, Manuel Houzet, Julia S. Meyer, Yuli V. Nazarov. 2016-03-14. How many quasiparticles can be in a superconductor?. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.117.117002

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