Interface Transparency of Nb/Pd Layered Systems

TL;DR

This study examines the interface transparency in Nb/Pd layered systems using proximity effect theory, revealing high transparency values that influence the critical thickness ratio despite Pd's lack of magnetic order.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of interface transparency in Nb/Pd systems, highlighting the high transparency and its implications for superconducting properties.

Findings

High interface transparency T observed

Large ratio of critical thickness to coherence length

Pd does not exhibit magnetic ordering despite high transparency

Abstract

We have investigated, in the framework of proximity effect theory, the interface transparency T of superconducting/normal metal layered systems which consist of Nb and high paramagnetic Pd deposited by dc magnetron sputtering. The obtained T value is relatively high, as expected by theoretical arguments. This leads to a large value of the ratio $d_{s}^{cr}/ \xi_{s}$ although Pd does not exhibit any magnetic ordering.