Double-gap superconducting proximity effect in armchair carbon nanotubes

Karyn Le Hur, Smitha Vishveshwara, Cristina Bena

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We theoretically explore the possibility of a superconducting proximity effect in single-walled metallic carbon nanotubes due to the presence of a superconducting substrate. An unconventional double-gap situation can arise in the two bands for nanotubes of large radius wherein the tunneling is (almost) symmetric in the two sublattices. In such a case, a proximity effect can take place in the symmetric band below a critical experimentally accessible Coulomb interaction strength in the nanotube. Furthermore, due to interactions in the nanotube, the appearance of a BCS gap in this band stabilizes superconductivity in the other band at lower temperatures. We also discuss the scenario of highly asymmetric tunneling and show that this case too supports double-gap superconductivity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number041406
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume77
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 15 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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