1202.5063 (Dmitry Mozyrsky)

On the probability of quantum phase slips in superconducting nanowires    [PDF]

Dmitry Mozyrsky

The paper discusses mechanisms for decay of supercurrents in ultrathin
superconducting wires driven by quantum fluctuations. We argue that momentum
conservation strongly suppresses probability of such decay and estimate the
rates for two decay channels: potential scattering of condensate due to the
disorder and attenuation of the plasmon mode due to the presence of normal
component, i.e., Ohmic losses. We find that while both mechanisms yield
non-zero decay rates, their values are too small to provide any substantial
contribution to the resistivity of the wires. The rate associated with the
latter mechanism, however, is much greater, and it is possible that under the
appropriate conditions dissipation may lead to appreciable enhancement of
quantum phase slip transitions.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.5063