Abstract
We consider the steady-state nonequilibrium behavior of mesoscopic superconducting wires connected to normal-metal reservoirs. Going beyond the diffusive limit, we utilize the quasiclassical theory and perform a self-consistent calculation that guarantees current conservation through the entire system. Going from the ballistic to the diffusive limit, we investigate several crucial phenomena such as charge imbalance, momentum-resolved nonequilbrium distributions, and the current-to-superflow conversion. Connecting to earlier results for the diffusive case, we find that superconductivity can break down at a critical bias voltage ${V}_{\mathrm{c}}$. We find that ${V}_{\mathrm{c}}$ generally increases as the interface transparency is reduced, while the dependence on the mean-free path is nonmonotonous. We discuss the key differences of the ballistic and semiballistic regimes to the fully diffusive case.
Highlights
The nonequilibrium distribution of quasiparticles in hybrid nanostructures has for a long time been an important topic within the field of superconductivity [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
From the perspective of theory, is that current conservation in hybrid structures is only guaranteed if selfconsistency of the relevant self-energies is taken into account
We go beyond this approximation and examine the effect of current conservation as well as impurity scattering on transport
Summary
The nonequilibrium distribution of quasiparticles in hybrid nanostructures has for a long time been an important topic within the field of superconductivity [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. The nonequilibrium distribution may be a consequence of device operation, but in many cases unwanted, or poisonous, quasiparticles may limit device performance [13,14]. Within the field of superconducting spintronics in ferromagnetic-superconducting hybrid structures, the spin-dependent distributions have been investigated [15,16,17,18,19]. From the perspective of theory, is that current conservation in hybrid structures is only guaranteed if selfconsistency of the relevant self-energies is taken into account
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
