Shapiro Steps in the Absence of Microwave Radiation

2011/06/30 by He, Lin, Wang, Jian, Chan, Moses H. W.
#FOS: Physical sciences #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con)

paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1107.0061

Abstract

The current-voltage I-V characteristics of a 1.2 \mum long Au nanowire contacted by superconducting electrodes were studied in details. Interestingly, the I-V curves over a wide range of temperatures display multiple steps at voltages V = (m/n)(V0/2e) in the absence of microwave radiation, where m, n are integer numbers and V0 ~ 92 \muV. We posit that these steps are the subharmonic Shapiro steps due to the interplay of the ac Josephson current and a minigap in the Au nanowire induced by superconducting electrodes via the proximity effect.

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