Dynamics of quasiparticle trapping in Andreev levels

Abstract: We present a theory describing the trapping and untrapping of quasiparticles in the Andreev bound level of a single-channel weak link between two superconductors. We calculate the rates of the transitions between even and odd occupations of the Andreev level induced by absorption and emission of both photons and phonons. We apply the theory to a recent experiment [Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 257003 (2011)] in which the dynamics of the trapping of quasiparticles in the Andreev levels of superconducting atomic contacts coupled to a Josephson junction was measured. We show that the plasma energy $h\nu_p$ of the Josephson junction defines a rather abrupt transition between a fast relaxation regime dominated by coupling to photons and a slow relaxation regime dominated by coupling to phonons. With realistic parameters the theory provides a semi-quantitative description of the experimental results.