CMT114

Phase Modulated Thermal Conductance of Josephson Weak Links

• Author(s): Erhai Zhao, Tomas Löfwander and J. A. Sauls
• Address: Department of Physics & Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
• Date: September 2, 2003
• Journal: Physical Reivew Letters 91, 077003 (2003) [DOI] [PDF]

• Abstract:
  We present a theory for quasiparticle heat transport through superconducting weak links. The thermal conductance depends on the phase difference (φ) of the superconducting leads. Branch conversion processes, low-energy Andreev bound states near the contact and the suppression of the local density of states near the gap edge are related to phase-sensitive transport processes. Theoretical results for the influence of junction transparency, temperature and disorder, on the phase modulation of the conductance are reported. For high-transmission weak links, D → 1, the formation of an Andreev bound state at ε_b = Δ cos(φ/2) leads to suppression of the density of states for the continuum excitations that transport heat, and thus, to a reduction in the conductance for φ = π. For low-transmission (D ≪ 1) barriers resonant scattering at energies ε = (1+D/2)Δ leads to an increase in the thermal conductance as T drops below T_c (for phase differences near φ = π).
  
• Comment: 4 pages with 3 figures

• Eprint: [PDF] [arXiv]

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