English

Symmetry conditions for the superconducting diode effect in chiral superconductors

Superconductivity 2022-12-13 v1

Abstract

We analyze the presence of non-reciprocal critical currents, the so-called superconducting diode effect, in chiral superconductors within a generalized Ginzburg-Landau framework. After deriving its key symmetry conditions we illustrate the basic mechanism for two examples, the critical current in a thin film and a Josephson junction. The appearance of spontaneous edge currents and the energy bias for the formation of Josephson vortices play an essential part in establishing a splitting of the critical currents running in opposite directions. Eventually, this allows us to interpret a superconducting diode effect observed in the 3-Kelvin phase of Sr2_2RuO4_4 as evidence for spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting phase.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2111.05340,
  title  = {Symmetry conditions for the superconducting diode effect in chiral superconductors},
  author = {Bastian Zinkl and Keita Hamamoto and Manfred Sigrist},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2111.05340},
  year   = {2022}
}