On a quantum theory of superconducting glasses and other impure superconducting phases

We review and extend a previous electronic mean field theory of superconducting glass phases. These phases are defined by vanishing ensemble averaged BCS-order parameter and non-vanishing Edwards-Anderson type averages of the inhomogeneous superconducting order parameter. Solutions are worked out for the replica symmetric case, but the possibility of replica symmetry breaking and hence ergodicity breaking is also discussed in the field theory. The order parameter for Ising-like, anisotropic and isotropicXY-like superconducting glass phases are identified by their spontaneous symmetry breaking effect in the action of the discorder ensemble. The isotropicXY-like phase is found to allow superconductivity in arbitrary strong magnetic fields. Generally the results show that: the occurrence of superconducting glass phases is supported by strong local attractive electron-electron coupling together with a high probability of nonsuper-conducting areas, the vicinity of a metal-insulator transition or the presence of a magnetic field. We suggest that for strong coupling the theory is applicable to HighT _c superconductors like Ba–La–Cu–O.A first result beyond mean field approximation displays at one loop order quantum fluctuation contributions to the density of states in the superconducting glass phases. We suggest that these phases may show an infinite nonlinear dc conductivity in higher order response.Dedicated to Professor Harry Thomas on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Quantum phase diagram of granular superconducting quantum dots array

We study the quantum phase diagram of granular superconducting quantum dots (GSQD) array. We implement the physics of granularity by considering site dependent Josephson couplings, on-site charging energies and the intersite interactions. We predict dimer density wave and staggered phases at the insulating state for higher order commensurability. Several parts of the quantum phase diagram of GSQD are in contrast with the clean superconducting quantum dots array. We also obtain the superconducting phase of GSQD. We develop the theory for weak tunneling conductance and the Coulomb energy is smaller than the superconducting gap.     

Quasiparticles in the superconducting state of high-<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis><Subscript>c</Subscript> metals

We consider the behavior of quasiparticles in the superconducting state of high-T_c metals within the framework of the theory of the superconducting state based on the fermion condensation quantum phase transition. We show that the behavior coincides with the behavior of Bogoliubov quasiparticles, whereas the maximum value of the superconducting gap and other exotic properties are determined by the presence of the fermion condensate. If at low temperatures the normal state is recovered by the application of a magnetic field suppressing the superconductivity, the induced state can be viewed as a Landau-Fermi liquid. These observations are in good agreement with recent experimental facts.     

Theory of phase dynamics in intrinsic Josephson junctions with multigap superconducting layers

We construct a theory of dynamical behavior in intrinsic Josephson junction stacks with multigap superconducting layers. The theory predicts the existence of two kinds of phase modes, one of which is the Josephson-plasma mode and other of which is the Leggett’s mode. We discuss a cooperative phenomena induced by inter-band Josephson coupling in addition to capacitive and inductive couplings between the superconducting layers.     

Superimposed normal and superconducting films

Tunneling characteristicsdI/dV have been taken on both sides of “dirty”In - Bi/Zn superimposed films, the temperatureT being such thatIn - Bi was superconducting and Zn normal. Most of the attention has been devoted to the regionT～T _c where the experimental curves can be compared with a reasonably accurate microscopic theory. We find reasonable agreement for the voltage scale and, more important, for theamplitude of the effects in the superconducting phase.     

Superconductivity in a doped mott insulator

Starting from the d-wave resonating-valence-bond mean-field theory of Kotliar and Liu, we present a new, long-wavelength/low-energy exact, treatment of gauge fluctuations. The result is a theory of gapless fermion quasiparticles coupled to superconducting phase fluctuations. We will discuss the physical implications, and the similarity and differences to a theory of superconductors with phase fluctuations.     

Ab initio study of the (2 × 2) phase of barium on graphene

We present a first-principles density functional theory study on the structural, electronic and dynamical properties of a novel barium doped graphene phase. Low energy electron diffraction of barium doped graphene presents clear evidence of (2 × 2) spots induced by barium adatoms with BaC₈ stoichiometry. First principles calculations reveals that the phase is thermodynamically stable but unstable to segregation towards the competitive BaC₆ monolayer phase. The calculation of phonon spectrum confirms the dynamical stability of the BaC₈ phase indicating its metastability, probably stabilized by doping and strain conditions due to the substrate. Barium induces a relevant doping of the graphene π states and new barium-derived hole Fermi surface at the M-point of the (2 × 2) Brillouin zone. In view of possible superconducting phase induced by foreign dopants in graphene, we studied the electron–phonon coupling of this novel (2 × 2) obtaining λ = 0.26, which excludes the stabilization of a superconducting phase.     

Spezifische Wärme im Cr-Re-System Antiferromagnetismus und Supraleitung

The investigation of the specific heat at low temperatures, superconductivity and electrical resistivity in the Cr-Re system within the cubic phase shows a relatively sharp transition from an antiferromagnetic to a superconducting region. The results can fully be accounted for by theOverhauser spin-density wave (SDW) theory. On the other hand, the superconducting transition temperature varies in the manner predicted by the theory ofBardeen, Cooper andSchrieffer (BCS). Both phenomena show an evident d-character. A detailed analysis gives strong indication that, although possible, a coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in Cr-Re is rather improbable.     

