arXiv subjects

M. Eschrig

Publications and source records attributed to M. Eschrig.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Vortices in chiral, spin-triplet superconductors and superfluids

Superconductors exhibit unconventional electronic and magnetic properties if the Cooper pair wave function breaks additional symmetries of the normal phase. Rotational symmetries in spin- and orbital spaces, as well as discrete symmetries such as space and time inversion, may be spontaneously broken. When this occurs in conjunction with broken global U(1) gauge symmetry, new physical phenomena are exhibited below the superconducting transition that are characteristic of the broken symmetries of the pair condensate. This is particularly true of vortices and related defects. Superconductors with a multi-component order parameter exhibit a variety of different vortex structures and closely related defects that are not possible in condensates belonging to a one-dimensional representation. In this article we discuss the structure of vortices in Fermionic superfluids and superconductors which break chiral symmetry, i.e. combined broken time-inversion and 2D parity. In particular, we consider the structure of vortices and defects that might be realized in thin films of 3He-A and the layered superconductor Sr2RuO4, and identify some of the characteristic signatures of broken chiral symmetry that should be revealed by these defects.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Charge Dynamics of Vortex Cores in Layered Chiral Triplet Superconductors

In an accompanying paper [arXiv:0903.0011v1] we have studied the equilibrium properties of vortices in a chiral quasi-twodimensional triplet superfluid/superconductor. Here we extend our studies to include the dynamical response of a vortex core in a chiral triplet superconductor to an external a.c. electromagnetic field. We consider in particular the response of a doubly quantized vortex with a homogeneous core in the time-reversed phase. The external frequencies are assumed to be comparable in magnitude to the superconducting gap frequency, such that the vortex motion is non-stationary but can be treated by linear response theory. We include broadening of the vortex core bound states due to impurity scattering and consider the intermediate clean regime, with a broadening comparable to or larger than the quantized energy level spacing. The response of the order parameter, impurity self energy, induced fields and currents are obtained by a self-consistent calculation of the distribution functions and the excitation spectrum. Using these results we obtain the self-consistent dynamically induced charge distribution in the vicinity of the core. This charge density is related to the nonequilibrium response of the bound states and order parameter collective mode, and dominates the electromagnetic response of the vortex core.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2009

Spin-dependent Cooper Pair Phase and Pure Spin Supercurrents in Strongly Polarized Ferromagnets

We study heterostructures of singlet superconductors (SC) and strongly spin-polarized ferromagnets (sFM) and show that a relative phase arises between the superconducting proximity amplitudes in the two ferromagnetic spin bands. We find a tunable pure spin supercurrent in a sFM contacted with only one SC electrode. We show that Josephson junctions are most effective for a spin polarization $P\sim 0.3$, and that critical currents for positive and negative bias differ for a high transmission Josephson junction, due to a relative phase between single and double pair transmission.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Abrikosov flux-lines in two-band superconductors with mixed dimensionality

We study vortex structure in a two-band superconductor, in which one band is ballistic and quasi-two-dimensional (2D), and the other is diffusive and three-dimensional (3D). A circular cell approximation of the vortex lattice within the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity is applied to a recently developed model appropriate for such a two-band system [Tanaka et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 73, 220501(R); Tanaka et al 2007 Phys. Rev. B 75, 214512]. We assume that superconductivity in the 3D diffusive band is "weak", i.e., mostly induced, as is the case in MgB$_2$. Hybridization with the "weak" 3D diffusive band has significant and intriguing influence on the electronic structure of the "strong" 2D ballistic band. In particular, the Coulomb repulsion and the diffusivity in the "weak" band enhance suppression of the order parameter and enlargement of the vortex core by magnetic field in the "strong" band, resulting in reduced critical temperature and field. Moreover, increased diffusivity in the "weak" band can result in an upward curvature of the upper critical field near the transition temperature. A particularly interesting feature found in our model is the appearance of additional bound states at the gap edge in the "strong" ballistic band, which are absent in the single-band case. Furthermore, coupling with the "weak" diffusive band leads to reduced band gaps and van Hove singularities of energy bands of the vortex lattice in the "strong" ballistic band. We find these intriguing features for parameter values appropriate for MgB$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2008

