arXiv subjects

A. A. Varlamov

Publications and source records attributed to A. A. Varlamov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Kapitza Pendulum Route to Supercurrent Tunnel Diodes

Superconducting diodes that support nonreciprocal supercurrent flow in principle constitute attractive, non-dissipative, circuit elements for superconducting electronics. But their realization faces fundamental challenges, as conventional Josephson tunnel junctions are inherently reciprocal. Existing approaches to break reciprocity typically involve magnetism or spin-orbit coupling, which often increase device complexity and limit reproducibility. Here, we demonstrate an alternative dynamical route to supercurrent nonreciprocity based on parametric driving. By applying a frequency-modulated supercurrent amplitude we show that effective higher-order, nonharmonic terms are generated in the current-phase relation. Leveraging mathematical equivalences with the Kapitza pendulum, we show that these terms dynamically break reciprocity. This establishes the concept of a Kapitza supercurrent diode and demonstrates that nonreciprocal superconducting transport can be engineered by nonequilibrium driving conventional Josephson tunnel junctions. We propose two implementations of the Kapitza supercurrent diode - via gate-controlled superconducting interferometers or flux-driven double-loop SQUIDs - to achieve nonreciprocal supercurrent transport within experimentally accessible frequencies $ω/2π\sim 1$-$10\,\mathrm{GHz}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

The Physics of Olive Oil

Olive oil is an integral part of Mediterranean culture, shaped by more than three thousand years of history, rich traditions, evolving technologies, and fundamental physical principles. This article explores the role of physics in the production of olive oil, highlighting how physical laws govern each stage of the process.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Microwave Signature of the Emerging Abrikosov Lattice Above $H_{c2}$

The emergence of the Abrikosov lattice in the normal phase of type-II superconducting films when the magnetic field approaches the critical field $H_{c2}$ from above was predicted in Ref.~\cite{GVV2011}. In the quantum fluctuation regime \cite{GL2001} it is characterized by the formation of relatively large (with sizes of order $ξ_{\mathrm{QF}} \sim ξ_{\mathrm{BCS}}\sqrt{H_{c2}/(H-H_{c2})}$) ``long lived'' (lifetime of order $τ_{\mathrm{QF}} \sim \hbar Δ^{-1} H_{c2}/(H-H_{c2})$) clusters of rotating fluctuation Cooper pairs - signatures of developing Abrikosov vortices. We demonstrate that these fluctuation-induced vortex clusters, previously considered unobservable due to their ultrafast dynamics and weak (only logarithmically singular) contribution to the dc-conductivity, can in fact be detected through their distinct electromagnetic signature. By analyzing the high-frequency electromagnetic response of these rotating fluctuation Cooper pairs above the second critical field in superconducting film, we predict a pronounced and measurable enhancement in the imaginary part of the ac-conductivity arising directly from quantum fluctuations. This enhancement is expected to occur at characteristic frequencies $ω_{QF} \sim \hbar^{-1}Δ(H-H_{c2})/H_{c2}$, which are well below the superconducting threshold at $2\hbar^{-1}Δ$, where a similar increase in imaginary conductivity occurs in the superconducting phase. For niobium, a prototypical type II superconductor, $ω_{QF}$ lies in the experimentally accessible microwave range, making the effect directly testable with modern microwave spectroscopy.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Supercurrent Diode Effect in Josephson Interferometers with Multiband Superconductors

We investigate nonreciprocal supercurrent phenomena in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) that integrate Josephson junctions with single and multiband order parameters, which may exhibit time-reversal symmetry breaking. Our results show that the magnetic field can independently control both the amplitude and direction of supercurrent rectification, depending on the multiband characteristics of the superconductors involved. We analyze the effects of zero and antiphase (π) pairing among different bands on the development of nonreciprocal effects and find that the rectification is not influenced by π-pairing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that incorporating multiband superconductors that break time-reversal symmetry produces significant signatures in rectification. The rectification exhibits an even parity dependence on the magnetic field and the average rectification amplitude across quantum flux multiples does not equal zero. These findings indicate that magnetic flux pumping can be accomplished with time-reversal symmetry broken multiband superconductors by adjusting the magnetic field. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights for identifying and utilizing phases with broken time-reversal symmetry in multiband superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Failure of the Mott's formula for the Thermopower in Carbon Nanotubes

