A calculation of the quasiparticle recombination rate in superconducting aluminium

Abstract

A calculation of the quasiparticle recombination rate in superconducting aluminium is presented. Details of the Fermi surface are taken into account in determining the rate due to umklapp processes, which turns out to be approximately equal to the rate due to normal processes. At low temperatures in bulk aluminium (δ_o = 0·176 mev) the recombination rate is 9·45 × 10⁻¹² N(T) sec⁻¹, where N(T) is the quasiparticle density per cm³ at the temperature T.