Single-particle electron-tunneling investigation of the phonon spectra and superconductivity of indium-tin alloys

Autor: Emery L. Moore, Robert W. Reed, F. G. Brickwedde
Rok vydání: 1977
Předmět:
Zdroj: Physical Review B. 15:187-198
ISSN: 0556-2805
DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.15.187
Popis: Single-particle electron tunneling through an oxide barrier, between two metal films, Al--oxide--In/sub x/Sn/sub 1-x/, has been investigated in a study of the lattice and superconducting properties, in particular the phonon density of states, of the four distinct single-phase alloys of the In-Sn system. Measurements of the dynamic resistance of the junction, and second-harmonic response to first-harmonic stimulation across the junction, with the metal films in their superconducting state, have been analyzed using the Eliashberg gap equations and the McMillan computer program. The product function ..cap alpha../sup 2/(..omega../sub q/) F (..omega../sub q/), which exhibits the structure of the density of phonon states, F (..omega../sub q/), has been determined for nine intermediate In-Sn compositions. Here F (..omega../sub q/) is the phonon density of states, and ..cap alpha../sup 2/(..omega../sub q/) is an electron-phonon coupling parameter which varies slowly with ..omega../sub q/. In the determination of the phonon spectra, the following normal-state properties of In and Sn, and their alloys have been computed: the Coulomb pseudopotential ..mu..*; the electron-phonon interaction strength lambda; and an average phonon energy . These three normal-state parameters were used to calculate the superconducting transition temperatures using the McMillan T/sub c/ equation. These calculated transition temperatures aremore » compared with our directly measured T/sub c/'s and with previously measured values. (AIP)« less
Databáze: OpenAIRE