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I. K. Yanson

Publications and source records attributed to I. K. Yanson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Point-contact studies of semiconductor $PbTe-PbS$ superconducting superlattice as a model of HTS

Superconducting (SC) superlattices (SL) of the epitaxial semiconductor $PbTe-PbS$/(001) $KCl$ with two-dimensional ordered misfit dislocation (MD) networks across heteroboundaries (HB) are studied, and the obtained results are compared with the corresponding data for $YBaCuO$. An analysis of the fluctuational region showed that the pairing of electrons in SL takes place at the sites of dislocation networks. In the region of SC fluctuations, the IVC derivatives of point-contacts (PC) based on SL and HTS display a metal-insulator transition associated with delocalization of carriers from the vicinity of the structural elements responsible for the emergence of SC. The critical current density in a superlattice is determined, and a mechanism is proposed for formation of excess current on the IVC of PC based on SL and HTS. The values of the energy gap $Δ_0$ at low temperatures in units of $kT_c$ are found to be anomalously large for SL and HTS. For anisotropic three-dimensional SL with a strong bond between two-dimensional SC planes, two gaps emerge from the MD. For quasi-two-dimensional SL with a weak bond between two-dimensional SC planes, the $Δ(T)$ dependence is nonmonotonic, and the fluctuation region for these SL and for HTS reveals a gap that is practically independent of temperature. The IVC derivatives of a $Cu$-SL PC reveal an oscillating structure which is restricted to an energy of $90\ meV$ and is apparently associated with the electron-phonon interaction. It is assumed that there is a similarity between the SC mechanisms in SL and HTS. pacs 73.40.Jn, 74.25.Kc, 74.45.+c, 74.50.+r., 73.40.-c, 74.78.-w, 74.78.Fk, 74.20.Mn, 74.40.+k.-n, 74.45.+c, 74.62.Dn, 74.70.Ad

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Point contact spectroscopy of the high-temperature superconductor $La_{1.8}Sr_{0.2}CuO_{4}$

The energy gap has been measured and the characteristic phonon energies determined for the superconducting compound $La_{1.8}Sr_{02}CuO_4$ from the current-voltage characteristics of point contacts with a copper counterelectrode. The temperature dependence of the energy gap was determined. pacs 73.40.Jn, 74.25.Kc, 74.45.+c, 73.40.-c, 74.20.Mn, 74.70.Ad, 74.72.-h, Dn

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Phonon singularities on volt-ampere curves of niobium point contacts

The volt-ampere curves and their second derivatives were studied for niobium point contacts at low temperatures in the voltage range corresponding to the characteristic phonon energies. It was found that while for the dirty contacts in the normal state no PC spectra of phonons could be detected, in the superconducting state there were singularities in the I-V curves corresponding to maxima either in the first or in the second derivatives. The singularities observed were due to the energy dependence of the excess current. We suppose that the origin of these singularities is due to the inelastic transitions of electrons between chemical potentials of Cooper pairs at both sides of the contact, which differ in energy by $eV$. These transitions are possible if $ξ\left(0 \right)\gtrsim d \sim{Λ_{\varepsilon}}$ ($ξ(0)$ being the coherence length, $d$, the contact diameter, ${Λ_{\varepsilon}}={{({{l}_{i}}\cdot {{l}_{\varepsilon}})}^{1/2}}$, where ${{l}_{i}}$ and ${{l}_{\varepsilon}}$ being the elastic and inelastic electron mean free paths, respectively).

