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Intrinsic Multiple Andreev Reflections in Layered Th-Doped Sm1−x Th x OFeAs

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Abstract

Layered oxypnictide Sm1−x Th x OFeAs (Sm-1111) is an ideal candidate to be probed by intrinsic multiple Andreev reflections effect (IMARE) spectroscopy. Using the classical “break-junction” technique, we formed ballistic Andreev arrays of identical S–n–S-contacts, where S is superconductor, and n is a layer of normal metal. For T < T C , the I(V) curve shows an excess-current and a subharmonic gap structure (SGS): a set of sharp dI(V)/dV-dips at positions which depend on the superconducting gap value, the number of junctions in the array, and the natural subharmonic order, thus manifesting the effect of intrinsic multiple Andreev reflections. Here, we present the I(V) and dI(V)/dV with up to 4 SGS dips for Andreev arrays formed in optimally doped Sm-1111 with critical temperatures T C ≈ 49 K, as well as in underdoped samples with T C ≈ 37 K. We show that a number of Andreev subharmonics facilitates the determination of the superconducting gap with a better accuracy.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ya.G. Ponomarev, A. Bianconi, A. Charnukha, and A. Boris for useful discussions. The work was partially supported by RFBR grants 13-05-01451a and 13-02-01180a.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the RAS, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    T. E. Kuzmicheva

  2. M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    S. A. Kuzmichev & S. N. Tchesnokov

  3. ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland

    N. D. Zhigadlo

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  1. T. E. Kuzmicheva
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  2. S. A. Kuzmichev
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  3. S. N. Tchesnokov
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  4. N. D. Zhigadlo
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Correspondence to T. E. Kuzmicheva.

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Kuzmicheva, T.E., Kuzmichev, S.A., Tchesnokov, S.N. et al. Intrinsic Multiple Andreev Reflections in Layered Th-Doped Sm1−x Th x OFeAs. J Supercond Nov Magn 29, 673–677 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-015-3297-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-015-3297-x

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