SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE INHOMOGENEOUS GAP STATE IN NONEQUILIBRIUM SUPERCONDUCTORS

Work is reported on the gap instability in a superconductor under tunneling injection of quasiparticles at the gap sum voltage. Low-temperature scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the spatial development of the inhomogeneous gap state and the influence of inhomogeneities in the injector junction on the nucleation process of the regions of small and large energy gap. Measurement of the small and the large gap for injector junctions with various normal state conductivities and use of the theory of Elesin and Kopaev made it possible to determine the electron phonon scattering time for PbIn.