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Spectroscopy of phonons in dirty superconducting contacts

The nonlinearities of current-voltage characteristics (IVC) of superconducting niobium point contacts for voltages of the order of the characteristic phonon frequencies are investigated. It is shown that in limiting by dirty contacts ${{l}_{1}}\ll d$ , (${{l}_{1}}$ is the momentum mean-free path of electrons), features are observed on the IVC corresponding to maxima in the first or second derivatives and are situated at energies close to the characteristic phonon energies. These features are due to the energy dependence of the excess current, since the nonlinearity of the IVC in the normal state is several times smaller in absolute magnitude, and its second derivative is monotonic. For a contact diameter $d$ of the order of several tens of angstroms (the contact resistance is of the order of 100 $Ω$), the thermal effects can be neglected. It is assumed that in the region of the constriction, the characteristic lengths of the system satisfy the relation $ξ\gtrsim d>{{Λ}_{\varepsilon }}$ (${{Λ}_{\varepsilon }}$ is the diffusion length for energy relaxation of the electrons, $ξ$ is the coherence length) which makes possible inelastic transitions of electrons between pair chemical potentials differing in energy by an account $eV$ ($V$ is the voltage drop across the contact)

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Investigation of the electron-phonon interaction in $N{{b}_{3}}Sn$ with the aid of microcontacts

The method of microcontact spectroscopy in the superconducting state was used to investigate weak nonlinearities of the current-voltage characteristics of point contacts made of $N{{b}_{3}}Sn$ single crystals. The nature of the spectrum of the electron-phonon interaction was found to vary considerably from contact to contact, indicating considerable deviations of the composition of the surface of $N{{b}_{3}}Sn$ from stoichiometry. A correlation was established between the nature of the spectrum and the magnitude of the gap singularities of the current-voltage characteristics. In the case of "dirty" high-resistance contacts with strong gap singularities the microcontact spectra were reasonably reproducible, which made it possible to relate them sufficiently closely to the microcontact function of the electron-phonon interaction in the bulk material. It was found that microcontact spectroscopy of this interaction was possible in the superconducting state not only in dirty $S-c-S$ contacts, but also in dirty $S-c-N$ contacts.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Reabsorption of nonequilibrium phonons at superconducting point contacts

When there is a deviation from the inequality $d\ll {{l}_{\varepsilon }}$ ($d$ is the contact diameter, and ${{l}_{\varepsilon }}$ is the energy relaxation length of the electrons), structural features are produced on the current-voltage characteristics of $S-c-N$ contacts at characteristic phonon energies because of the decrease in $Δ$ due to the accumulation of nonequilibrium phonons with low group velocities near the contact.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Magnetoquantum oscillations in the resistance of metallic point contacts: Influence of nonequilibrium phonons

The amplitude of magnetoresistance quantum oscillations of Al and Be point contacts in a magnetic field parallel to the contact axis has been studied as a function of voltage applied over the contact. It was found that for one group of contacts the oscillation amplitude nonmonotonously increases with the bias voltage increase, while for the other part of the contacts a decrease of amplitude was observed. The scattering of electrons with nonequilibrium phonons and also phonon-phonon collisions will be discussed as the possible reasons of the observed effects.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Dependence of the amplitude of magnetoquantum oscillations of the metallic point-contact resistance on the bias voltage

Magnetoquantum oscillations of resistance as functions of the potential difference applied across the contact are studied for metallic point contacts made of $Al$ and $Be$. The amplitude of resistance oscillations in a magnetic field increases with voltage and is identical to the EPI spectrum of the point contact for one group of contacts, and with the bias voltage across the contact for another. The increase in the oscillation amplitude as well as its decrease has a nonmonotonic dependence on energy. The scattering of electrons by nonequilibrium phonons and the Fermi-liquid effects in the nonequilibrium electron system are considered as the possible reasons behind the observed effects.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Spatially inhomogeneous discrete states of a superconductor upon injection of nonequilibrium quasiparticles from a point contact with a normal metal

