Microwave-enhanced critical currents in superconducting microbridges explained by the electric-field induced quasiparticle-pair inequilibrium

A supercurrent through a superconducting microbridge gives rise to a minimum in the density of Cooper pairs in the middle of the bridge. Application of a microwave electric field creates a non-equilibrium situation and therefore smears the Cooper pair distribution. This allows for a higher critical current and explains the microwave-enhanced supercurrent observed in thin-film microbridges. (author)