A model for critical current effects in point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy

Abstract

It is well known that point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy provides reliable measurements of the energy gap(s) in a superconductor when the contact is in the ballistic or diffusive regime. However, especially when the mean free path of the material under study is small, obtaining ballistic contacts can be a major challenge. One of the signatures of a Maxwell contribution to the contact resistance R is the presence of “dips” in the differential conductance, associated with the sudden appearance of a Maxwell term, in turn, due to the attainment of the critical current of the material in the contact region. Here we show that using a proper model for the R(I) of the material under study, it is possible to fit the experimental curves (without the need of normalization) obtaining the correct values of the gap amplitudes even in the presence of such dips, as well as the temperature dependence of the critical current in the contact. We present a test of the procedure in the case of Andreev-reflection spectra in Mg0.85Al0.15B2 single crystals.