Well-known Mott's formula links the thermoelectric power characterised by Seebeck coefficient to conductivity. We calculate analytically the thermoelectric current and Seebeck coefficient in one-dimensional systems and show that, while the prediction of Mott's formula is valid for Dirac fermions, it is misleading for the carriers having a parabolic dispersion. We apply the developed formalism to metallic single wall carbon nanotubes and obtain a non-trivial non-monotonic dependence of the Seebeck coefficient on the chemical potential. We emphasize that, in contrast to Mott's formula, the classical Kelvin's formula that links thermoelectric power to the temperature derivative of the chemical potential is perfectly valid in carbon nanotubes in the ballistic regime. Interestingly, however, the Kelvin's formula fails in two- and three-dimensional systems in the ballistic regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Anomalous Seebeck effect and counter-propagating ballistic currents in graphene

The Seebeck effect consists in the induction of a voltage drop due to the temperature difference in a conductor. In the middle of XIXth century, Lord Kelvin has proposed a relation between the Seebeck coefficient and the derivative of the chemical potential over temperature in the broken circuit regime. This relation appears to be nearly universal as it equally well applies to metals, semimetals and semiconductors. We show that it may fail, however, in graphene, due to the non-locality effects in the ballistic electronic transport regime. The correction to the Kelvin's formula emerges due to the coexistence of counter-propagating non-dissipative currents of cold and hot electrons. The external magnetic field normal to the graphene sample allows separating hot and cold currents in real space. The developed formalism may help interpreting the recent experimental data on ballistic edge currents in graphene bi-layers in the quantum Hall regime [1].

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Supercurrent rectification with time-reversal symmetry broken multiband superconductors

We consider nonreciprocal supercurrent effects in Josephson junctions based on multiband superconductors with a pairing structure that can break time-reversal symmetry. We demonstrate that a nonreciprocal supercurrent can be generally achieved by the cooperation of interband superconducting phase mismatch and interband scattering as well as by multiband phase frustration. The effect of interband impurity scattering indicates that the amplitude and sign of the nonreciprocal supercurrent are sensitive to the interband phase relation. For the case of a three-band superconductor, due to phase frustration, we show that the profile of the supercurrent rectification is marked by a hexagonal pattern of nodal lines with vanishing amplitude. Remarkably, around the nodal lines, the supercurrent rectification amplitude exhibits three-fold structures with an alternating sign. We show that the hexagonal pattern and the three-fold structure in the interband phase space turn out to be dependent on the tunneling amplitude of each band. These findings provide hallmarks of the supercurrent rectification which can be potentially employed to unveil the occurrence of spin-singlet multiband superconductivity with time-reversal symmetry breaking.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Dielectric properties and plasmon modes of gapped momentum systems of different dimensionality

The concept of the energy gap is a fundamental characteristic of the band structure of a material and it determines its physical properties. Formally the energy gap appears in the dispersion relation $E_k$, where the vector $k$ is determined on the whole momentum space. However, today the {\it gapped momentum materials} are in the focus of research in which the so-called {\it momentum or $k$-gap} can emerge, i.e. some lacunae of momentum space are excluded from the domain of the function $E_k$. One of such examples present the non-Hermitian systems. Within the random phase approximation we study the dielectric properties of the momentum gapped materials in one, two and three dimensions for both cases of zero and finite temperatures. We find the corresponding plasmon modes and determine the unusual behavior of the appropriate dispersion relations for each dimensionality. Based on these findings we evaluate the absorption coefficient of gapped momentum media and provide some numerical estimations of its value for the practical applications.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

The egg steamer paradox

Why do we need to pour less water in an egg steamer to prepare more eggs to the same degree of doneness? We discuss the physical processes at work in the electric egg steamer and resolve this seeming paradox. We demonstrate that the main heat transfer mechanism from steam to egg is due to latent heat through condensation. This not only explains the paradox, but also allows us to estimate the amount of water reduction. Comparing the preparation time to the one for traditional boiling, we estimate the eggshell temperature during steaming. We also describe the device design and provide further theoretical estimates and experimental kitchen measurement data for this appealing kitchen experiment that can be easily accomplished at home.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2022

Topological nature of the transition between the gap and the gapless superconducting states

