We study the proximity effect in superconductor-ferromagnet (SF) structure with a narrow domain wall (DW) at the SF interface. The width of the domain wall is assumed to be larger than the Fermi wave length, but smaller than other characteristic lengths (for example, the ''magnetic'' length). The transmission coefficient is supposed to be small so that we deal with a weak proximity effect. Solving the linearized Eilenberger equation, we find analytical expressions for quasiclassical Green's functions. These functions describe the short-range (SR) condensate components, singlet and triplet with zero projection of the total spin on the quantization z-axis, induced in F due to the proximity effect as well as long-range odd triplet component (LRTC) with a nonzero projection of the total spin of Cooper pairs on the $z$% -axis. The amplitude of the LRTC essentially depends on the product $hτ$ and increases with increasing the exchange energy $h$ ($τ$ is the elastic scattering time). We calculate the Josephson current in SFS junction with a thickness of the F layer much greater than the penetration length of the SR components. The Josephson critical current caused by the LRTC may be both positive and negative depending on chirality of the magnetic structure in F.
The density of states (DOS) in a diffusive SF bilayer is also analyzed. It is shown that the contributions of the SR and LR components to the DOS in F have a different dependence on the thickness $d$ of the F layer (nonmonotonous and monotonous).
We investigate charge pumping in ferromagnet/triplet superconductor junctions where the magnetization of the ferromagnet is inhomogeneous and dynamical. It is shown that charge current is pumped due to the coupling of the localized spin with triplet vector spin chirality, vector spin chirality formed by the triplet vector of Cooper pairing. Physical mechanism of the charge pumping is also discussed.
We study proximity induced triplet superconductivity in a spin-orbit-coupled system, and show that the \textbf{d} vector of the induced triplet superconductivity undergoes precession that can be controlled by varying the relative strengths of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit couplings. In particular, a long-range spin-triplet helix is predicted when these two spin-orbit couplings have equal strengths. We also study the Josephson junction geometry and show that a transition between 0 and $π$ junctions can be induced by controlling the spin-orbit coupling with a gate voltage. An experimental se…
We present an overview of the contributions made by Konstantin B. Efetov and the authors to the field of triplet odd-frequency superconductivity in hybrid ferromagnet-superconductor structures and the repercussions they had on experimental and theoretical research. Konstantin B. Efetov passed away in August 2021. We hope the present short review gives a faithful testimony of an important part of his scientific legacy.
We study graphene ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet (F/S/F) nanostructures via a microscopic self-consistent Dirac Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism. We show that as a result of proximity effects, experimentally accessible spin switching phenomena can occur as one tunes the Fermi level $μ_F$ of the F regions or varies the angle $θ$ between exchange field orientations. Superconductivity can then be switched on and off by varying either $θ$ or $μ_F$ (a spin-controlled superconducting graphene switch). The induced equal-spin triplet correlations in S can be controlled by tuning $μ_F$, effective…
We study the Josephson current through a ferromagnetic trilayer, both in the diffusive and clean limits. For colinear (parallel or antiparallel) magnetizations in the layers, the Josephson current is small due to short range proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet structures. For non colinear magnetizations, we determine the conditions for the Josephson current to be dominated by another contribution originating from long range triplet proximity effect.
We study a proximity junction between a conventional s-wave superconductor and a conductor with Rashba spin-orbit coupling, with a specific focus on the spin structure of the induced pairing amplitude. We find that spin-triplet pairing correlations are induced by spin-orbit coupling in both one- and two-dimensional systems due to the lifted spin degeneracy. Additionally, this induced triplet pairing has a component with an odd frequency dependence that is robust to disorder. Our predictions are based on the solutions of the exact Gor'kov equations and are beyond the quasiclassical approximatio…
We have studied the dependence of the superconducting (SC) transition temperature on the mutual orientation of magnetizations of Fe1 and Fe2 layers in the spin valve system CoO_x/Fe1/Cu/Fe2/Pb. We find that this dependence is nonmonotonic when passing from the parallel to the antiparallel case and reveals a distinct minimum near the orthogonal configuration. The analysis of the data in the framework of the SC triplet spin valve theory gives direct evidence for the long-range triplet superconductivity arising due to noncollinearity of the two magnetizations.
