Multiple Andreev reflections as a transport problem in energy space

Recent experiments on conduction between a semiconductor and a superconductor have revealed a variety of new mesoscopic phenomena. Here is a review of the present status of this rapidly developing field. A scattering theory is described which leads to a conductance formula analogous to Landauer's formula in normal-state conduction. The theory is used to identify features in the conductance which can serve as "signatures" of phase-coherent Andreev reflection, i.e. for which th...

We study theoretically electronic transport through a normal metal-- superconductor (NS) interface and show that more than one conductance may be defined, depending on the pair of chemical potentials whose difference one chooses to relate linearly to the current. We argue that the situation is analogous to that found for purely normal transport, where different conductance formulae can be invoked. We revisit the problem of the "right" conductance formula in a simple language,...

We extend the basic theory of Andreev reflection (AR) in a normal metal/superconductor junction to the situation with an arbitrary time-dependent bias voltage $V(t)$ across the junction. The central element of the theory is the fact that the Fourier transform of the AR amplitude has a casual structure. As an example, the theory is used to describe the current response to short pulses of the bias voltage, which create coherent superposition of quasiparticle states with differe...

We study the transport properties of a hybrid nanostructure composed of a ferromagnet, two quantum dots, and a superconductor connected in series. By using the non-equilibrium Green's function approach, we have calculated the electric current, the differential conductance and the transmittance for energies within the superconductor gap. In this regime, the mechanism of charge transmission is the Andreev reflection, which allows for a control of the current through the ferroma...

The dc Josephson effect in a superconducting quantum point contact, where supercurrent flows through a small number of channels, is reviewd. The central role of Andreev levels is emphasized which carry the whole supercurrent in short symmetric Josephson junctions including tunnel junctions. A simple intuitive view of the dc Josephson effect in a quantum point contact is given in terms of multiple Andreev reflections. The quantization of the critical current in superconducting...

This PhD thesis is divided in 6 chapters. In chapter 1 we introduce basic superconducting phenomena. Such as, the BCS theory, the Andreev reflection and the proximity effect, and the charge current transport in superconducting tunnel junctions. In chapter 2 we present the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function formalism used to obtain the results of this thesis, together with clarifying examples corresponding to simple junctions. In chapter 3, the subgap transport properties o...

We report properties of parametric electron pumping in the presence of a superconducting lead. Due to a constructive interference between the direct reflection and the multiple Andreev reflection, the pumped current is greatly enhanced. For both quantum point contacts and double barrier structures at resonance, we obtain exact solutions in the weak pumping regime showing that $I_p^{NS} = 4 I_p^N$, which should be compared with the result of conductance $G_{NS} = 2G_N$. Numeri...

We present a theory for the full distribution of current fluctuations in incoherent diffusive superconducting junctions, subjected to a voltage bias. This theory of full counting statistics of incoherent multiple Andreev reflections is valid for arbitrary applied voltage. We present a detailed discussion of the properties of the first four cumulants as well as the low and high voltage regimes of the full counting statistics. The work is an extension of the results of Pilgram ...

Scattering processes in quantum materials emerge as resonances in electronic transport, including confined modes, Andreev states, and Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. However, in most instances, these resonances are driven by a single scattering mechanism. Here we show the appearance of resonances due to the combination of two simultaneous scattering mechanisms, one from superconductivity and the other from graphene p-n junctions. These resonances stem from Andreev reflection and Kle...

We calculate the current as a function of applied voltage in non-topological s-wave superconductor-quantum dot-topological superconductor tunnel junction. We consider the type of TS which hosts two Majorana bound states (MBS) at the ends of a semiconductor quantum wire or of a chain of magnetic atoms in the proximity with s-wave superconductor. We find that the $I-V$ characteristic of such system in the regime of big voltages has a typical two dot shape and is ornamented by p...