Fluctuation effects in superconducting nanostrips

Superconducting fluctuations in long and narrow strips made from ultrathin NbN films, have been investigated. For large bias currents close to the critical current fluctuations led to localized, temporary transitions into the normal conducting state, which were detected as voltage transients developing between the strip ends. We present models based on fluctuations in the Cooper pair density and current-assisted thermal-unbinding of vortex-antivortex pairs, which explain the current and temperature dependence of the experimental fluctuation rates. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.