Insights into phase-slip events via dynamics of current-induced transitions from a superconductive to a resistive state

Phase-slip fluctuations play a central role in a variety of systems and are responsible for dissipation via a loss of coherence. By virtue of these fluctuations, quasi-one-dimensional superconductors acquire a non-zero resistance unlike the bulk superconductors in which the resistance drops to zero upon entering the superconducting phase. The present generation of experiments on superconducting nanowires are capable of characterizing non only the thermally activated phase slips in detail, but also the quantum phase slip processes as well as the crossover from thermal to quantal. The proceeding will report on the recent progress made towards achieving this goal by studying the dynamics of current-induced transitions from superconductive to resistive state and analyzing the switching statistics.