I-V characteristics of SNS junctions with a multivalley normal region

Abstract

In multivalley conductors the inter-valley relaxation time $\tau_v$ and the inelastic relaxation time $\tau_{in}$ may be significantly longer than the intra-valley momentum relaxation time $\tau$. We show that this separation of time scales has dramatic effects on the I-V characteristics of SNS junctions with a multivalley normal region. We generalize the Larkin-Ovchinnikov equations describing superconducting kinetics to the case of multivalley superconductors. We use this generalization to obtain a kinetic description of multivalley SNS junctions. We find that at constant voltage bias $V$, the current $I(V)$ is nonmonotonic; it exhibits two peaks of similar magnitude $I_\text{max,1} \sim I_\text{max,2}$ at $V_1 \sim \hbar(e\tau_{in})^{-1}$ and $V_2\sim \hbar(e\tau_v)^{-1}$, which may greatly exceed the critical current $I_c(T)$. At constant current bias $I$ we find that in a wide interval, $I_c(T) < I \lesssim I_{\text{jump}}$, the nonlinear resistance of the junction is controlled by the long relaxation times and may be several orders of magnitude smaller than the normal state resistance.