Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education
"National Research University "High School of Economics"
MIEM NRU HSE
Department of Electronic Engineering
The syllabus of
“Superconducting Nanostructures Technology”
Educational programme “Applied Physics”
training area 11.04.41 "Electronics and Nanoelectronics"
Master level
The author of the syllabus:
Ryabchun S.A., Ph.D., associate professor, sryabchun@hse.ru
Approved the meeting of the division of "Quantum optics and telecommunications"
«8» September 2015г.
Chair GN Goltsman _________________
Recommended by the Academic Council of the educational programme
«___»____________ 2015 г., minutes No. _________________
Approved «___»____________ 2015 г.
Chair the educational programme _________________
Moscow, 2015
This syllabus cannot be used by other divisions of the University and other institutions of higher
education without the permission of the Department of the author of the syllabus.
1. Course Description
a. Title: Superconducting Nanostructures Technology
b. Pre-requisites: undergraduate courses in electrodynamics, quantum mechanics and
statistical mechanics
c. Course type: compulsory
d. Abstract: The course starts with a brief overview of the properties of superconducting
materials and then proceeds from the simplest phenomenological London theory to the
Ginzburg-Landau theory and the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. This is followed by
the discussion of the Josephson effects, vortex states, some key aspects of nonequilibrium superconductivity and applications of superconductors as radiation sensors.
The rest of the course is dedicated to methods of fabricating superconducting nanostructures.
2. Learning Objectives: familiarity with the basic concepts of classical supeconductivity and
applications of superconducting nano-structures as radiation sensors
3. Learning Outcomes: by the end of the course, the students will have formed a coherent picture of
the phenomenon of superconductivity and its theories, and will also be able to make simple
estimations of various characteristics of superconducting nano-structures for application as radiation
sensors.
4. The course is aimed at forming the following competences:

SC-3 – capability of independent development of new research methods, changing scientific and
production profile of the personal activities and continuing professional development throughout
the period of professional activity;

SK-6 – capability of analysing, verifying, assessing the completeness of information in the course
of professional activity and, if necessary, obtaining and synthesising missing information, and
working in conditions of uncertainty;

NI-1 - collecting, processing, analysis and systematization of scientific and technical information
relating to the study, the choice of methods and means of solving the problem;

NI-2 - development of techniques, research and measurement parameters, and characteristics of
materials and electronic products, analysis of their results;

NI-3 - development of physical and mathematical models, computer simulation of physical
processes, devices, circuits and devices related to the professional field;

NI-4 - preparation of reviews and reports about ongoing studies;

SC-5 - definition of goals and tasks of designing electronic devices, circuits and devices of
different functionality, preparation of technical specifications for the implementation of
construction work;

SC-6 - design of devices, instruments and systems of electronic equipment taking account of the
specified requirements;

PC-7 - development of design documentation in accordance with the methodological and
regulatory requirements;

I-13 - improvement of the existing creative methods of solving professional problems;

EK-18 - conducting independent research in order to improve personal activities.
5. Place of the course in the curriculum
The course “Superconducting Nanostructures Technology” is taken by MSc students of the
programme “Applied physics” (training area 11.04.04. “Electronics and nanoelectronincs) and is given by
the Division of Quantum Optics and Telecommunication of “Scontel”.
The course “Superconducting Nanostructures Technology” is a variable part of the educational
program and the core curriculum is offered to students in the first and second modules of the second year
of study. Duration of the course is 216 hours (within 2 modules). Of these 60 hours are of classroom
training, including 23 hours of lectures and 37 hours of practical training. In addition, 156 hours course
are given to students for homework. The students’ progress is assessed by homework in the first module.
The exam is held at the end of the second module.
Prerequisites for the course are undergraduate courses of "Physics", "Mathematics", and "Quantum
Mechanics".
6. Syllabus
Module 1
Lectures – 16 hours. Practical classes – 16 hours. Homework – 80 hours.
Progress assessment – practical classes C1., homework D1.
No.
1
2
3
4
Topic
Introduction
London theory
Ginzburg-Landau theory
Type-2 superconductors
Total
Hours,
total
14
28
28
42
112
Lectures
2
4
4
6
16
Classwork
Practical classes
2
4
4
6
16
Homework
10
20
20
30
80
Module 2
Lectures – 14 hours. Practical classes – 14 hours. Homework – 76 hours.
Progress assessment – practical classes С1.
Final assessment – examination.
No.
1
2
3
Topic
BCS theory
Josephson effects
Non-equilibrium effects
Total
Hours,
total
28
28
48
104
Lectures
4
4
6
14
Classwork
Practical classes
4
4
6
14
Homework
20
20
36
76
7. Progress assessment
Module 1
The score of the module is a weighted sum of the score of the practical classes С1 and the score of the
homework D1:
H1 = 0.2×C1 + 0.7×D1 .
(1)
Module 2
The score of the module is equal to the score of the practical classes:
H2 = C2 .
(2)
In (1) and (2) Сn is the total score of practical classes (n is the module number) calculated as the mean
arithmetic (rounded to an integer) of the score of each practical class Ci in a given module :
Cn 
1
N
N
С
i 1
i
where N is the number of practical classes in a given module.
The assessment of students’ performance is based on the ten-point system.
Final assessment is by oral examination at the end of Module 2. The mark is based on the ten-point
system
8. Final score
The final score is weighted sum of the total score (H) and the examination score (Э):
P = 0.5×H + 0.5×Э,
where the total score (Н) is
Н= (Н1+H2 )/2 .
Both H and Э are based on the ten-point system.
9. Course Plan
◦
Overview of experiments: perfect conductivity, perfect diamagnetism, persistent currents, the
Josephson effects, the isotope effect, the discontinuity in the specific heat, the energy gap.
◦
The London theory of superconductivity: the London equations, simple theory of the Meissner
effect, Pippard and London superconductors, complex conductivity, the kinetic inductance.
◦
The Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory: second-order phase transitions, the order parameter, the
GL equations, the coherence length, the proximity effect, the critical magnetic field and the
critical current, Josephson effects, type-I and type-II superconductors, flux quantisation,
energy of a single vortex, interaction between the vortices, the resistive state.
◦
The Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory: electron-phonon interaction, effective electron
attraction, Cooper pairs, the energy gap, the Meissner effect from the microscopi point of
view, tunnel junctions, Josephson effect from the microscopic point of view, relation of the
BCS and GL theories.
◦
Applications: hot-electron effect in superconductors, superconducting bolometers, photon
counters, fabrication techniques.
10. Reading List
a. Required:
◦
V.V. Schmidt, The Physics of superconductors: introduction to fundamentals and
applications, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1997.
b. Optional:
◦
M. Tinkham, Introduction to superconductivity, 2nd edition, Mc-Graw Hill Inc.,
1996.
◦
D.R. Tilley, J, Tilley, Superconductivity and superfludity, 3rd edition, Institute of
Physics Publishing, 1990.
11. Methods of Instruction: lectures and problem-solution sessions
12. Special Equipment and Software Support (if required): not required
Author: Sergey Ryabchun