Quantum decay of supercurrent in thin superconducting wires

Quantum fluctuations cause a decay of the supercurrent in thin superconducting wires making them resistive even at very low temperatures. We derive a microscopic effective action formalism that goes beyond the usual TDGL approach and study quantum fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter at all temperatures belowT _C . We calculate the quantum phase slip rate in thin superconducting wires, demonstrate the importance of dissipation in a quantum phase slip process, and evaluate the resistanceR(T) of the wire. In very thin wires the effect is well observable, even at zero temperature.     

原位法MgB_2-B_4C复相超导体合成及相含量调控研究

以B4C和Mg为原料合成的MgB2-B4C复相超导体具有高的临界电流密度(Jc)和高的超导转变温度(Tc),是一种有潜力的实用MgB2超导材料,其成相机理对复相MgB2超导体的相含量调控和磁通钉扎研究具有重要意义。结合经典烧结理论,研究了B4C-Mg真空固相烧结制备MgB2-B4C复相超导体的超导相形成和晶粒生长过程,给出了B4C-Mg的金斯特林格扩散模型和MgB2晶粒生长过程。通过选择B4C原料粒径,MgB2-B4C复相超导体超导相体积相含量在18%-88%范围可控。相含量88%的MgB2-B4C复相超导体临界转变温度达33.5K,转变宽度1.5K。10 K环境6T外场下电流密度可以达到1×104A/cm2,表明MgB2-B4C复相超导体具有良好的磁通钉扎行为。     

Universal conductance of nanowires near the superconductor-metal quantum transition

We consider wires near a zero temperature transition between superconducting and metallic states. The critical theory obeys hyperscaling, which leads to a universal frequency, temperature, and length dependence of the conductance; quantum and thermal phase slips are contained within this critical theory. Normal, superconducting, and mixed (SN) leads on the wire determine distinct universality classes. For the SN case, wires near the critical point have a universal dc conductance which is independent of the length of the wire at low temperatures.     

Superconductivity in the pseudogap state in the hot spot model: The influence of impurities and the phase diagram

We analyze the peculiarities of the superconducting state (s- and d-wave paring) in the model of the pseudogap state induced by Heisenberg antiferromagnetic short-range order spin fluctuations. The model is based on the pattern of strong scattering near hot spots at the Fermi surface. The analysis is based on the microscopic derivation of the Ginzburg-Landau expansion with the inclusion of all Feynman diagrams of perturbation theory for the interaction of an electron with short-range order fluctuations and in the ladder approximation for the scattering by normal (nonmagnetic) impurities. We determine the dependence of the critical superconducting transition temperature and other superconductor characteristics on the pseudogap parameters and the degree of impurity scattering. We show that the characteristic shape of the phase diagram for high-temperature superconductors can be explained in terms of the model under consideration.     

Subharmonic gap structure in superconducting scanning tunneling microscope junctions

We observe a subharmonic gap structure (SGS) and the Josephson effect in superconducting scanning tunneling microscope junctions with resistances below 100 kΩ. The magnitude of the n=2 SGS is shown to scale with the square of the junction normal state conductance, in agreement with theory. We show by analyzing the Josephson effect in these junctions that the superconducting phase dynamics are strongly affected by thermal fluctuations. We estimate the linewidth of the Josephson oscillations due to phase fluctuations, a quantity that may be important in modern theories of the subgap structure. While phase fluctuations may smear the SGS current onsets, we conclude that the sharpness of these onsets in our data is not limited by fluctuations.     

Fluctuation dominated Josephson tunneling with a scanning tunneling microscope

We demonstrate Josephson tunneling in vacuum tunnel junctions formed between a superconducting scanning tunneling microscope tip and a Pb film, for junction resistances in the range 50-300 k Omega. We show that the superconducting phase dynamics is dominated by thermal fluctuations, and that the Josephson current appears as a peak centered at small finite voltage. In the presence of microwave fields ( f = 15.0 GHz) the peak decreases in magnitude and shifts to higher voltages with increasing rf power, in agreement with theory.     

Why an ac magnetic field shifts the irreversibility line in type-II superconductors

We show that for a thin superconducting strip placed in a transverse dc magnetic field--the typical geometry of experiments with high-T(c) superconductors--the application of a weak ac magnetic field perpendicular to the dc field generates a dc voltage in the strip. This voltage leads to the decay of the critical currents circulating in the strip, and eventually the equilibrium state of the superconductor is established. This relaxation is not due to thermally activated flux creep but to the "walking" motion of vortices in the two-dimensional critical state of the strip with in-plane ac field. Our theory explains the shaking effect that was used for detecting phase transitions of the vortex lattice in superconductors.     

Fluctuation-driven first-order transition in Pauli-limited d-wave superconductors

We study the phase transition between the normal and nonuniform (Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov) superconducting state in quasi-two-dimensional d-wave superconductors at finite temperature. We obtain an appropriate Ginzburg-Landau theory for this transition, in which the fluctuation spectrum of the order parameter has a set of minima at nonzero momenta. The momentum shell renormalization group procedure combined with epsilon expansion is then applied to analyze the phase structure of the theory. We find that all fixed points have more than one relevant direction, indicating the transition is of the fluctuation-driven first-order type for this universality class.     

Gauge field fluctuations and first-order phase transition in color superconductivity

We study the gauge field fluctuations in dense quark matter and determine the temperature of the induced first-order phase transition to the color-superconducting phase in weak coupling. We find that the local approximation of the coupling between the gauge potential and the order parameter, employed in the Ginzburg-Landau theory, has to be modified by restoring the full momentum dependence of the polarization function of gluons in the superconducting phase.