Disorder and Quantum Fluctuations in Superconducting Films in Strong Magnetic Fields
Abstract
We find that the upper critical field in a two-dimensional disordered superconductor can increase essentially at low temperatures. This happens due to the formation of local superconducting islands weakly coupled via the Josephson effect. The distribution of the superconducting islands is derived. It is shown that the value of the critical field is determined by the interplay of the proximity effect and quantum phase fluctuations. The shift of the upper critical field is connected with the pinning properties of a superconductor.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- August 2001
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.087001
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0104247
- Bibcode:
- 2001PhRvL..87h7001G
- Keywords:
-
- Condensed Matter - Superconductivity
- E-Print:
- 4 pages