2012/08/31 by G. Lemarié, A. Kamlapure, D. Bucheli +6 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.supr-con #cond-mat.dis-nn
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.87.184509
published as Phys. Rev. B 87, 184509 (2013) · 11 pages, 8 figures, revised version submitted to PRB
arxiv created 2013/05/04 · arxiv updated 2013/09/25
We investigate theoretically and experimentally the statistical properties of the inhomogeneous order-parameter distribution (OPD) at the verge of the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). We find within two prototype fermionic and bosonic models for disordered superconductors that one can identify a universal rescaling of the OPD. By performing scanning-tunneling microscopy experiments in three samples of NbN with increasing disorder we show that such a rescaling describes also with an excellent accuracy the experimental data. These results can provide a breakthrough in our understanding of the SIT.