Strong pair correlation in small metallic nanoclusters: the energy spectrum

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electronic shell structures in small metallic nanoclusters induce strong pair correlations, leading to high critical temperatures and observable superconducting gaps, with temperature-dependent energy spectra.

Contribution

It reveals the impact of shell-induced degeneracy on pair correlation and superconductivity in nanoclusters, proposing experimental methods to detect these effects.

Findings

High pair correlation due to shell degeneracy.

Superconducting gap causes spectrum modification.

Energy spectrum strongly temperature dependent.

Abstract

The electronic shell structure in small metallic nanoclusters leads to high level degeneracy, which is strongly beneficial for the appearance of pair correlation. This results in a high value of Tc as well as in the appearance of a superconducting gap which causes a strong modification of the energy spectrum. The electronic energy spectrum becomes strongly temperature dependent. Consequently, specific experiments to demonstrate the presence of pair correlation can be proposed.