Recently it was demonstrated that the long-known transition between the gap and gapless superconducting states in the Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory of superconducting alloy with paramagnetic impurities is of the Lifshitz's type, i.e. at zero temperature this is the $2\frac12$ order phase transition. Since transitions of this kind in a normal metal are always associated to certain topological changes, then below we clarify the topological nature of the transition under consideration. Namely, we demonstrate that the topological invariant which in process of the transition undergoes the change is nothing but the Euler characteristic. Alternatively, in terms of the theory of catastrophes one can relate this transition to appearance of the cuspidal edge at the corresponding surface of the density of states as the function of energy and superconducting order parameter. The concept of experiments for the confirmation of $2\frac12$ order topological phase transition is proposed. Obtained theoretical results can be applied for the explanation of recent experiments with lightwave-induced gapless superconductivity, for the interpretation of the disorder induced transition $s_{\pm}$-$s_{++}$ states via gapless phase in two-band superconductors, and the emergence of gapless color superconductivity in quantum chromodynamics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

The Lifshitz nature of the transition between the gap and gapless states of a superconductor

It is demonstrated that the known for a long time transition between the gap and the gapless states in the Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory of a superconductor with paramagnetic impurities is of the Lifshitz type, i.e. of the $2\frac12$ order phase transition. We reveal the emergence of a cuspidal edge at the density of states surface $N(ω,Δ_0)$ ($Δ_0$ is the value of the superconducting order parameter in the absence of magnetic impurities) and the occurrence of the catastrophe phenomenon at the transition point. We study the stability of such a transition with respect to the spatial fluctuations of the magnetic impurities critical concentration $n_s$ and show that the requirement for validity of its mean field description is unobtrusive: $\nabla \left( {\ln {n_s}} \right) \ll ξ^{-1} $ (here $ξ$ is the superconducting coherence length). Finally, we show that, similarly to the Lifshitz point, the $2\frac12$ order phase transition should be accompanied by the corresponding singularities. For instance, the superconducting thermoelectric effect has a giant peak exceeding the normal value of the Seebeck coefficient by the ratio of the Fermi energy and the superconducting gap. The concept of the experiment for the confirmation of $2\frac12$ order transition nature is proposed. The obtained theoretical results can be applied for the explanation of recent experiments with lightwave-driven gapless superconductivity, for the new interpretation of the disorder induced transition $s_{\pm}$-$s_{++}$ states via gapless state in multi-band superconductors, for better understanding of the gapless color superconductivity in quantum chromodynamics, the string theory.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Genesis and fading away of persistent currents in a Corbino disk geometry

The detailed analytical and numerical analysis of the electron spectrum, persistent currents, and their densities for an annulus placed in a constant magnetic field (Corbino disk geometry) is presented. We calculate the current density profiles and study their dependence on the inner and outer radii of the annular. We study evolution of the persistent currents and track their emergence and decay for different limiting cases of such a geometry, starting from a nanodot and ending by a macroscopic circle. Our analytical results for the currents are confirmed by the agreement between the integration of the corresponding current densities and the application of the Byers-Yang formula, when it is applicable. Among other results we find the general expression for the persistent current in a narrow annulus, which in the one channel approximation reproduces the well-known result for quasi-one dimensional mesoscopic metallic ring. Moreover it allows to analyze the multi-channel case of a relatively wide annulus. Our study can be used for more accurate treatment and interpretation of the experimental data with measurements of the persistent currents in different doubly-connected systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Concise guide for electronic topological transitions

In this short review we pass through the milestones in the studies of the electronic topological transitions (ETT) and focus on some recent applications of the ideas worked out in their classical theory. These are: two-dimensional electron systems, de Haas-van Alphen effect, classification of ETT in multidimensional systems, superconductivity in systems close to ETT, thermoelectricity in heavy-fermion systems, where the cascades of topological changes of Fermi surface (FS) are generated by magnetic field. The history of studies of ETT is inextricably linked with Kharkov school of condensed matter physics, with such names as I.M. Lifshitz, V.G.Bar'yakhtar and many other. Among them is Moisey Isaakovich Kaganov, who contributed much in studies of the role of geometry and topology of FS in physical properties of the metals. Two of the authors (A.V. and Y.G.) had a honor and pleasure to work with "Musik", as all friends called Kaganov; all of us have been learning the niceties of science from his books. "The Fermi surface is the stage on which the drama of the life of the electron is played out" wrote Kaganov and Lifshitz. We devote this work to their memory.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Nernst and Ettingshausen effects in the Laughlin geometry

