Mesoscopic Superconductors in Proximity to Nanomagnets
Abstract
We report a study of electron transport through mesoscopic superconducting (aluminum) wires with ferromagnetic (nickel) and superconducting electrodes in the temperature range of 0.28-1.5 K in magnetic fields up to 5 T. We observe spectacular changes in the differential voltage-current characteristics, dV/dI vs I. when the measuring current is injected from the ferromagnetic electrodes: the dV/dII curves become non-symmetric with respect to the current direction and show the regions with negative differential resistance. The peaks corresponding to the superconducting transition split into two with separation depending on the external magnetic field and the polarisation of current. We attribute the effects to the nonequilibrium spin polarization induced by the current from the ferromagnetic electrode and the effects of the saturation magnetisation leading to the Zeeman splitting of the quasiparticle spectrum in the adjacent superconductor.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 18, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADP012873
Entities
People
- A. Parsons
- C. Troadec
- I. A. Sosnin
- I. Cox
- V. T. Petrashov
Organizations
- University of London