English

Geometric effects on T-breaking in p+ip and d+id superconductors

Condensed Matter 2009-11-10 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

Superconducting order parameters that change phase around the Fermi surface modify Josephson tunneling behavior, as in the phase-sensitive measurements that confirmed dd order in the cuprates. This paper studies Josephson coupling when the individual grains break time-reversal symmetry; the specific cases considered are p±ipp \pm ip and d±idd \pm id, which may appear in Sr2_2RuO4_4 and Nax_xCoO2_2 \cdot (H2_2O)y_y respectively. TT-breaking order parameters lead to frustrating phases when not all grains have the same sign of time-reversal symmetry breaking, and the effects of these frustrating phases depend sensitively on geometry for 2D arrays of coupled grains. These systems can show perfect superconducting order with or without macroscopic TT-breaking. The honeycomb lattice of superconducting grains has a superconducting phase with no spontaneous breaking of TT but instead power-law correlations. The superconducting transition in this case is driven by binding of fractional vortices, and the zero-temperature criticality realizes a generalization of Baxter's three-color model.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0309717,
  title  = {Geometric effects on T-breaking in p+ip and d+id superconductors},
  author = {Joel E. Moore and Dung-Hai Lee},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0309717},
  year   = {2009}
}

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8 pages