We investigate low-temperature transport properties of thin TiN superconducting films in the vicinity of the disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transition. In a zero magnetic field, we find an extremely sharp separation between superconducting and insulating phases, evidencing a direct superconductor-insulator transition without an intermediate metallic phase. At moderate temperatures, in the insulating films we reveal thermally activated conductivity with the magnetic field-dependent activation energy. At very low temperatures, we observe a zero-conductivity state, which is destroyed at some depinning threshold voltage $V_T$. These findings indicate the formation of a distinct collective state of the localized Cooper pairs in the critical region at both sides of the transition.

• Received 7 May 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.257003