Surface bound states and spin currents in non-centrosymmetric superconductors

We investigate the influence of spin-orbit coupling in a non-centrosymmetric superconductor on its ground state properties near a surface. We determine the spectrum of Andreev bound states due to surface-induced mixing of bands with opposite spin helicities for a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. We find a qualitative change of the Andreev spectrum when we account for the suppression of the order parameter near the surface, leading to clear signatures in the surface density of states. We also compute the spin current at the surface, which has spin polarization normal to that of the bulk current. The magnitude of the current at the surface is enhanced in the normal state compared to the bulk, and even further enlarged in the superconducting phase. The particle and hole coherence amplitudes show Faraday-like rotations of the spin along quasiparticle trajectories.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2007

Theory of vortices in hybridized ballistic/diffusive-band superconductors

We study the electronic structure in the vicinity of a vortex in a two-band superconductor in which the quasiparticle motion is ballistic in one band and diffusive in the other. This study is based on a model appropriate for such a case, that we have introduced recently [Phys. Rev. B 73, 220501(R) (2006)]. We argue that in the two-band superconductor MgB_2 such a case is realised. Motivated by the experimental findings on MgB_2, we assume that superconductivity in the diffusive band is ``weak'', i.e., mostly induced. We examine intriguing features of the order parameter, the current density, and the vortex core spectrum in the ``strong'' ballistic band under the influence of hybridization with the ``weak'' diffusive band. Although the order parameter in the diffusive band is induced, the characteristic length scales in the two bands differ due to Coulomb interactions. The current density in the vortex core is dominated by the contribution from the ballistic band, while outside the core the contribution from the diffusive band can be substantial, or even dominating. The current density in the diffusive band has strong temperature dependence, exhibiting the Kramer-Pesch effect when hybridization is strong. A particularly interesting feature of our model is the possibility of additional bound states near the gap edge in the ballistic band, that are prominent in the vortex centre spectra. This contrasts with the single band case, where there is no gap-edge bound state in the vortex centre. We find the above-mentioned unique features for parameter values relevant for MgB_2.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2007

Symmetries of Pairing Correlations in Superconductor-Ferromagnet Nanostructures

Using selection rules imposed by the Pauli principle, we classify pairing correlations according to their symmetry properties with respect to spin, momentum, and energy. We observe that inhomogeneity always leads to mixing of even- and odd-energy pairing components. We investigate the superconducting pairing correlations present near interfaces between superconductors and ferromagnets, with focus on clean systems consisting of singlet superconductors and either weak or half-metallic ferromagnets. Spin-active scattering in the interface region induces all of the possible symmetry components. In particular, the long-range equal-spin pairing correlations have odd-frequency s-wave and even-frequency p-wave components of comparable magnitudes. We also analyze the Josephson current through a half-metal. We find analytic expressions and an interesting universality in the temperature dependence of the critical current in the tunneling limit.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2006

Theory of Half Metal-Superconductor Heterostructures

We investigate the coupling between two singlet superconductors separated by a half-metallic magnet. The mechanism behind the coupling is provided by the rotation of the quasiparticle spin in the superconductor during reflection events at the interface with the half metal. Spin rotation induces triplet correlations in the superconductor which, in the presence of surface spin-flip scattering, result in an indirect Josephson effect between the superconductors. We present a theory appropriate for studying this phenomenon and calculate physical properties for a superconductor/half metal/superconductor (S/HM/S) heterostructure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Observation of Periodic pi-Phase Shifts in Ferromagnet-Superconductor Multilayers

We report complementary studies of the critical temperature and the critical current in ferromagnet (Ni) - superconductor (Nb) multilayers. The observed oscillatory behavior of both quantities upon variation of the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer is found to be in good agreement with theory. The length scale of oscillations is identical for both quantities and is set by the magnetic length corresponding to an exchange field of 200 meV in Ni. The consistency between the behavior of the two quantities provides strong evidence for periodic pi- phase shifts in these devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Ballistic and diffusive: theory of vortices in the two-band superconductor MgB2

Motivated by the recent results on impurity effects in MgB2, we present a theoretical model for a two-band superconductor in which the character of quasiparticle motion is ballistic in one band and diffusive in the other. We apply our model to calculate the electronic structure in the vicinity of an isolated vortex. We assume that superconductivity in the diffusive (pi) band is induced by that in the clean (sigma) band, as suggested by experimental evidence for MgB2. We focus our attention to the spatial variations of the order parameter, the current density, and the vortex core spectrum in the two bands. Our results indicate that the coupling to the pi band can lead to the appearance of additional bound states near the gap edge in the sigma band that are absent in the single-band case.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Effect of an inhomogeneous exchange field on the proximity effect in disordered superconductor-ferromagnet hybrid structures

