Proximity Effect between Two Superconductors Spatially Resolved by Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy

Abstract

How does a superconductor in contact with another through an atomic-scale junction influence the electronic properties in the latter? Investigating a submicron superconducting island of single-crystal Pb embedded in a pre-superconducting Pb crystalline monolayer, scientists reveal a giant region of induced superconductivity in the monolayer and also offer a theory for describing such proximity effects.