DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES OF 1D NORMAL-METAL SUPERCONDUCTOR CONTACTS FORSUPERCONDUCTORS WITH A BROKEN PARTICLE-HOLE SYMMETRY

The time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation with a complex relaxation constant gamma=gamma(0)(1-i epsilon) is used to analyze distinctive fe atures in the properties of 1D normal-metal-superconductor contacts ne ar T-c. The current-voltage characteristics of the contact are asymmet ric in this model. The asymmetry depends strongly on T-T-c and also th e sign of epsilon. A value epsilon not equal 0 has been invoked previo usly to explain a change in the sign of the Hall conductivity of a hig h T-c superconductor in the mixed state. The results found in the pres ent study indicate that it may be possible to determine the absolute v alue and the sign of epsilon from the temperature dependence of the as ymmetry of the current-voltage characteristics of normal-metal-high-T- c-superconductor contacts near T-c. This capability would be of import ance for, in particular, interpreting Hall-effect experiments. (C) 199 4 American Institute of Physics.