A new basis set for the description of electrons in superconductors

J. E. Hirsch

doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2009.03.058

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arXiv · 1001.1343

A new basis set for the description of electrons in superconductors

J. E. Hirsch

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Abstract

In the usual description of electrons in metals and superconductors, the single electron states are assumed to satisfy Bloch's theorem. This is because the electron-ion interaction is privileged over the electron-electron interaction. However the theory of hole superconductivity proposes that in the transition to superconductivity carriers `undress' from the electron-ion interaction. I propose here a new basis set to describe electrons in the superconducting state that does not satisfy Bloch's theorem but instead is designed to optimize the electron-electron interaction. The new basis set favors a superconducting state where a spin current exists and where states near the bottom of the band become partially occupied, as predicted by the theory of hole superconductivity.

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J. E. Hirsch. 2010-01-08. A new basis set for the description of electrons in superconductors. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physleta.2009.03.058

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