Electron localisation and superconductivity in thin Cu/Pb proximity layers

The authors have studied the temperature, magnetic and electric field dependence of the electrical resistance of thin Cu/Pb contacts. The results demonstrate the coexistence of superconducting fluctuations and weak localisation effects well above the critical temperature. The magnetoresistance data are explained on the basis of the theories of Hikami et al. (1980) and Larkin (1980) for two-dimensional disordered systems. Values of the inelastic scattering time tau _i, the spin-orbit scattering time tau _so and the scattering time from magnetic impurities tau _s were obtained for this proximity system.