Relaxation of Nonequilibrium Quasiparticles in Mesoscopic Size Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress in understanding how nonequilibrium quasiparticles relax in mesoscopic superconductors, which is crucial for optimizing superconducting devices and sensors.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent experimental and theoretical advances in quasiparticle relaxation mechanisms at low temperatures in mesoscopic superconductors.

Findings

Quasiparticle relaxation mechanisms vary with temperature and device geometry.

Recent studies have elucidated the role of interfaces and material properties in relaxation processes.

Open questions remain about the fundamental limits of quasiparticle relaxation in mesoscopic systems.

Abstract

Rapid development of micro- and nanofabrication methods have provoked interest and enabled experimental studies of electronic properties of a vast class of (sub)micrometer-size solid state systems. Mesoscopic-size hybrid structures, containing superconducting elements, have become interesting objects for basic research studies and various applications, ranging from medical and astrophysical sensors to quantum computing. One of the most important aspects of physics, governing the behavior of such systems, is the finite concentration of nonequilibrium quasiparticles, present in a superconductor even well below the temperature of superconducting transition. Those nonequilibrium excitations might limit the performance of a variety of superconducting devices, like superconducting qubits, single-electron turnstiles and microrefrigerators. On the contrary, in some applications, like detectors of electromagnetic radiation, the nonequilibrium state is essential for their operation. It is therefore of vital importance to study the mechanisms of nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation in superconductors of mesoscopic dimensions, where the whole structure can be considered as an `interface'. At early stages of research the problem was mostly studied in relatively massive systems and at high temperatures close to the critical temperature of a superconductor. We review the recent progress in studies of nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation in superconductors including the low temperature limit. We also discuss the open physical questions and perspectives of development in the field.