The current-voltage characteristics (IVC) of $S-c-N$ point contacts of superconductors with a small coherence length ${ξ_{0}}$ reveal steps with discrete values of the differential resistance. This peculiarity is associated with a transition of the contact region of the superconductor to a spatially inhomogeneous state under the influence of the current injection of nonequilibrium quasiparticles penetrating the superconductor to a depth ${{l}_{E}}$ . The role of the relaxation of the disbalance between the occupancies of electron- and hole-like branches of the quasiparticle spectrum is manifested in the displacement of the position of the singularities on the IVC towards higher energies upon an increase in the magnetic field and/or temperature. This effect was observed in superconductors with different ratios of the contact diameter $d$ and ${ξ_{0}}$ or ${{l}_{E}}$ in the series $Ta\ (d\ll {ξ_{0}},\ {{l}_{E}})\to NbS{{e}_{2}}$, $N{{b}_{3}}Sn\ (d\gtrsim {ξ_{0}},\ {{l}_{E}})\to YB{{a}_{1.25}}S{{r}_{0.75}}C{{u}_{3}}{{O}_{7-δ}}(d\gg {ξ_{0}},\ {{l}_{E}})$. Apparently, a jumplike displacement of the boundary between regions with suppressed and equilibrium values of the energy gap near the contact is responsible for the oscillations observed on the IVC of point contacts between single crystals of high- temperature superconductors (HTS) and a normal metal. The resistance-periodic step-like structure of the IVC allows us to estimate the penetration depth ${{l}_{E}}$ of the electric field in $NbS{{e}_{2}}$ and $YBaSrCuO$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Relaxation of nonequilibrium quasiparticles in a superconductor normal metal point contact

The point-contact spectra of tantalum in the superconducting state, with $Ta$, $Cu$, and $Au$ counterelectrodes, have been studied. We discovered some new distinctive features, whose position on the $eV$ axis is determined by the critical power required for the injection of nonequilibriumquasiparticles. At this level of power the band gap $Δ$ decreases abruptly in the vicinity of the contact. A correction to the point-contact spectrum, with the sign opposite to that of the usual correction, arises in the region of phonon energies. The maxima in the $Ta$ spectrum become sharper and their position on the energy axis becomes stabilized near the values $e{{V}_{ph}}=7.0$, 11.3, 15.5, and 18 $meV$, which correspond to low phonon group velocities $\partial ω/\partial q\simeq 0$ in $Ta$. This is confirmed by the existence of corresponding flattenings on the dispersion relations $ω(q)$ of lattice vibrations. Slow phonons are created near the $N-S$ interface in quasiparticle recombination and relaxation processes and cause a decrease in $Δ$ and an increase in the differential resistance in the vicinity of $e{{V}_{ph}}$. An excess quasiparticle charge is accumulated in the region of the contact, producing a correction to the resistance, which decreases as $eV$, $T$, and $H$ increase. These mechanisms are particularly effective in dirty contacts, thus permitting phonon spectroscopy in the superconducting state even when the current flow occurs in a nearly thermal mode.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Point-contact electron-phonon interaction function in tantalum

Tantalum is studied by the method of point-contact (PC) spectroscopy: the parameter ${{λ}_{pc}}$ and the absolute intensity of the PC EPI function are determined, and the form of the EPI function is determined more accurately. Both homocontacts $Ta-Ta$ and heterocontacts $Ta-Cu$ and $Ta-Au$ were studied. It was found that the contributions of copper and gold to the spectrum of the heterocontact are not noticeable, though the forms of the PC spectra of $Ta$ in homo- and heterocontacts are different. The intensities of the spectra of $Ta-Ta$ homocontacts and $Ta-Cu$ heterocontacts turned out to be close to one another. Simple expressions, enabling numerical calculations of the PC characteristics for geometrically symmetric heterocontacts in the approximation of a spherical Fermi surface, are derived, based on the theory. It is shown that the use of the free-electron approximation in the numerical estimates leads to an error. It is proposed that the effective mass approximation be used for such estimates.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Thermoelectric effects and the asymmetry of the current-voltage characteristics of metallic point contacts