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.
Fundamental symmetry breaking and relativistic spin-orbit coupling give rise to fascinating phenomena in quantum materials. Of particular interest are the interfaces between ferromagnets and common s-wave superconductors, where the emergent spin-orbit fields support elusive spin-triplet superconductivity, crucial for superconducting spintronics and topologically-protected Majorana bound states. Here, we report the observation of large magnetoresistances at the interface between a quasi-two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet Fe0.29TaS2 and a conventional s-wave superconductor NbN, which prov…
It has been commonly accepted that magnetic field suppresses superconductivity by inducing the ordered motion of Cooper pairs. We demonstrate that magnetic field can instead provide a generation of superconducting correlations by inducing the motion of superconducting condensate. This effect arises in superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures in the presence of Rashba spin-orbital coupling. We predict the odd-frequency spin-triplet superconducting correlations called the Berezinskii order to be switched on at large distances from the superconductor/ferromagnet interface by the application of…
Unconventional superconductivity and in particular triplet superconductivity have been front and center of topological materials and quantum technology research. Here we report our observation of triplet superconductivity in nonmagnetic CoSi$_2$/TiSi$_2$ heterostructures on silicon. CoSi$_2$ undergoes a sharp superconducting transition at a critical temperature $T_c \approx$ 1.5 K, while TiSi$_2$ is a normal metal. We investigate conductance spectra of both two-terminal CoSi$_2$/TiSi$_2$ tunnel junctions and three-terminal T-shaped CoSi$_2$/TiSi$_2$ superconducting proximity structures. We rep…
We have investigated the proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet junctions in a systematic manner to discuss the relationship between the zero-energy peak (ZEP) of the local density of states (LDOS) and spin-triplet odd-frequency pairing. By exactly solving the nonlinear Usadel equations, we have found that the ZEP is realized in a wide range of geometrical and material parameters in the case of the noncollinear magnetization. This strongly suggests the robustness of the ZEP induced by spin-triplet odd-frequency pairing in such systems. We also found that the crossover from singlet pair…
We examine the appearance of a spontaneous bulk spin current in a triplet superconductor in contact with a metallic ferromagnet. The spin current results from the spin-flip of Cooper pairs upon reflection from the interface with the ferromagnet, and is shown to display strong similarities to the spontaneous charge current in a Josephson junction. We express the spin current in terms of the Andreev reflection coefficients, which are derived by the construction of the quasiclassical scattering wavefunctions. The dependence of the spin current upon a number of parameters is investigated, in parti…
Motivated by recent experiments searching for Majorana zero modes in tripartite semiconductor nanowires with epitaxial superconductor and ferromagnetic-insulator layers, we explore the emergence of topological superconductivity in such devices for paradigmatic arrangements of the three constituents. Accounting for the competition between magnetism and superconductivity, we treat superconductivity self consistently and describe the electronic properties, including the superconducting and ferromagnetic proximity effects, within a direct wave-function approach. We conclude that the most viable me…
The superconducting state in uranium compounds UGe2, URhGe and UCoGe is formed at temperatures far below the Curie temperature pointing on nonconventional nature of superconductivity in these materials - namely the superconductivity with triplet pairing. The emergence of superconductivity is accompanied by the slight magnetization expulsion typical for the type-II superconductors. Following classic Abrikosov paper I develop the theory of type-II superconductivity in application to two-band ferromagnetic metal with equal spin triplet pairing.
