Thermal superconducting-normal transition of superconducting films, induced by the heating of nonsuperconducting defects in microwave fields

A study is made of the thermal superconducting-normal (S-N) transition induced in high-temperature superconducting films by the Joule heating of small nonsuperconducting defects in a microwave field. It is shown that the loss of superconductivity either leads to the formation of a finite region of normal phase localized near the defect or encompasses the entire film. Estimates of the threshold and S-N switching time show good agreement with the experimental data. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7842(98)02501-X].