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A Diagrammatic Theory of Random Scattering Matrices for Normal-Superconducting Mesoscopic Junctions

Condensed Matter 2009-10-28 v1

Abstract

The planar-diagrammatic technique of large-NN random matrices is extended to evaluate averages over the circular ensemble of unitary matrices. It is then applied to study transport through a disordered metallic ``grain'', attached through ideal leads to a normal electrode and to a superconducting electrode. The latter enforces boundary conditions which coherently couple electrons and holes at the Fermi energy through Andreev scattering. Consequently, the {\it leading order} of the conductance is altered, and thus changes much larger than e2/he^2/h are observed when, e.g., a weak magnetic field is applied. This is in agreement with existing theories. The approach developed here is intermediate between the theory of dirty superconductors (the Usadel equations) and the random-matrix approach involving transmission eigenvalues (e.g. the DMPK equation) in the following sense: even though one starts from a scattering formalism, a quantity analogous to the superconducting order-parameter within the system naturally arises. The method can be applied to a variety of mesoscopic normal-superconducting structures, but for brevity we consider here only the case of a simple disordered N-S junction.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9603136,
  title  = {A Diagrammatic Theory of Random Scattering Matrices for Normal-Superconducting Mesoscopic Junctions},
  author = {N. Argaman and A. Zee},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9603136},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

39 pages + 9 postscript figures