title: Increased superconducting transition temperature of a niobium thin film proximity coupled to gold nanoparticles using linking organic molecules.
abstract: The superconducting critical temperature, T(C), of thin Nb films is significantly modified when gold nanoparticles (NPs) are chemically linked to the Nb film, with a consistent enhancement when using 3 nm long disilane linker molecules. The T(C) increases by up to 10% for certain linker length and NP size. No change is observed when the nanoparticles are physisorbed with nonlinking molecules. Electron tunneling spectra acquired on the linked NPs below T(C) typically exhibit zero-bias peaks. We attribute these results to a pairing mechanism coupling electrons in the Nb and the NPs, mediated by the organic linkers.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Department and the Center for Nano-Science and Nano-Technology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katzir
authors.forename: Shira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yochelis
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeides
authors.forename: Nadav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Yaov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kalcheim
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Millo
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leitus
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Myasodeyov
authors.forename: Boris Ya
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naaman
authors.forename: Yossi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Paltiel