Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 137001 (2006) [4 pages]Magnetic-Field Enhancement of Superconductivity in Ultranarrow WiresReceived 13 April 2006; published 25 September 2006 We study the effect of an applied magnetic field on sub-10-nm wide MoGe and Nb superconducting wires. We find that magnetic fields can enhance the critical supercurrent at low temperatures, and do so more strongly for narrower wires. We conjecture that magnetic moments are present, but their pair-breaking effect, active at lower magnetic fields, is suppressed by higher fields. The corresponding microscopic theory, which we have developed, quantitatively explains all experimental observations, and suggests that magnetic moments have formed on the wire surfaces. © 2006 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.137001
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.137001
PACS:
74.78.Na, 74.25.Fy, 74.25.Ha, 74.40.+k
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