We study the spin and charge currents flowing at the interface of an itinerant ferromagnet with a topological spin-triplet superconductor having different number of time-reversal-invariant Majorana helical modes. Depending on the number of helical modes, the capacity of carrying spin and charge currents is shown to be directly related to the amplitude and orientation of the ferromagnetic magnetization with respect to the superconducting $\vec{d}$-vector. Differently from the one-helical mode spin-triplet superconductor, we find that the presence of a finite amount of electronic hybridization w…
Spin-triplet superconductivity is known to be a rare quantum phenomenon. Here we show that nonsymmorphic crystalline symmetries can dramatically assist spin-triplet superconductivity in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Even with a weak spin-orbit coupling, the spin-triplet pairing can be the leading pairing instability in a lattice with a nonsymmorphic symmetry. The underlining mechanism is the spin-sublattice-momentum lock on electronic bands that are protected by the nonsymmorphic symmetry. We use the nonsymmorphic space group P4/nmm to demonstrate these results and discuss related exper…
We discuss the Josephson effect in strongly spin-polarized ferromagnets where triplet correlations are induced by means of spin-active interface scattering, extending our earlier work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 227005 (2009)] by including impurity scattering in the ferromagnetic bulk and the inverse proximity effect in a fully self-consistent way. Our quasiclassical approach accounts for the differences of Fermi momenta and Fermi velocities between the two spin bands of the ferromagnet, and thereby overcomes an important short-coming of previous work within the framework of Usadel theory. We show …
We argue that odd-frequency triplet superconductivity can be conveniently realized in hybrid superconductor-ferromagnet (SF) structures with a ferromagnetic vortex. We demonstrate that due to proximity-induced long-range triplet pairing such SFS junctions can sustain appreciable supercurrent which can be directly measured in experiments.
We consider a multidomain superconductor/ferromagnet (SF) structure with an in-plane magnetization, assuming that the neighboring domains are separated by the Neel domain walls. We show that an odd triplet long-range component arises in the domain walls and spreads into domains over a long distance of the order ξ_T = \sqrt{D/2πT} (in the dirty limit). The density of states variation in the domains due to this component changes over distances of the order ξ_T and turns to zero in the middle of domains if the magnetization rotates in the same direction in all domain walls.
The Josephson current through a long s-wave superconductor/weak ferromagnet/s-wave superconductor weak link is studied theoretically in the regime of nonequilibrium spin-dependent occupation of electron states in the ferromagnetic intelayer. While under the considered nonequilibrium condition the standard supercurrent, carried by the singlet part of current-carrying density of states, is not modified, the additional supercurrent flowing via the triplet part of the current-carrying density of states appears. Depending on voltage, controlling the particular form of spin-dependent nonequilibrium …
The coexistence of a homogeneous (Meissner-like) phase of spin-triplet superconductivity and ferromagnetism is investigated within the framework of a phenomenological model of spin-triplet ferromagnetic superconductors. The results are discussed in view of application to metallic ferromagnets as UGe$_2$, ZrZn$_2$, URhGe, and Fe.
We study proximity effect in diffusive ferromagnet/normal-metal/superconductor junction with precessing magnetization of the ferromagnet. We find that the odd-frequency pairing induced in the normal metal is modified by spin pumping from the ferromagnet and hence can be tuned by changing the precessional frequency. At the frequency corresponding to twice the superconducting gap, the odd-frequency pairing is strongly enhanced. We find a crossover from the even- to the odd-frequency superconductivity in the normal metal by tuning the precessional frequency. This gives a clearcut signature of the…
A generalization of the Cooper pairing mechanism is proposed which allows for a triplet state of lower energy. This is achieved by incorporating spin into the canonical commutation relations and by modifying the $δ$ potential contact interaction. The gap equation contain as solutions both singlet and triplet states. It is shown that the triplet state is lower in energy than the singlet state which may explain the spin-triplet superconductivity observed in heavy fermion compound UPt3 and in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$.
We consider a system with electron-phonon interaction, antiferromagnetic fluctuations and disconnected open Fermi surfaces. The existence of odd-parity superconductivity in this circumstance is shown for the first time. If it is applied to the quasi-one-dimensional systems like the organic conductors (TMTSF)_2X we obtain spin-triplet superconductivity with nodeless gap. Our result is also valid in higher dimensions(2d and 3d).
