Coherent Transport Through a Quantum Trombone

TL;DR

This paper investigates a new quantum interference effect in a mesoscopic normal metal system with a superconducting island, revealing oscillations in conductance due to electron-hole coupling and quantum interference.

Contribution

It introduces a novel transverse interference effect caused by electron-hole coupling in a superconducting-normal metal setup, with detailed predictions of conductance oscillations.

Findings

Conductance G oscillates with the island distance L and applied voltage E.

Oscillation periods are related to Fermi energy and wavevector.

Quantum interference between electrons and Andreev reflected holes is demonstrated.

Abstract

We highlight a new "transverse" interference effect, arising from the coupling between electrons and holes, induced by a superconducting island in contact with a normal metal. As an example we compute the electrical conductance G of a T-shaped mesoscopic sample, formed by joining a horizontal bar of normal metal to a vertical leg of the same material. With a superconducting island located on the vertical leg and the current flowing horizontally, we examine the dependence of G on the distance L of the island from the horizontal bar. Of particular interest is the differential conductance G(E) at an applied voltage E=eV, which due to quantum interference between electrons and Andreev reflected holes, is predicted to oscillate with both L and E. For a system with a spherical Fermi surface, the period of oscillation with E is 3.142 (E_F/k_FL) and with L is 3.142 (E_F/k_F E), where E_F is the Fermi energy and k_F the Fermi wavevector.