The idea that preformed Cooper pairs could exist in a superconductor at temperatures higher than its zero-resistance critical temperature (T-c) has been explored for unconventional, interfacial,... Show moreThe idea that preformed Cooper pairs could exist in a superconductor at temperatures higher than its zero-resistance critical temperature (T-c) has been explored for unconventional, interfacial, and disordered superconductors, but direct experimental evidence is lacking. We used scanning tunneling noise spectroscopy to show that preformed Cooper pairs exist up to temperatures much higher than T-c in the disordered superconductor titanium nitride by observing an enhancement in the shot noise that is equivalent to a change of the effective charge from one to two electron charges. We further show that the spectroscopic gap fills up rather than closes with increasing temperature. Our results demonstrate the existence of a state above T-c that, much like an ordinary metal, has no (pseudo)gap but carries charge through paired electrons. Show less
This thesis describes coupling of light to periodic structures. A material is patterned with a regular pattern on a length scale comparable to the wavelength of light. With these structures, light... Show moreThis thesis describes coupling of light to periodic structures. A material is patterned with a regular pattern on a length scale comparable to the wavelength of light. With these structures, light can be manipulated very precisely. The structures find applications in semiconductor lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), photovoltaic cells, and detectors of light. A periodic array of holes in a layer of semiconductor or in a thin metal film causes a coupling between the incident light and light that is trapped inside the layer. This coupling can be studied by measuring the reflection and transmission. The environment has an important role here; e.g. placing glass antennas in the holes can increase the coupling between light and plasmons. A thin, superconducting wire can be used as a detector of light. To increase the surface area, the wire is folded into a meander. The optical properties of this detector are very dependent on the polarization, due to the regular periodic structure of the meander. Moreover, we found that the absorption of a very thin absorbing layer can be almost 100%, when it is illuminated under the right angle, from the substrate. This can be used to increase the efficiency of the detectors. Show less
