Fluctuation-induced conductivity of a superconductor above the transition temperature

Paraconductivity studies have been made on Al films in regimes of temperature and magnetic field strength, which allow a straightforward comparison with the theoretical predictions of Aslamazov and Larkin, Maki and Thompson, and Patton. The results of previous experiments in a variety of pair-breaking regimes are reviewed briefly and in some cases reinterpreted in the context of recent developments in the theory. A comprehensive interpretation of most of the existing data is possible if one considers both Patton's recent calculation and the role of thermal phonons.