An asymmetry as a function of the direction of current flow is observed in the current-voltage characteristic (CVC) and its first and second derivatives for point heterocontacts between pure metals {Cu, Ni, Fe) as well as between these metals and dilute alloys (CuFe, CuMn). It is shown that the observed asymmetry is caused by thermoelectrical phenomena (Seebeck, Peltier, and Thompson effects), observed when the temperature inside the contact differs from the temperature of the bath. In the low energy range (less than or of the order of the Debye energy) the asymmetry of the CVC is affected mainly by the Seebeck effect, while at high energies and for larger contacts (lower resistance) the contributions of all noted effects are of the same order of magnitude. A technique is proposed for determining the temperature of a heterocontact by measuring the CVC in two polarities. It is established that in the intermediate (between the diffusion and ballistic) state of flight of the electrons through the constriction the temperature of the heterocontact increases linearly with the voltage on it, and all the more rapidly the larger the contact and the more impurity in it.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Current-field diagram of magnetic states of a surface spin valve in a point contact with a single ferromagnetic film

We present a study of the influence of an external magnetic field H and an electric current I on the spin-valve (SV) effect between a ferromagnetic thin film (F) and a sharp tip of a nonmagnetic metal (N). To explain our observations, we propose a model of a local surface SV which is formed in such a N/F contact. In this model, a ferromagnetic cluster at the N/F interface plays the role of the free layer in this SV. This cluster exhibits a larger coercive field than the bulk of the ferromagnetic film, presumably due to its nanoscale nature. Finally, we construct a magnetic state diagram of the surface SV as a function of I and H.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Peculiarities of the superconducting gaps and the electron-boson interaction in TmNi2B2C as seen by point-contact spectroscopy

Point-contact (PC) investigations on the title compound in the normal and superconducting (SC) state (Tc=10,6 K) are presented. The temperature dependence of the SC gap of TmNi2B2C determined from Andreev-reflection (AR) spectra using the standard single-gap approximation (SGA) deviates from the BCS behavior in displaying a maximum at about Tc/2. A refined analysis within the two-gap approximation provides evidence for the presence of a second gap twice as large as the main gap (the first one), while the latter is close to that within the SGA. This way, TmNi2B2C expands the number of nickel borocarbide superconductors which exhibit a clear multiband character. Additionally, for the first time "reentrant" features were found in the AR spectra for some PCs measured in a magnetic field. The PC spectroscopy of the electron-boson interaction in TmNi2B2C in the normal state reveals a pronounced phonon maximum at 9.5meV and a more smeared one around 15 meV, while at higher energies the PC spectra are almost featureless. Additionally, the most intense peak slightly above 3meV observed in the PC spectra of TmNi2B2C is presumably caused by crystalline-electric-field (CEF) excitations. The peak near 1meV detected for some PC spectra is connected with a modification of the CEF probably due to boron or carbon vacancies, allowing to probe the local stoichiometry by PC spectroscopy.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Point-contact study of ReFeAs(1-x)Fx (Re=La, Sm) superconducting films

Point-contact (PC) Andreev-reflection (AR) measurements of the superconducting gap in iron-oxipnictide ReFeAsO_{1-x}F_x (Re=La, Sm) films have been carried out. The value of the gap is distributed in the range 2Δ\simeq 5-10 meV (for Re=Sm) with a maximum in the distribution around 6 meV. Temperature dependence of the gap Δ(T) can be fitted well by BCS curve giving reduced gap ratio 2Δ/kT_c^*\simeq 3.5 (here T_c^* is the critical temperature from the BCS fit). At the same time, an expected second larger gap feature was difficult to resolve distinctly on the AR spectra making determination reliability of the second gap detection questionable. Possible reasons for this and the origin of other features like clear-cut asymmetry in the AR spectra and current regime in PCs are discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Stimulated emission and absorption of photons in magnetic point contacts: toward metal-based spin-lasers

Point contacts between high anisotropy ferromagnetic SmCo5 and normal metal Cu are used to achieve a strong spin-population inversion in the contact core. Subjected to microwave irradiation in resonance with the Zeeman splitting in Cu, the inverted spin-population relaxes through stimulated spin-flip photon emission, detected as peaks in the point contact resistance. Resonant spin-flip photon absorption is detected as resistance minima, corresponding to sourcing the photon field energy into the electrical circuit. These results demonstrate fundamental mechanisms that are potentially useful for designing metallic spin-based lasers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