Influence of $s_{\pm}$ symmetry on unconventional superconductivity in pnictides above the Pauli limit -- two-band model study

Abstract

The theoretical analysis of the Cooper pair susceptibility shows the two-band Fe-based superconductors (FeSC) to support the existence of the phase with nonzero Cooper pair momentum (called the Fulde--Ferrel--Larkin--Ovchinnikov phase or shortly FFLO), regardless of the order parameter symmetry. Moreover this phase for the FeSC model with $s_{\pm}$ symmetry is the ground state of the system near the Pauli limit. This article discusses the phase diagram $h-T$ for FeSC in the two-band model and its physical consequences. We compare the results for the superconducting order parameter with s-wave and $s_{\pm}$-wave symmetry -- in first case the FFLO phase can occur in both bands, while in second case only in one band. We analyze the resulting order parameter in real space -- showing that the FeSC with $s_{\pm}$-wave symmetry in the Pauli limit have typical properties of one-band systems, such as oscillations of the order parameter in real space with constant amplitude, whereas with s-wave symmetry the oscillations have an amplitude modulation. Discussing the free energy in the superconducting state we show that in absence of orbital effects, the phase transition from the BCS to the FFLO state is always first order, whereas from the FFLO phase to normal state is second order.