Abstract
Tin spheres of diameter ∼120 nm and ∼1400 nm coated with sub-nanometer carbon layers were fabricated, using a sonochemical technique. Samples of both spheres reveal a type-I superconducting behavior characterized by super-critical fields and an intermediate state manifested by a gradual increase of the magnetization to zero. However, the small and large tin spheres exhibit a similar critical field, Hc, contrary to the expected increase in Hc in spheres with size smaller than the coherence length (∼230 nm). Analysis of the data shows that a relative high degree of carbon doping in the small tin spheres, eliminates the expected size-effect on Hc. Simulations, based on the time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, imply that the intermediate state in both measured samples consists of only one superconducting domain surrounded by a normal domain, whereas a rich multi-domain structure is predicted for larger Sn spheres.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 6-10 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Physica C: Superconductivity and its Applications |
Volume | 546 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 15 Mar 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Funding
The experimental work was partially supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) and the German-Israeli Foundation (GIF). The theoretical work and simulations were co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation (Project Cy-Tera ΝΕΑ ΥΠΟΔΟΜΗ/ΣΤΡΑΤΗ/0308/31 ).
Funders | Funder number |
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German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development | |
Research Promotion Foundation | Cy-Tera ΝΕΑ ΥΠΟΔΟΜΗ/ΣΤΡΑΤΗ/0308/31 |
Israel Science Foundation | |
European Regional Development Fund |