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Proximity electron tunneling spectroscopy I. Experiments on Nb

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A quantitative proximity electron tunneling spectroscopy (PETS) is demonstrated for the study of strong coupling superconductors which do not form suitable insulating oxides for conventional McMillan-Rowell tunneling spectroscopy. Proximity junctions of the form C-Al2O3-Al/S are employed, with Al thickness d N ≤ 100 ». Here S is the superconductor of interest and C is any convenient counterelectrode. The physical basis for the method, experimental techniques, and data obtained from foils of Nb are presented. The results for Nb include the energy-dependent pair potential δS(E), the renormalization function Z(E), effective phonon spectrum α 2 F(Ω), electron-phonon coupling constant λ, and Coulomb pseudopotential Μ*. A full discussion of the underlying theory and details of the methods of analysis employed to obtain, in addition, the pair potential of the Al proximity layer are contained in a following paper.

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Author notes

  1. John Zasadzinski

    Present address: Solid State Sciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ames Laboratory—USDOE and Department of Physics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

    E. L. Wolf, John Zasadzinski & J. W. Osmun

  2. Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

    Gerald B. Arnold

Authors
  1. E. L. Wolf
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  2. John Zasadzinski
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  3. J. W. Osmun
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  4. Gerald B. Arnold
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Additional information

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science Division; in part by NSF Grant DMR 77-10549 at Indiana University and at the University of Notre Dame; and by Research Corporation through a Cottrell grant.

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Wolf, E.L., Zasadzinski, J., Osmun, J.W. et al. Proximity electron tunneling spectroscopy I. Experiments on Nb. J Low Temp Phys 40, 19–50 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00115980

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