title: Carbon nanotubes encapsulating superconducting single-crystalline tin nanowires.
abstract: Superconducting low dimensional systems are the natural choice for fast and sensitive infrared detection, because of their quantum nature and the low-noise, cryogenic operation environment. On the other hand, monochromatic and coherent electron beams, emitted from superconductors and carbon-based nanostructured materials, respectively, are significant for the development of electron optical systems such as electron microscopes and electron-beam nanofabrication systems. Here we describe for the first time a simple method which yields carbon nanotubes encapsulating single crystalline superconducting tin nanowires by employing the catalytic chemical vapor deposition method over solid tin dioxide. The superconducting tin nanowires, with diameters 15-35 nm, are covered with well-graphitized carbon walls and show, due to their reduced diameters, a critical magnetic field (Hc) more than 30 times higher than the value of bulk metallic tin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Lubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jankovic
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gournis
authors.forename: Pantelis N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Trikalitis
authors.forename: Imad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arfaoui
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cren
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudolf
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sage
authors.forename: Thomas T M
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Palstra
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kooi
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Hosson
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Karakassides
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dimos
authors.forename: Aliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moukarika
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bakas
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D014001:Tin / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D014001:Tin