Electron-hole imbalance in superconductor-normal metal mesoscopic structures

الأصل · EN

We analysed the electron-hole or, in another words, branch imbalance (BI) and the related electric potential Vimb which may arise in a mesoscopic superconductor/normal metal (S/N) structure under non-equilibrium conditions in the presence of a supercurrent. Non-equilibrium conditions can be created in different ways: a) a quasiparticle current flowing between the N reservoirs; b) a temperature gradient between the N reservoirs and no quasiparticle current. It is shown that the voltage Vimb oscillates with the phase difference ϕ. In a cross-geometry structure the voltage Vimb arises in the vertical branch and affects the conditions for a transition into the π-state.