Energy gap substructures in conductance measurements of MgB₂-based Josephson junctions: beyond the two-gap model

Abstract

Several theoretical analyses of the two superconducting energy gaps of magnesium diboride, ∆π and ∆σ, predict substructures within each energy gap, rather than two pure numbers. Recent experiments have revealed similar structures. We report tunneling conductance data providing additional experimental evidence for these features. The absence of these features in c-axis tunneling, and a sharp peak in the subgap (associated with the counterelectrode material), support the conclusion that these features are intrinsic to MgB2. By demonstrating the inadequacy of a simple two-gap model in fitting the data, we illustrate that some distinctions between theoretical models of energy gap substructures are experimentally accessible.