De Haas-van Alphen effect in unconventional superconductors

A theory of the de Haas-van Alphen effect in type-II p-wave and D-wave superconductors (the latter corresponds to the B _1g one-dimensional representation of group D _4h ) has been developed. Solutions for the order parameter and density of quasiparticle states near the upper critical field have been calculated. If the curve enclosing the extremal cross section of the Fermi surface in the plane perpendicular to the external magnetic field coincides with the line of nodes of the superconducting order parameter, the effect of the transition to the superconducting state on the amplitude of magnetization oscillations is negligible. If the line of nodes is oriented differently with respect to the applied magnetic field, the de Haas-van Alphen oscillations are suppressed in a manner qualitatively similar to the case of conventional superconductors. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 2174–2192 (June 1998)     

Interplay of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in SmRh4B4

A microscopic theory of interplay of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in rare earth ternary systems is developed from first principles for less than half filledf atomic shells. Self consistent equations for the superconducting order parameter Δ and magnetic order parameter Γ, are derived using a Green’s function technique and equation of motion method. The theory is applied to explain the experimental results in the antiferromagnetic superconductor SmRh₄B₄. The present model explains true coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism and the suppression of superconductivity by antiferromagnetism. The behaviour of superconducting order parameter (Δ), magnetic order parameter (Γ), the specific heat, the density of states, free energy and critical field (H _c) is also studied for the system SmRh₄B₄.     

Composite spin-triplet superconductivity in an symmetric lattice model

The two-channel Anderson lattice model which has SU (2) ⊗ SU (2) symmetry is of relevance to understanding of the magnetic, quadrupolar and superconducting phases in U_1-xTh_xBe₁₃ or Pr based skutterudite compounds such as PrFe₄P₁₂ or PrOs₄Sb₁₂. Possible unconventional superconducting phases of the model are explored. They are characterized by a composite order parameter comprising of a local magnetic or quadrupolar moment and a triplet conduction electron Cooper-pair. This binding of local degrees of freedom removes the entropy of the non Fermi-liquid normal state. We find superconducting transitions in the intermediate valence regime which are suppressed in the stable moment regime. The gap function is non analytic and odd in frequency: a pseudo-gap develops in the conduction electron density of states which vanishes as |ω| close to ω = 0. In the strong intermediate valent regime, the gap function acquires an additional -dependence. Received 28 February 2002 / Received in final form 18 April 2002 Published online 9 July 2002     

Tail states in clean superconductors with magnetic impurities

We analyze the behavior of the density of states in a singlet s-wave superconductor with weak magnetic impurities in the clean limit. By using the method of optimal fluctuation and treating the order parameter self-consistently we show that the density of states is finite everywhere in the superconducting gap, and that it varies as ln(N(E) proportional to -/E-Delta(0)/((7-d)/4) near the mean field gap edge Delta(0) in a d-dimensional superconductor. In contrast to most studied cases the optimal fluctuation is strongly anisotropic.     

Electronic structure and superconductivity of κ-(BEDT-TTF)2X salts

We have analyzed the electronic structure and superconducting properties of layered crystals based on BEDT-TTF salts (hereafter denoted as ET), in which intramolecular interaction among electrons is important. For the case of realistic κ-packing of ET-molecules in a plane of ET₂ dimers we have calculated the electron density of states. Using the calculated electronic structure, we have analyzed the symmetry of the anisotropic superconducting pairing. The critical value of the effective attraction between electrons for formation of a bound pair in an empty lattice has been estimated. The relation between the nodes of the d-type order parameter on the anisotropic Fermi surface and superconducting properties of the condensate is discussed in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) model. The results are in agreement with the known band parameters of the normal phase and measurements of the magnetic field penetration depth, heat capacity as a function of temperature in the low-temperature range, and NMR in κ-ET₂X superconducting salts. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 715–733 (February 1998)     

Transient photoimpedance response of YBa2Cu3O7−0δ epitaxial films in the mixed state

This paper reports on an investigation of transient photoimpedance response to radiation, in other words, real-time variations of the impedance induced by femtosecond optical pulses in superconducting films transferred to the mixed state by an external magnetic field applied parallel to the c-axis. When the films were in a state characterized by the absence of dc resistivity, the response amplitude increased with the magnetic field faster than expected owing to the contribution of magnetic vortices to the impedance of a superconductor with s-wave pairing of electrons. It turned out that the effect is due to a growth in the effective density of quasiparticle states in the mixed state of a d-wave superconductor. In the absence of magnetic field, however, the response amplitude was higher at lower temperatures, which contradicts the predictions of both models. Possible reasons for this feature in the response as a function of temperature are discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 116, 1035–1047 (September 1999)     

