https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2004-00182-1
The superconducting proximity effect as a tool to investigate metal films and interfaces
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0484, USA
Corresponding author: a bergmann@physics.usc.edu
Received:
13
February
2004
Revised:
17
April
2004
Published online:
29
June
2004
The superconducting proximity effect is measured in sandwiches of thin Pb films and the alkali metals Cs, Rb, K and Na. The Tc-dependence provides information about the interface barriers between Pb and the alkalis. Such a barrier is particularly large in Pb/Cs sandwiches. It is not due to impurities or oxydation. In the presence of a sufficiently strong barrier a special form of the Cooper limit can be applied to calculate the transition temperature of the sandwich.
PACS: 74.50.+r – Tunneling phenomena; point contacts, weak links, Josephson effects / 73.20.-r – Electron states at surfaces and interfaces / 71.20.Dg – Alkali and alkaline earth metals
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2004
