We describe a simple hybrid superconductor$|$ferromagnetic-insulator structure manifesting spin-resolved Andreev bound states in which dynamic magnetization is employed to probe spin related physics. We show that, at low bias and below $T_c$, the transfer of spin angular momentum pumped by an externally driven ferromagnetic insulator is greatly affected by the formation of spin-resolved Andreev bound states. Our results indicate that these bound states capture the essential physics of condensate-facilitated spin flow. For finite thicknesses of the superconducting layer, comparable to the coherence length, resonant Andreev bound states render highly transmitting subgap spin transport channels. We point out that the resonant enhancement of the subgap transport channels establishes a prototype Fabry-Pérot resonator for spin pumping.
Within the scattering approach, we develop a model for adiabatic quantum pumping in hybrid normal/superconductor systems where several superconducting leads are present. This is exploited to study Andreev-interference effects on adiabatically pumped charge in a 3-arm beam splitter attached to one normal and two superconducting leads with different phases of the order parameters. We derive expressions for the pumped charge through the normal lead for different parameters for the scattering region, and elucidate the effects due to Andreev interference. In contrast to what happens for voltage-dri…
We theoretically investigate the phenomena of adiabatic quantum charge pumping through a normal-insulator-superconductor-insulator-normal (NISIN) setup of silicene within the scattering matrix formalism. Assuming thin barrier limit, we consider the strength of the two barriers ($χ_{1}$ and $χ_{2}$) as the two pumping parameters in the adiabatic regime. Within this geometry, we obtain crossed Andreev reflection (CAR) with probability unity in the $χ_{1}$-$χ_{2}$ plane without concomitant transmission or elastic cotunneling (CT). Tunability of the band gap at the Dirac point by applying an exter…
The recently discovered superconductor CuxBi2Se3[1] is a candidate for three-dimensional time-reversal-invariant topological superconductors[2], which are predicted to have robust surface Andreev bound states hosting massless Majorana fermions. In this work, we present an analytical and numerical study of the surface Andreev bound state wavefunction and dispersion. We find the topologically protected Majorana fermions at k = 0, as well as a new type of surface Andreev bound states at finite k. We relate our results to a recent point-contact spectroscopy experiment[3].
The Adriatico Research Conference on Superconductivity, Andreev Reflection, and Proximity Effect in Mesoscopic Structures took place at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, July 8-11, 1997. The organizers were Elias Burstein, Leonid Glazman, Teun Klapwijk, and Subodh R. Shenoy. We describe some of the central issues discussed at the conference, along with more personal reflections prompted by new developments.
Non-centrosymmetric superconductors exhibit the magnetoelectric effect which manifests itself in the appearance of the magnetic spin polarization in response to a dissipationless electric current (supercurrent). While much attention has been dedicated to the thermodynamic version of this phenomenon (Edelstein effect), non-equilibrium transport magnetoelectric effects have not been explored yet. We propose the magnetoelectric Andreev effect (MAE) which consists in the generation of spin-polarized triplet Andreev conductance by an electric supercurrent. The MAE stems from the spin polarization o…
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…
Unlike the more common local conductance spectroscopy, nonlocal conductance can differentiate between nontopological zero-energy modes localized around inhomogeneities, and true Majorana edge modes in the topological phase. In particular, negative nonlocal conductance is dominated by the crossed Andreev reflection. In graphene, the Andreev reflection and the inter-band Klein tunneling couple electron-like and hole-like states through the action of either a superconducting (SC) pair potential or an electrostatic potential. We are here probing quantum phenomena in modified graphitic samples. Fou…
A theoretical formalism of Andreev reflection is employed to provide theoretical support for distinguishing between the singlet pairing and the triplet pairing by the point contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) experiments. We utilize our theoretical curves to fit the data of the PCAR experiment on unconventional superconductivity in the Bi/Ni bilayer [arXiv:1810.10403] and find the Anderson-Brinkman-Morel (ABM) state satisfies the main characteristics of the experimental data. The chiral cross-section of the ABM state might explain well the broken time-reversal symmetry determined by the polar Ke…
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…
We demonstrate how to design various nonstandard types of Andreev-bound-state (ABS) dispersions, via a composite construction relying on Majorana bound states (MBSs). Here, the MBSs appear at the interface of a Josephson junction consisting of two topological superconductors (TSCs). Each TSC harbors multiple MBSs per edge by virtue of a chiral or unitary symmetry. We find that, while the ABS dispersions are $2π$-periodic, they still contain multiple crossings which are protected by the conservation of fermion parity. A single junction with four interface MBSs and all MBS couplings fully contro…
From field-angle dependent Andreev reflection spectroscopy on single crystals of La(O,F)BiSeS, which belongs to the recently discovered BiCh 2 (Ch = S, Se) based layered superconductors, we found that the superconductivity in La(O,F)BiSeS is highly anisotropic. We measured a superconducting energy gap of 0.61 meV for current injected along c-axis at 1.5 K. Detailed temperature and magnetic field dependent studies of the gap also reveal the presence of unconventional pairing in La(O,F)BiSeS. We show that the observed anisotropic superconducting properties can be attributed to the anisotropy in …
We have studied current-voltage characteristics of Andreev contacts in polycrystalline GdO$_{0.88}$F$_{0.12}$FeAs samples with bulk critical temperature ${T_c}$ = (52.5 \pm 1)K using break-junction technique. The data obtained cannot be described within the single-gap approach and suggests the existence of a multi-gap superconductivity in this compound. The large and small superconducting gap values estimated at T = 4.2K are ΔL = 10.5 \pm 2 meV and ΔS = 2.3 \pm 0.4 meV, respectively.
