Semiclassics of Andreev billiards

Physical Review Letters, 2010

The connection of a superconductor to a chaotic ballistic quantum dot leads to interesting phenomena, most notably the appearance of a hard gap in its excitation spectrum. Here we treat such an Andreev billiard semiclassically where the density of states is expressed in terms of the classical trajectories of electrons (and holes) that leave and return to the superconductor. We show how classical orbit correlations lead to the formation of the hard gap, as predicted by random matrix theory in the limit of negligible Ehrenfest time $\tE$, and how the influence of a finite $\tE$ causes the gap to shrink. Furthermore, for intermediate $\tE$ we predict a second gap below $E=\pi\hbar /2\tE$ which would presumably be the clearest signature yet of $\tE$-effects.

2010

Quantum cavities or dots have markedly different properties depending on whether their classical counterparts are chaotic or not. Connecting a superconductor to such a cavity leads to notable proximity effects, particularly the appearance, predicted by random matrix theory, of a hard gap in the excitation spectrum of quantum chaotic systems. Andreev billiards are interesting examples of such structures built with superconductors connected to a ballistic normal metal billiard since each time an electron hits the superconducting part it is retroreflected as a hole (and vice-versa). Using a semiclassical framework for systems with chaotic dynamics, we show how this reflection, along with the interference due to subtle correlations between the classical paths of electrons and holes inside the system, are ultimately responsible for the gap formation. The treatment can be extended to include the effects of a symmetry breaking magnetic field in the normal part of the billiard or an Andreev billiard connected to two phase shifted superconductors. Therefore we are able to see how these effects can remold and eventually suppress the gap. Furthermore the semiclassical framework is able to cover the effect of a finite Ehrenfest time which also causes the gap to shrink. However for intermediate values this leads to the appearance of a second hard gap - a clear signature of the Ehrenfest time.

Physical Review B, 2011

Quantum cavities or dots have markedly different properties depending on whether their classical counterparts are chaotic or not. Connecting a superconductor to such a cavity leads to notable proximity effects, particularly the appearance, predicted by random matrix theory, of a hard gap in the excitation spectrum of quantum chaotic systems. Andreev billiards are interesting examples of such structures built with superconductors connected to a ballistic normal metal billiard since each time an electron hits the superconducting part it is retroreflected as a hole (and vice-versa). Using a semiclassical framework for systems with chaotic dynamics, we show how this reflection, along with the interference due to subtle correlations between the classical paths of electrons and holes inside the system, are ultimately responsible for the gap formation. The treatment can be extended to include the effects of a symmetry breaking magnetic field in the normal part of the billiard or an Andreev billiard connected to two phase shifted superconductors. Therefore we are able to see how these effects can remold and eventually suppress the gap. Furthermore the semiclassical framework is able to cover the effect of a finite Ehrenfest time which also causes the gap to shrink. However for intermediate values this leads to the appearance of a second hard gap - a clear signature of the Ehrenfest time.

2003

An effective random matrix theory description is developed for the universal gap fluctuations and the ensemble averaged density of states of chaotic Andreev billiards for finite Ehrenfest time. It yields a very good agreement with the numerical calculation for Sinai-Andreev billiards. A systematic linear decrease of the mean field gap with increasing Ehrenfest time τ_E is observed but its derivative with respect to τ_E is in between two competing theoretical predictions and close to that of the recent numerical calculations for Andreev map. The exponential tail of the density of states is interpreted semi-classically.

Physical Review Letters, 1996

The Bohigas-Giannoni-Schmit conjecture stating that the statistical spectral properties of systems which are chaotic in their classical limit coincide with random matrix theory is proved. For this purpose a new semiclassical field theory for individual chaotic systems is constructed in the framework of the non-linear σ-model. The low lying modes are shown to be associated with the Perron-Frobenius spectrum of the underlying irreversible classical dynamics. It is shown that the existence of a gap in the Perron-Frobenius spectrum results in a RMT behavior. Moreover, our formalism offers a way of calculating system specific corrections beyond RMT.

Physical Review B, 2005

We extend the existing quasiclassical theory for the superconducting proximity effect in a chaotic quantum dot, to include a time-reversal-symmetry breaking magnetic field. Random-matrix theory (RMT) breaks down once the Ehrenfest time τE becomes longer than the mean time τD between Andreev reflections. As a consequence, the critical field at which the excitation gap closes drops below the RMT prediction as τE/τD is increased. Our quasiclassical results are supported by comparison with a fully quantum mechanical simulation of a stroboscopic model (the Andreev kicked rotator).

Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 1997

New insight into the correspondence between Quantum Chaos and Random Matrix Theory is gained by developing a semiclassical theory for the autocorrelation function of spectral determinants. We study in particular the unitary operators which are the quantum versions of area preserving maps. The relevant Random Matrix ensembles are the Circular ensembles. The resulting semiclassical expressions depend on the symmetry of the system with respect to time reversal, and on a classical parameter µ = trU − 1 where U is the classical 1-step evolution operator. For system without time reversal symmetry, we are able to reproduce the exact Random Matrix predictions in the limit µ → 0. For systems with time reversal symmetry we can reproduce only some of the features of Random Matrix Theory. For both classes we obtain the leading corrections in µ. The semiclassical theory for integrable systems is also developed, resulting in expressions which reproduce the theory for the Poissonian ensemble to leading order in the semiclassical limit.

1996

The European Physical Journal B, 2001

We study the effect on the density of states in mesoscopic ballistic billiards to which a superconducting lead is attached. The expression for the density of states is derived in the semiclassical S-matrix formalism shedding insight into the origin of the differences between the semiclassical theory and the corresponding result derived from random matrix models. Applications to a square billiard geometry and billiards with boundary roughness are discussed. The saturation of the quasiparticle excitation spectrum is related to the classical dynamics of the billiard. The influence of weak magnetic fields on the proximity effect in rough Andreev billiards is discussed and an analytical formula is derived. The semiclassical theory provides an interpretation for the suppression of the proximity effect in the presence of magnetic fields as a coherence effect of time reversed trajectories, similar to the weak localisation correction of the magneto-resistance in chaotic mesoscopic systems. The semiclassical theory is shown to be in good agreement with quantum mechanical calculations.

Physical Review Letters, 2006

We present a classical and quantum mechanical study of an Andreev billiard with a chaotic normal dot. We demonstrate that the nonexact velocity reversal and the diffraction at the edges of the normalsuperconductor contact render the classical dynamics of these systems mixed indicating the limitations of a widely used retracing approximation. We point out the close relation between the mixed classical phase space and the properties of the quantum states of Andreev billiards, including periodic orbit scarring and localization of the wave function onto other classical phase space objects such as intermittent regions and quantized tori.