English

MgB2: superconductivity and pressure effects

Superconductivity 2007-05-23 v3 Strongly Correlated Electrons

Abstract

We present a Ginzburg-Landau theory for a two-band superconductor with emphasis on MgB2_{2}. Experiments are proposed which lead to identification of the possible scenarios: whether both σ\sigma - and π\pi -bands superconduct or σ\sigma % -alone. According to the second scenario a microscopic theory of superconducting MgB2_{2} is proposed based on the strongly interacting % \sigma -electrons and non-correlated π\pi -electrons of boron ions. The kinematic and Coulomb interactions of σ\sigma % -electrons provide the superconducting state with an anisotropic gap of ss% *-wave symmetry. The critical temperature TcT_{c} has a non-monotonic dependence on the distance rr between the centers of gravity of σ\sigma - and π\pi -bands. The position of MgB2_{2} on a bell-shaped curve TcT_{c} (% r) is identified in the overdoped region. The derived superconducting density of electronic states is in agreement with available experimental and theoretical data. It is argued that the effects of pressure are crucial to identify the microscopic origin of superconductivity in MgB2_{2}. Possibilities for TcT_{c} increase are discussed.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0204085,
  title  = {MgB2: superconductivity and pressure effects},
  author = {V. A. Ivanov and J. J. Betouras and F. M. Peeters},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0204085},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

10 pages, presented at NATO ARW on "Recent trends in the theory of physical phenomena in high magnetic fields", February 2002, Les Houches; Replaced with revised version, misprints corrected