Cooper pairs in superconductors are normally spin singlet. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that spin-triplet Cooper pairs can be created at carefully engineered superconductor-ferromagnet interfaces. If Cooper pairs are spin-polarized they would transport not only charge but also a net spin component, but without dissipation, and therefore minimize the heating effects associated with spintronic devices. Although it is now established that triplet supercurrents exist, their most interesting property - spin - is only inferred indirectly from transport measurements. In conventional spintroni…
We analyze a superconductor-ferromagnet (S/F) system with a spiral magnetic structure in the ferromagnet F for a weak and strong exchange field. The long-range triplet component (LRTC) penetrating into the ferromagnet over a long distance is calculated for both cases. In the dirty limit (or weak ferromagnetism) we study the LRTC for conical ferromagnets. Its spatial dependence undergoes a qualitative change as a function of the cone angle θ. At small angles the LRTC decays in the ferromagnet exponentially in a monotonic way. If the angle θexceeds a certain value, the exponential decay of the L…
Quasiperiodicity has long been known to be a potential platform to explore exotic phenomena, realizing an intricate middle point between ordered solids and disordered matter. In particular, quasiperiodic structures are promising playgrounds to engineer critical wavefunctions, a powerful starting point to engineer exotic correlated states. Here we show that systems hosting a quasiperiodic modulation of antiferromagnetism and spin-singlet superconductivity, as realized by atomic chains in twisted van der Waals materials, host a localization-delocalization transition as a function of the coupling…
We report observation of spin triplet superconductivity in epitaxial Bi/Ni bilayers with TC up to 4 K and 2Delta/kBTC = 12. Andreev reflection spectroscopy (ARS) with ballistic injection of unpolarized and spin-polarized electrons conclusively reveals spin triplet p-wave superconductivity. The gap structure measured by ARS in multiple crystal directions shows the ABM (Anderson-Brinkman-Morel) state, the same as that in superfluid 3He.
We predict a novel type of Josephson effect to occur in triplet superconductor - ferromagnet - triplet superconductor Josephson junctions. We show that the Josephson current, I_J, exhibits a rich dependence on the relative orientation between the ferromagnetic moment and the d-vectors of the superconductors. This dependence can be used to build several types of Josephson current switches. Moreover, we predict an unconventional temperature dependence of I_J in which I_J changes sign with increasing temperature
The mechanism of superconductivity in ${\rm Sr}_{2}{\rm RuO}_{4}$ is studied using a degenerate Hubbard model within the weak coupling theory. When the system approaches the orbital instability which is realized due to increasing the on-site Coulomb interaction between the electrons in the different orbitals, it is shown that the triplet superconductivity appears. This superconducting mechanism is only available in orbitally degenerate systems with multiple Fermi surfaces.
A mechanism leading to the spin-triplet superconductivity is proposed based on the antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation. The effects of anisotropy in spin fluctuation on the Cooper pairing and on the direction of d vector are examined in the one-band Hubbard model with RPA approximation. The gap equations for the anisotropic case are derived and applied to Sr_2RuO_4. It is found that a nesting property of the Fermi surface together with the anisotropy leads to the triplet superconductivity with the d=z(sin{k_x}\pm isin{k_y}), which is consistent with experiments.
The authors discuss the possibility of coexistence of antiferromagnetism and triplet superconductivity as a particular example of a broad class of systems where the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity is important. This paper focuses on the case of quasi-one-dimensional metals, where it is known experimentally that antiferromagnetism is in close proximity to triplet superconductivity in the temperature versus pressure phase diagram. Over a narrow range of pressures, the authors propose an intermediate non-uniform phase consisting of alternating insulating antiferromagnetic and triplet…
In a Kondo lattice system, suppression of effective Kondo coupling leads to the breakdown of the heavy-electron metal and a change in the electronic structure. Spin triplet superconductivity in the Kondo lattice UTe2 appears to be associated with spin fluctuations originating from incipient ferromagnetic order. Here we show clear evidence of twofold enhancement of spin-triplet superconductivity near the pressure-driven suppression of the Kondo coherence, implying that superconductivity is strengthened by the affiliated growth of both spin and charge fluctuations. The coherent Kondo state disco…
We investigate the spin-triplet superconductivity mediated by phonons in quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) systems with open Fermi surfaces. We obtain the ground state phase diagrams. It is found that spin-triplet superconductivity occurs for weak screening and strong on-site Coulomb interaction, even in the absence of any additional nonphonon pairing interactions. We find that the nodeless spin-triplet state is more favorable than the spin-triplet state with line nodes, for the parameter values of the Q1D superconductors (TMTSF)_2X. We also find that Q1D open Fermi surface, which is the specific fe…
We reveal that in a magnetically polarized medium, a specific commensurate triplet pair density wave (TPDW) superconducting (SC) state, the staggered d-wave $Π$-triplet state, may coexist with homogeneous triplet SC states and even dominate eliminating them under generic conditions. When only this TPDW SC state is present, we have the remarkable phenomenon of gapless superconductivity. This may explain part of the difficulties in the realization of the engineered localized Majorana fermion modes for topological quantum computation. We point out qualitative characteristics of the tunneling dens…
We investigate the possibility of superconductivity on the graphene lattice within the repulsive Hubbard model using the variational cluster approximation (VCA). We find that singlet superconductivity is impossible; instead, triplet superconductivity is favored, with four solutions that are close to each other in energy and differ by their symmetry; one is f-wave, the other three p-wave, including a p+ip solution that breaks time-reversal invariance.