Superconductivity in impurity bands

We present a theory of superconductivity in doped insulators. In the magnetic metal state of the compound we obtain the self-consistency equations for the superconducting state in the spin-dependent impurity bands of both extended and localized states in the initial insulator gap. A BCS-type triplet pairing field is considered. We show that the superconducting gap in which single-electron extended states do not exist is overlapped by the distribution of the localized states. The formation of a latent superconducting gap is discussed in connection with the unusual properties of high-T _c compounds. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 5, 419–424 (10 March 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Combined effect of nonmagnetic and magnetic scatterers on the critical temperatures of superconductors with different anisotropies of the gap

The combined effect of nonmagnetic and magnetic defects and impurities on the critical temperatures of superconductors with different anisotropies of the gap is studied theoretically within the weak coupling limit of the BCS model. An expression is derived which relates the critical temperature to the relaxation rates of charge carriers on non-magnetic and magnetic scatterers and to the coefficient of anisotropy of the superconducting order parameter on the Fermi surface. The particular cases of d-wave, (s+d)-wave, and anisotropic s-wave superconductors are briefly discussed. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 10, 627–632 (25 November 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Low-temperature heat capacity of the mixed state of superconductors with anisotropic pairing

It is shown that in superconductors with anisotropic pairing the exponent of the power-law magnetic-field dependence of the low-temperature heat capacity of the mixed state depends strongly on the multiplicities of the zeros of the superconducting order parameter. As a result, an experimental determination of the corresponding power-law exponent makes it possible to judge not only the presence of zeros in the order parameter but also the multiplicities of these zeros. An expression is obtained for the spatially nonuniform quasiparticle density of states at low energies. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 5, 353–357 (10 March 1996)     

Role of anisotropy of the coupling constant in a superconductor model with singularities near the Fermi surface

The role of anisotropy of the coupling constant in the influence of nonmagnetic impurities on the behavior of the superconducting transition temperature T _c is investigated in the high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) model, where high values of T _c result from an increase in the density of states near the Fermi surface. It is shown that this model is more sensitive to impurities than the BCS model; Anderson compensation does not occur in the HTSC model, even for identical distributions of the densities of states in the superconducting and impurity channels, and the impurity contributions are no longer linear with respect to the impurity concentration in the vicinity of T _c. Anisotropy of the superconducting gap Δ and the possibility of its disappearance at certain points on the Fermi surface due to various types of pairing are manifested in the stability of the superconducting phase against the influence of impurities. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1940–1942 (November 1997)     

Effect of impurities on the low-temperature behavior of the specific heat of anisotropic superconductors in a mixed state

In the presence of zeros of the order parameter in an anisotropic superconductor, the combined effect of a magnetic field and impurities leads to two different limiting magnetic-field dependences of the specific heat. These dependences are studied both for Born scatterers and in the unitary limit for several specific examples of anisotropic pairing. A estimate is given for the crossover field. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 8, 606–611 (25 April 1997)     

Proximity effect in multiterminal hybrid structures

We consider the proximity effect in multiterminal ferromagnet/superconductor (FSF) hybrid structures in which two or three electrodes are connected to a superconductor. We show that two competing effects take place in these systems: (i) pair breaking effects due to the response to the exchange field induced in the superconductor; (ii) a reduction of the superconducting order parameter at the interface that takes place already in NS junctions. We focus on this second effect that dominates if the thickness of the S layer is small enough. We consider several single-channel electrodes connected to the same site. We calculate the superconducting order parameter and the local density of state (LDOS). With two ferromagnetic electrodes connected to a superconductor we find that the superconducting order parameter in the ferromagnetic alignment is larger than the superconducting order parameter in the antiferromagnetic alignment ( > ), in agreement with [Eur. Phys. J. B 25, 373 (2002)]. If a third spin polarized electrode is connected to a superconductor we find that - can change sign as the transparency of the third electrode increases. This can be understood from the fact that the superconducting order parameter is reduced if pair correlations among the ferromagnetic electrodes increase. If the two ferromagnetic electrodes are within a finite distance we find Friedel oscillations in the Gorkov function but we still obtain > .     

