The superconducting proximity effect in metals and molecules

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 – 3:15pm
Reiss 502
Sophie Guéron
Université Paris Sud, Orsay

The supercurrent through a conductor connected to two superconductors (S) is contingent on the penetration of superconducting correlations inside this conductor, and is thus a probe of the electronic properties of the conductor under investigation.

I will present recent such « proximity effect » experiments in more or less exotic conductors, ranging from metals to molecules.

I will first review some aspects of the classical proximity effects in noble metals (N), and present our recent investigation of the dynamics of the effect in a single SNS ring.

I will then give examples of what the proximity effect through molecules can reveal: from vibrational modes to conduction properties, intrinsic superconductivity, and even the magnetic state of a single molecule.

Host: Paola Barbara