We calculate the Andreev spectroscopy between a ferromagnetic lead and Bi/Ni bilayer system for three types of superconducting states, including ABM state, ABM state mixing with S-wave state, ABM state mixing with pz-wave state. Among them, ABM state and ABM state mixing with S- wave state can obtain the Andreev conductance consistent with the point contact experiment[G. J. Zhao,et al, arXiv:1810.10403], but failed to explain the experiment of time-domain THz spectroscopy experiment[Prashant Chauhan,et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 017002(2019)]. Only the ABM state mixing with pz-wave state can ex…
We experimentally investigate charge transport through a single planar junction between Cd$_3$As$_2$ Dirac semimetal and a normal Au lead. For non-superconducting bulk Cd$_3$As$_2$ samples, we observe non-Ohmic $dV/dI(V)$ curves, which strongly resemble standard Andreev reflection with well-defined superconducting gap. Andreev-like behavior is demonstrated for Cd$_3$As$_2$ samples with different surface and contact preparation techniques. We connect this behavior with surface superconductivity due to the flat-band formation in Cd$_3$As$_2$, which has been predicted theoretically. The conclusio…
Using intrinsic multiple Andreev reflection effect (IMARE) spectroscopy we studied superconducting properties of nearly optimal oxygen-deficient GdFeAsO$_{0.88}$ polycrystalline samples (bulk critical temperatures $T_C^{bulk} = 49 ÷52$\,K). Temperature dependences for two superconducting gaps $Δ_{L,S}(T)$ ($T_C^{local} = 48 ÷50$\,K) have been measured in the range from 4.2 to 50\,K. The $Δ_{L,S}(T)$ dependences were found to deviate from the BCS-like function; this suggests an importance of the $k$-space (internal) proximity effect between the two condensates.
Binary compounds of SnT family(T= As, Sb, Te, S, Se, P) exhibit novel properties like superconductivity, topologically protected states etc. Some of these compounds crystallize in NaCl type structure or in layered structure, both of which are considered potentially important for high-temperature/unconventional superconductivity. It was previously shown that K-doped BaBiO$_3$ with NaCl type structure exhibits superconducting state below $\sim$ 30 K. SnAs has crystallographic configuration that is exactly similar to K-doped BaBiO$_3$ and this warrants for the investigation of superconductivity i…
Point-contact Andreev-reflection measurements were performed in SmFeAsO_{0.8}F_{0.2} polycrystals with T_c \simeq 53 K. The experimental conductance curves reproducibly exhibit peaks around \pm 6 mV and shoulders at V \sim 16-20 mV, indicating the presence of two nodeless superconducting gaps. While the single-band Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk fit can only reproduce a small central portion of the conductance curve, the two-gap one accounts remarkably well for the shape of the whole experimental dI/dV. The fits of the normalized curves give Delta_1(0) = 6.15 \pm 0.45 meV and Delta_2(0) = 18 \pm 3 m…
Directional point-contact Andreev-reflection (PCAR) measurements in Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 single crystals (Tc=24.5 K) indicate the presence of two superconducting gaps with no line nodes on the Fermi surface. The PCAR spectra also feature additional structures related to the electron-boson interaction, from which the characteristic boson energy Omega_b(T) is obtained, very similar to the spin-resonance energy observed in neutron scattering experiments. Both the gaps and the additional structures can be reproduced within a three-band s+- Eliashberg model by using an electron-boson spectral function …
In recent years, Majorana physics has attracted considerable attention in both theoretical and experimental studies due to exotic new phenomena and its prospects for fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. To this end, one needs to engineer the interplay between superconductivity and electronic properties in a topological insulator, but experimental work remains scarce and ambiguous. Here we report experimental evidence for topological superconductivity induced in a HgTe quantum well, a two-dimensional topological insulator that exhibits the quantum spin Hall effect. The ac Josephson e…
Although the standard theory of superconductivity based on the BCS theory is a successful one, several experimental results indicate the necessity for a fundamental revision. We argue that the revision is on the origin of the phase variable for superconductivity; this phase appears as a consequence of the electron-pairing in the standard theory, but its origin is a Berry connection arising from many-body wave functions. When this Berry connection is non-trivial, it gives rise to a collective mode that generates supercurrent; this collective mode creates number-changing operators for particles …
The iron-based superconductor FeTe$_{1-x}$Se$_{x}$ has attracted considerable attention as a candidate topological superconductor owing to a unique combination of topological surface states and bulk high-temperature superconductivity. The superconducting properties of as-grown single crystals, however, are highly variable and synthesis dependent due to excess interstitial iron impurities incorporated during growth. Here we report a novel physicochemical process for pumping this interstitial iron out of the FeTe$_{1-x}$Se$_{x}$ matrix and achieving bulk superconductivity. Our method should have…
Directional point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy measurements on the Ba$_{0.55}$K$_{0.45}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ single crystals are presented. The spectra show significant differences when measured in the $ab$ plane in comparison with those measured in the $c$ direction of the crystal. In the latter case only a reduced point-contact conductance around zero bias has been revealed persisting well above $T_c$ and probably related to the structural and magnetic transitions in the system. Within the $ab$ plane two superconducting energy gaps are detected below $T_c$. Here a reduced conductance abov…
The coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism has brought about the phenomena of ferromagnetic superconductors. The theory needed to understand the compatibility of such antagonistic phenomena cannot be built until the pairing symmetry of such superconductors is correctly identified. The proper and unambiguous identification of the pairing symmetry of such superconductors is the subject of this paper. This work shows that crossed Andreev reflection can be a very effective tool in order to identify the pairing symmetry of these superconductors.
