Influence of electron-phonon coupling on superconducting contacts and the properties of superconductor-semimetal (or semiconductor) systems

Consideration of the proximity effect, electron-phonon coupling, and size-quantization results in peculiar behavior of the critical temperature T/sub c/ of a contact containing superconducting and semimetal (or semiconductor) thin films. The method of thermodynamic Green's functions is applied. The dependence of T/sub c/ on the thickness of the barrier is discussed. Size quantization leads to additional oscillations of T/sub c/ and to the possibility of observing peculiar charge-density waves. The experimental data are discussed