Enhancement of superconducting critical current by injection of quasiparticles in superconductor semiconductor devices

We report new measurements on 3-terminal superconductor semiconductor injection devices, demonstrating enhancement of the supercurrent by injection from a superconducting injector electrode. Two other electrodes were used as detectors. Applying a small voltage to the injector, reduced the maximum supercurrent between the detector electrodes. When further increasing the injection voltage to Delta/e, the critical current approached a new maximum. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.