We theoretically consider the upper critical magnetic field, perpendicular to a conducting axis in a triplet quasi-one-dimensional superconductor. In particular, we demonstrate that, at high magnetic fields, the orbital effects against superconductivity in a magnetic field are reversible and, therefore, superconductivity can restore. It is important that the above mentioned quantum limit can be achieved in presumably triplet quasi-one-dimensional superconductor Li$_{0.9}$Mo$_6$O$_{17}$ [J.-F. Mercure et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 108}, 187003 (2012)] at laboratory available pulsed magnetic fie…
We demonstrate that in multilayered superconductor-ferromagnet structures a non-collinear alignment of the magnetizations of different ferromagnetic layers generates a triplet superconducting condensate which is odd in frequency. This triplet condensate coexists in the superconductors with the conventional singlet one but decays very slowly in the ferromagnet, which should lead to a large Josephson effect between the superconductors separated by the ferromagnet. Depending on the mutual direction of the ferromagnetic moments the Josephson coupling can be both of 0 and $π$ type.
We show that injecting nonequilibrium spins into the superconducting leads strongly enhances the stationary Josephson current through a superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction. The resulting long-range super-current through a ferromagnet is carried by triplet Cooper pairs that are formed in s-wave superconductors by the combined effects of spin injection and exchange interaction. We quantify the exchange interaction in terms of Landau Fermi-liquid factors. The magnitude and direction of the long-range Josephson current can be manipulated by varying the angles of the injected polariz…
We discuss the possibility of coexistence of spin density wave (antiferromagnetism) and triplet superconductivity as a particular example of a broad class of systems where the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity is important. We focus on the case of quasi-one-dimensional metals, where it is known experimentally that antiferromagnetism is in close proximity to triplet superconductivity in the temperature versus pressure phase diagram. Over a narrow range of pressures, we propose an intermediate non-uniform phase consisting of alternating antiferromagnetic and triplet superconducting st…
There is mounting evidence for triplet superconductivity in the recently discovered skutterudite compound PrOs_4Sb_12. In this work, we propose nodal order parameters for the A- and B-phases of this superconductor which are consistent with angle dependent magnetothermal conductivity measurements and with low-temperature thermal conductivity data in the range T > 150 mK. The quasiparticle density of states and the thermal conductivity kappa_zz are derived within the quasiclassical approximation.
In PrOs4Sb12, the lowest-lying singlet and triplet states in a Pr 4f^2 configuration hybridize with conduction electrons having local a_u and t_u point-group symmetries. It is shown that for an attractive triplet pairing interaction, the orbital degrees of freedom of the t_u component are important. In addition, the Th point-group symmetry characteristic of skutterudites plays an important role in stabilizing triplet superconductivity.
We characterize the coexistence of itinerant ferromagnetism and spin-triplet superconductivity within a single mechanism involving local (Hund's rule) exchange among $d$ electrons. The ratio of transition temperatures and the spin anisotropy of the superconducting gap is estimated for $ZrZn_2$. The $A$ phase is stable in very low applied and molecular fields, whereas the $A1$ phases persists in higher fields. A small residual magnetic moment is present below the Stoner threshold in the superconducting phase.
