Magnetic field -induced phase transition in a $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconductor at low temperatures

Abstract

We consider, within BCS weak coupling theory, the instability of a $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconductor to a state of mixed symmetry $d+iq$, $q=d_{xy},s$. In zero magnetic field we show that there is a large and physically reasonable range of interaction strengths for which a pure $d_{x^2-y^2}$ state is stable down to T=0. In this case a magnetic field, assumed to couple to quasiparticles via their Doppler shifts in the vortex superflow field, is shown to induce a phase transition at $T=T_c^*\sim \sqrt{H}$. Below $T_c^*$, the density of states remains gapless but its field dependence is substantially supressed. The theory explains many features of recent striking thermal conductivity measurements on BSCCO by Krishana et al.