On the spectral gap in Andreev graphs
Abstract
We introduce Andreev scattering (electron-hole conversion at an interface of a normal conductor to a superconductor) at the outer vertices of a quantum star graph and examine its effect on the spectrum. More specifically we show that the density of states in Andreev graphs is suppressed near the Fermi energy where a spectral gap may occur. The size and existence of such a gap depends on one side on the Andreev scattering amplitudes and, on the other side,on the properties of the electron-electron scattering matrix at the central vertex. We also show that the bond length fluctuations have a minor effect on the spectrum near the Fermi energy.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0711.1998,
title = {On the spectral gap in Andreev graphs},
author = {Holger Flechsig and Sven Gnutzmann},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0711.1998},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
18 pages, written for proceedings of "Analysis on Graphs and Applications" (program at the Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge, Jan-July 2007)