To investigate relations between long-range antiferromagnetic (AF) order, superconductivity and two particle triplet collective excitations we consider a modified two dimensional t-J model at doping close to half filling. The model includes additional hopping t'' and nearest sites Coulomb repulsion V. The additional parameters allow us to control closeness of the system to the AF instability. We demonstrate the possibility of co-existence of long-range AF order and d-g-wave superconductivity. In the phase with long-range AF order we find, analytically, superconducting gaps and spin wave renorm…
We discuss the possibility of coexistence of spin density wave (antiferromagnetism) and triplet superconductivity as a particular example of a broad class of systems where the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity is important. We focus on the case of quasi-one-dimensional metals, where it is kown that antiferromagnetism is in close proximity to triplet superconductivity in the pressure versus temperature phase diagram. Over a range of pressures, we propose an intermediate non-uniform phase consisting of antiferromagnetic and triplet superconducting orders. In the coexistence region, we…
Magnetic susceptibility, entropy and specific heat are calculated at the equilibrium points of phase transition to a phase of coexistence of ferromagnetic order and superconductivity in a new class of spin-triplet ferromagnetic superconductors. The results are discussed in view of application to metallic ferromagnets as UGe$_2$, ZrZn$_2$, URhGe.
We investigate thermodynamic phases, including the phase of coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism, the possible phase transitions of first and second order, and the shape of the phase diagram in mean-field approximation for a phenomenological model of spin-triplet ferromagnetic superconductors. The results are discussed in view of application to metallic ferromagnets as UGe$_2$, ZrZn$_2$, URhGe, and Fe.
We show how in principle a coherent coupling between two superconductors of opposite parity can be realized in a three-layer oxide heterostructure. Due to strong intraionic spin-orbit coupling in the middle layer, singlet Cooper pairs are converted into triplet ones and vice versa. This results in a large enhancement of the triplet superconductivity, persisting well above the native triplet critical temperature.
We show that the nonuniform state (Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state) of the spin triplet superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric systems is stabilized by antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling even if the magnetic field is absent. The transition temperature of the spin triplet superconductivity is reduced by the antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling in general. This pair breaking effect is shown to be similar to the Pauli pair breaking effect due to magnetic field for the spin singlet superconductivity, in which FFLO state is stabilized near the Pauli limit (or Chandrasekhar-Clogston limit)…
Using the $ϕ$-mapping method, we argue that ferromagnetic spin-triplet superconductors allow formation of unstable magnetic monopoles. In particular, we show that the limit points and the bifurcation points of the $ϕ$-mapping will serve as the interaction points of these magnetic monopoles.
Have you been lying awake wondering what symmetries determine whether a superconductor is spin singlet, triplet, or both? We show that if BCS theory is supplied with additional degrees of freedom, spin singlet can coexist with spin triplet superconductivity. In the first part, we didactically guide the reader to the most general superconducting state using symmetry arguments. If both singlet and triplet pairing channels are present, a magnetic field can convert between spin singlet and triplet states. In the second part, we discuss two possible singlet-triplet superconductors: CeRh$_2$As$_2$ a…
We discuss the possibility of spin-triplet superconductivity in a two-dimensional Hubbard model on a triangular lattice within the third-order perturbation theory. When we vary the symmetry in the dispersion of the bare energy band from D_2 to D_6, spin-singlet superconductivity in the D_2-symmetric system is suppressed and we obtain spin-triplet superconductivity in near the D_6-symmetric system. In this case, it is found that the vertex terms, which are not included in the interaction mediated by the spin fluctuation, are essential for realizing the spin-triplet pairing. We point out the pos…
We review magnetic and superconducting instabilities in the t-t' Hubbard model on the two-dimensional square lattice as obtained with functional one-loop renormalization group techniques. Special emphasis is put on ferromagnetic and triplet superconducting tendencies that could be relevant to the triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4.
