Crossover from normal (N) Ohmic subdivision to superconducting (S) equipartition of current in parallel conductors at the N-S transition: Theory

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical framework explaining the equipartition of current in parallel conductors during the N-S transition, unifying previous models and addressing the transition's metastability.

Contribution

It introduces a Landau-Ginzburg phenomenology to unify and extend understanding of current distribution during the N-S transition.

Findings

Equipartition of current explained by Landau-Ginzburg theory.

Unifies inductive subdivision and equipartition near T_c.

Discusses metastability at the N-S transition.

Abstract

The recently observed (1) equipartition of current in parallel at and below the Normal-Superconducting (N-S) transition can be understood in terms of a Landau-Ginzburg order-parameter phenomenology. This complements the explanation proposed earlier (1) based on the flux-flow resistance providing a nonlinear negative current feedback towards equipartition when the transition is approached from above. The present treatment also unifies the usual textbook inductive subdivision expected much below T_c, and the equipartition as T_c is approached from below. The question of metastability is also briefly discussed.