Nonequilibrium Second-Order Phase Transition in a Cooper-Pair Insulator

作者：Doron A^*; Tamir I; Mitra S; Zeltzer G; Ovadia M; Shahar D

来源：Physical Review Letters, 2016, 116(5): 057001.

DOI：10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.057001

In certain disordered superconductors, upon increasing the magnetic field, superconductivity terminates with a direct transition into an insulating phase. This phase is comprised of localized Cooper pairs and is termed a Cooper-pair insulator. The current-voltage characteristics measured in this insulating phase are highly nonlinear and, at low temperatures, exhibit abrupt current jumps. Increasing the temperature diminishes the jumps until the current-voltage characteristics become continuous. We show that a direct correspondence exists between our system and systems that undergo an equilibrium, second-order, phase transition. We illustrate this correspondence by comparing our results to the van der Waals equation of state for the liquid-gas mixture. We use the similarities to identify a critical point where an out of equilibrium second-order-like phase transition occurs in our system. Approaching the critical point, we find a power-law behavior with critical exponents that characterizes the transition.

• 出版日期2016-2-2