The Superconductor-Insulator Transition in 2D

TL;DR

This paper investigates the superconductor-insulator transition in ultrathin bismuth films by analyzing how film thickness and magnetic field influence the transition, using finite size scaling to determine critical exponents and phase diagrams.

Contribution

It provides a detailed finite size scaling analysis of the superconductor-insulator transition in 2D bismuth films, including phase diagram and critical resistance, with discussion on bosonic and percolation models.

Findings

Determined correlation length exponent v and dynamical critical exponent z.

Mapped phase diagram as a function of film thickness and magnetic field.

Observed finite dissipation at T=0 consistent with percolation models.

Abstract

The superconductor-insulator transition of ultrathin films of bismuth, grown on liquid helium cooled substrates, has been studied. The transition was tuned by changing both film thickness and perpendicular magnetic field. Assuming that the transition is controlled by a T=0 critical point, a finite size scaling analysis was carried out to determine the correlation length exponent v and the dynamical critical exponent z. The phase diagram and the critical resistance have been studied as a function of film thickness and magnetic field. The results are discussed in terms of bosonic models of the superconductor-insulator transition, as well as the percolation models which predict finite dissipation at T=0.