We investigate the effect of an inhomogeneous exchange field on the proximity effect in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrid structures within the quasi-classical theory of superconductivity. As an example we study the proximity effect in a superconductor-ferromagnet bilayer with an in-plane spiral magnetic order in the ferromagnet. This model simulates a multiple magnetic domain structure where the domain walls of the Néel type are of equal size as the domains. Triplet correlations are induced in the bilayer by the superconducting proximity effect, which are sensitive to the local quantization axis of the exchange field in the ferromagnet. The coexistence of singlet and triplet pair correlations in the bilayer results into a sensitivity of the superconducting transition temperature on the spatial variation of the exchange field in the ferromagnetic layer. We show that the inhomogeneity tends to suppress the oscillating behavior of the pair amplitudes in the ferromagnet. As a result, the superconducting critical temperature is found to be strongly dependent on the spiral wavevector. We study the spin-dependent local density of states and the effect of an induction of a spin magnetization in the superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Proximity Effect and Multiple Andreev Reflections in Diffusive SNS Junctions

We present a theory of the current-voltage characteristics in diffusive superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor junctions. By solving the time-dependent Usadel equations we are able to describe the phase-coherent transport for arbitrary length of the normal wire. We show how the interplay between proximity effect and multiple Andreev reflections gives rise to a rich subgap structure in the conductance and how it is revealed in the non-equilibrium distribution function.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Switching superconductivity in S/F bilayers by multiple-domain structures

We consider the effect of a multiple magnetic domain structure in a superconductor/ferromagnet bilayer, modeled by a ferromagnetic layer with a rotating magnetic moment. The domain walls in this model are of equal size as the domains, and are of Neel type. We study the superconducting critical temperature as a function of the rotation wavelength of the magnetic moment. The critical temperature of the bilayer is found to be always enhanced by the domain structure, and exhibits an interesting reentrant behavior. We suggest that this effect can be used for a new device where superconductivity may be controlled by the domain structure of the magnetic layer.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2004

Singlet-Triplet Mixing in Superconductor-Ferromagnet Hybrid Devices

We develop a theory which describes hybrid structures consisting out of superconducting and ferromagnetic parts. We give two examples for applications. First, we consider a hybrid structure containing a strong ferromagnet in the ballistic limit. Second, we study for a weak ferromagnet the influence of a domain wall on the superconducting proximity effect. In both cases we account quantitatively for the mixing between singlet and triplet correlations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Transfer-matrix description of heterostructures involving superconductors and ferromagnets

Based on the technique of quasiclassical Green's functions, we construct a theoretical framework for describing heterostructures consisting of superconductors and/or spin-polarized materials. The necessary boundary conditions at the interfaces separating different metals are formulated in terms of hopping amplitudes in a t-matrix approximation. The theory is applicable for an interface with arbitrary transmission and exhibiting scattering with arbitrary spin dependence. Also, it can be used in describing both ballistic and diffusive systems. We establish the connection between the standard scattering-matrix approach and the existing boundary conditions, and demonstrate the advantages offered by the t-matrix description.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Excess current in superconducting Sr$_2$RuO$_4$

We present results from point-contact measurements on Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ that show a linear dependence of the excess current as a function of temperature and applied magnetic fields over a surprisingly wide range of the phase diagram. We propose an explanation of this finding in terms of a p-wave triplet-pairing state with coupling to a low-energy fluctuation mode. Within this model we obtain a quantitative description of the temperature dependence of the excess current. The impact of surface effects on order parameter and excess current is addressed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Determining the current polarization in Al/Co nanostructured point contacts

We present a study of the Andreev reflections in superconductor/ferromagnet nanostructured point contacts. The experimental data are analyzed in the frame of a model with two spin-dependent transmission coefficients for the majority and minority charge carriers in the ferromagnet. This model consistently describes the whole set of conductance measurements as a function of voltage, temperature, and magnetic field. The ensemble of our results shows that the degree of spin polarization of the current can be unambiguously determined using Andreev physics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Effect of the magnetic resonance on the electronic spectra of high Tc superconductors

We explain recent experimental results on the superconducting state spectral function as obtained by angle resolved photoemission, as well as by tunneling, in high Tc cuprates. In our model, electrons are coupled to the resonant spin fluctuation mode observed in inelastic neutron scattering experiments, as well as to a gapped continuum. We show that, although the weight of the resonance is small, its effect on the electron self energy is large, and can explain various dispersion anomalies seen in the data. In agreement with experiment, we find that these effects are a strong function of doping. We contrast our results to those expected for electrons coupled to phonons.

cond-mat.supr-con↗