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Article
Infinite-Randomness Fixed Point of the Quantum Superconductor-Metal Transitions in Amorphous Thin Films
Physical Review B
  • Nicholas A. Lewellyn
  • Ilana M. Percher
  • J. J. Nelson
  • Javier Garcia-Barriocanal
  • Irina Volotsenko
  • Aviad Frydman
  • Thomas Vojta, Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Allen M. Goldman
Abstract

The magnetic-field-tuned quantum superconductor-insulator transitions of disordered amorphous indium oxide films are a paradigm in the study of quantum phase transitions and exhibit power-law scaling behavior. For superconducting indium oxide films with low disorder, such as the ones reported on here, the high-field state appears to be a quantum-corrected metal. Resistance data across the superconductor-metal transition in these films are shown here to obey an activated scaling form appropriate to a quantum phase transition controlled by an infinite-randomness fixed point in the universality class of the random transverse-field Ising model. Collapse of the field-dependent resistance vs temperature data is obtained using an activated scaling form appropriate to this universality class, using values determined through a modified form of power-law scaling analysis. This exotic behavior of films exhibiting a superconductor-metal transition is caused by the dissipative dynamics of superconducting rare regions immersed in a metallic matrix, as predicted by a recent renormalization group theory. The smeared crossing points of isotherms observed are due to corrections to scaling which are expected near an infinite-randomness critical point, where the inverse disorder strength acts as an irrelevant scaling variable.

Department(s)
Physics
Research Center/Lab(s)
Center for High Performance Computing Research
Keywords and Phrases
  • Amorphous films,
  • Group theory,
  • Indium compounds,
  • Ising model,
  • Lattice vibrations,
  • Metals,
  • Phase transitions,
  • Quantum theory,
  • Random processes,
  • Statistical mechanics,
  • Superconducting films,
  • Thin films, Amorphous indium-oxide,
  • Amorphous thin films,
  • Dissipative dynamics,
  • Power-law scaling behaviors,
  • Quantum phase transitions,
  • Renormalization group theory,
  • Superconductor insulator transitions,
  • Transverse-field Ising model, Oxide films
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2019 American Physical Society (APS), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
2-1-2019
Publication Date
01 Feb 2019
Disciplines
Citation Information
Nicholas A. Lewellyn, Ilana M. Percher, J. J. Nelson, Javier Garcia-Barriocanal, et al.. "Infinite-Randomness Fixed Point of the Quantum Superconductor-Metal Transitions in Amorphous Thin Films" Physical Review B Vol. 99 Iss. 5 (2019) ISSN: 2469-9950; 2469-9969
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/thomas-vojta/147/