Enhanced superconductivity by correlations between two Kondo impurities

We study the interplay between magnetic correlations of two Kondo impurities and superconducting singlet pairing. Performing a Schrieffer-Wolff transformation in the zero-bandwidth limit of the two-impurity Anderson model we obtain the Hamiltonian of two magnetic impurities and we add a superconducting term to the conduction electrons. The model allows us to study the effect of the magnetic correlation between the impurities on the superconducting ground state. At zero temperature, different superconducting ground states can be obtained depending on the magnitude of magnetic coupling between S₁ and S₂. For increasing coupling, the superconducting region is enlarged showing an interesting result: in the strong coupling limit, where the impurities are in a very strong ferromagnetic correlation state, half of the conduction electrons are decoupled from the local moments of the impurities and take advantage of the superconducting pairing lowering the ground state energy. On the contrary, when the coupling between S₁and S₂ decreases, the scenario of the two independent Kondo impurities in presence of superconductivity emerges and all the conduction electrons are involved in the pair breaking physics. At finite temperature, we obtain the phase diagram and we observe a region of parameters where the re-entrance phenomenon occurs.     

Dual model for magnetic excitations and superconductivity in UPd 2 Al 3

The Heavy Fermion state in UPd₂Al₃ may be approximately described by a dual model where two of the three U-5 f electrons are in a localized state split by the crystalline electric field into two low lying singlets with a splitting energy Δ≃ 6 meV. The third 5 f electron has itinerant character and forms the Heavy Electron bands. Inelastic neutron scattering and tunneling experiments suggest that magnetic excitons, the collective propagating crystal field excitations of the localized 5 f electrons, mediate superconducting (sc) pairing in UPd₂Al₃. A theory for this novel mechanism is developed within a nonretarded approach. A model for the magnetic exciton bands is analyzed and compared with experiment. The sc pair potential which they mediate is derived and the gap equations are solved. It is shown that this mechanism favors an odd parity state which is nondegenerate due to the combined symmetry breaking by the crystalline electric field and the AF order parameter. A hybrid model including the spin fluctuation contribution to the pairing is also discussed. Received 22 October 2001 and Received in final form 28 February 2002     

Influence of an isolated magnetic impurity on an unconventional superconducting state

The effect of the moment of a magnetic impurity on the order parameter of an unconventional superconductor is examined. The coupling of the magnetic moment to the order parameter induces a locally time-reversal symmetry-breaking state which generates a magnetic field distribution in the vicinity of the impurity. The magnetic field can cause precession of the magnetic moment. The case of a spin polarized muon injected into the superconductor is discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 304–312 (July 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in layered superconductors

The phase diagram of a layered superconductor in a large parallel magnetic field is calculated. This includes a calculation of the lower critical field beyond which the superconductor is in the FFLO-state and possesses a spatially modulated order parameter and spin polarization. The order parameter, spin polarization, free-energy density, and phase boundaries of this unconventional superconducting phase are evaluated numerically in the complete B–T plane. The analysis suggests that the transition at the lower critical field is of second order, and not of first order, as previously assumed. The order parameter of the FFLO-state merges continuously into the uniform superconducting state.     

Spin injection and relaxation in a mesoscopic superconductor

We study spin transport in a superconducting nanowire using a set of closely spaced magnetic tunnel contacts. We observe a giant enhancement of the spin accumulation of up to 5 orders of magnitude on transition into the superconducting state, consistent with the expected changes in the density of states. The spin relaxation length decreases by an order of magnitude from its value in the normal state. These measurements, combined with our theoretical model, allow us to distinguish the individual spin-flip mechanisms present in the transport channel. Our conclusion is that magnetic impurities rather than spin-orbit coupling dominate spin-flip scattering in the superconducting state.     

Spectral density and density of states in a superconductor in an exactly solvable model of a pseudogap state

A simple, exactly solvable model of a pseudogap state induced by fluctuations of dielectric short-range order is used to study the peculiarities of the electronic spectral density and density of states of a superconductor in the model of the Fermi surface with hot patches. The problem is considered for arbitrary values of the short-range order correlation length ξ_corr. It is shown that the absence of self-averaging of the superconducting order parameter over the random field of dielectric fluctuations causes the spectral density and density of states to change significantly. The superconducting character of these quantities persists in a wide temperature range above the temperature T _c of the superconducting transition, which is uniform over the whole sample.     

非磁杂质对高Tc超导电性的影响

本文证明了在氧化物高T_c超导体的Anderson晶格模型中,由于序参量是能量的函数,非磁掺杂也具有拆对效应,在稀掺杂情况下,求出了T_c随杂质浓度增加而线性下降的规律,与实验结果相符,文中还计算了掺杂对超导态密度中能隙的影响,结果表明,当非磁掺杂浓度增加时,零温能隙的减小比T_c的下降慢得多,从而在转变为正常态之前可能不出现类似通常BCS超导体磁性掺杂的无能隙区。 关键词：