Abstract:
The switching current ($I_s$) from the superconducting to normal state in Aluminum nanowires is studied. In the range 0.3 - 1.4 K, $I_s$ fluctuations first increase and then decrease as the temperature rises. This behavior is consistent with a scenario
where the resistive transition is triggered by a single phase slips at low temperature and by multiple consecutive phase slips at higher temperatures. The phase slip process is predominantly thermally-assisted except below 0.4 K, where possible quantum tunneling contributions appear. Our results suggest that ultra-narrow superconducting
nanowires can exhibit behaviors similar to under-damped Josephson junctions.
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