The ideal reversible thermodynamic cycle visualization of the Nernst effect in Laughlin geometry, excluding the kinetic contribution is proposed. The Ettingshausen effect is also treated in the fashion using the reverse cycle. The corresponding values of the off-diagonal thermoelectric coefficients are expressed through the ratio of the entropy budget per magnetic flux. Our approach enlightens the profound thermodynamic origin of the relation between the Nernst effect and magnetization currents.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Proposed Model of the Giant Thermal Hall Effect in Two-Dimensional Superconductors: An Extension to the Superconducting Fluctuations Regime

We extend the thermodynamic approach for the description of the thermal Hall effect in the vicinity of a superconducting phase transition, in the fluctuation dominated regime. We show that the Hall heat conductivity is proportional to the product of temperature derivatives of the chemical potential and of the magnetization of the system. We argue that the latter derivative shows the strong singularity in the vicinity of the phase transition, while the former does not contain the characteristic for fermionic systems smallness (T /EF ), what additionally increases the effect. We derive the analytical formula predicting the temperature dependence of the thermal Hall conductivity in the vicinity of the critical temperature for different magnetic fields. Moreover, we study the phenomenon in the regime of quantum fluctuations, in the vicinity of the second critical field and at very low temperatures. We demonstrate how it fades away in a full agreement with the third law of thermodynamics. The developed approach qualitatively explains the recently observed giant thermal Hall effect in cuprates [1].

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Analysis of the Ghost and Mirror Fields in the Nernst Signal Induced by Superconducting Fluctuations

We present a complete analysis of the Nernst signal due to superconducting fluctuations in a large variety of superconductors from conventional to unconventional ones. A closed analytical expression of the fluctuation contribution to the Nernst signal is obtained in a large range of temperature and magnetic field. We apply this expression directly to experimental measurements of the Nernst signal in Nb$_x$Si$_{1-x}$ thin films and a URu$_2$Si$_2$ superconductors. Both magnetic field and temperature dependence of the available data are fitted with very good accuracy using only two fitting parameters, the superconducting temperature $T_{\mathrm{c0}}$ and the upper critical field $H_{\mathrm{c2}}$. The obtained values agree very well with experimentally obtained values. We also extract the ghost lines (maximum of the Nernst signal for constant temperature or magnetic field) from the complete expression and also compare it to several experimentally obtained curves. Our approach predicts a linear temperature dependence for the ghost critical field well above $T_{\mathrm{c0}}$. Within the errors of the experimental data, this linearity is indeed observed in many superconductors far from $T_{\mathrm{c0}}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Work function, deformation potential, and collapse of Landau levels in strained graphene and silicene

We perform a systematic {\it ab initio} study of the work function and its uniform strain dependence for graphene and silicene for both tensile and compressive strains. The Poisson ratios associated with armchair and zigzag strains are also computed. Based on these results, we obtain the deformation potential, crucial for straintronics, as a function of the applied strain. Further, we propose a particular experimental setup with a special strain configuration that generates only the electric field, while the pseudomagnetic field is absent. Then, applying a real magnetic field, one should be able to realize experimentally the spectacular phenomenon of the collapse of Landau levels in graphene or related two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

The Nernst effect in Corbino geometry

We study the manifestation of the Nernst effect in the Corbino disk subjected to the normal external magnetic field and to the radial temperature gradient. The Corbino geometry offers a precious opportunity for the direct measurement of the magnetization currents that are masked by kinetic contributions to the Nernst current in the conventional geometry. The magnetization currents, also referred to as the edge currents, are independent on the conductivity of the sample which is why they can be conveniently described within the thermodynamic approach. They can be related to the Landau thermodynamic potential for an infinite system. We demonstrate that the observable manifestation of this, purely thermodynamic, Nernst effect consists in the strong oscillations of the magnetic field measured in the center of the disk as a function of the external field. The oscillations depend on the temperature difference at the edges of the disk. Dirac fermions and 2D electrons with a parabolic spectrum are characterized by oscillations of different phase and frequency. We predict qualitatively different power dependencies of the magnitude of the Nernst signal on the chemical potential for normal and Dirac carriers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