We study unconventional superconductivity in thin exfoliated single crystals of a promising 3D topological superconductor candidate, Nb-doped Bi$_2$Se$_3$ through Andreev reflection spectroscopy and magneto-transport. Measurements of Andreev reflection in low and high resistance samples both show enhanced conductance around zero bias and conductance dips at the superconducting energy gap. Such behavior is inconsistent with conventional Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory of Andreev reflection. We discuss how our results are consistent with $p$-wave pairing symmetry, supporting the possibility of t…
We propose that the odd-frequency $s$ wave ($s^{\rm{odd}}$ wave) superconducting gap function, which is usually unstable in the bulk, naturally emerges at the edge of $d$ wave superconductors. This prediction is based on the surface spin fluctuation pairing mechanism owing to the zero-energy surface Andreev bound state. The interference between bulk and edge gap functions triggers the $d+s^{\rm{odd}}$ state, and the generated spin current is a useful signal uncovering the ``hidden'' odd-frequency gap. In addition, the edge $s^{\rm{odd}}$ gap can be determined via the proximity effect on the di…
We show analytically and by numerical simulations that the conductance through $π$-biased chaotic Josephson junctions is enhanced by several orders of magnitude in the short-wavelength regime. We identify the mechanism behind this effect as {\it macroscopic resonant tunneling} through a macroscopic number of low-energy quasi-degenerate Andreev levels.
We present a new theoretical formulation of non-equilibrium superconducting phenomena, including singlet and triplet pairing. We start from the general Keldysh-Nambu-Gor'kov Green's functions in the quasiclassical approximation and represent them in terms of 2x2 spin-matrix coherence functions and distribution functions for particle-type and hole-type excitations. The resulting transport equations for the distribution functions may be interpreted as a generalization to the superconducting state of Landau's transport equation for the normal Fermi liquid of conduction electrons. The equations ar…
We experimentally investigate transport properties of a single planar junction between the niobium superconductor and the edge of a two-dimensional electron system in a narrow $In_{0.75}Ga_{0.25}As$ quantum well with strong Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. We experimentally demonstrate suppression of Andreev reflection at low biases at ultra low temperatures. From the analysis of temperature and magnetic field behavior, we interpret the observed suppression as a result of a spin-orbit coupling. There is also an experimental sign of the topological superconductivity realization in the present s…
We investigate the interplay of superconductivity and the topological order in the topological insulator (TI) formed in HgTe-CdTe quantum wells coupled to the s-wave isotropic superconductor (SC) placed on top of CdTe layer. Proximity effect induces superconducting correlations in TI effecting classification of the TI electronic states. Depending on the strength of the coupling and the initial chemical potentials in SC and TI, the edge states either (i) become gapped, or (ii) hybridize into localized Andreev states, or else (iii) merge with the bulk states turning the TI into an anisotropic na…
We study theoretically the topological surface states (TSSs) and the possible surface Andreev bound states (SABSs) of Cu$_{x}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ which is known to be a topological insulator at $x=0$. The superconductivity (SC) pairing of this compound is assumed to have the broken spin-rotation symmetry, similar to that of the A-phase of $^{3}$He as suggested by recent nuclear-magnetic resonance experiments. For both spheroidal and corrugated cylindrical Fermi surfaces with the hexagonal warping terms, we show that the bulk SC gap is rather anisotropic; the minimum of the gap is negligibly small…
Current-voltage characteristics and dynamic conductance of the superconductor - constriction - superconductor junctions in GdO(F)FeAs polycrystalline samples with critical temperatures Tc^local = 46 - 53 K were investigated. Two superconducting gaps, the large Delta_L = 10.5 +- 2 meV, and the small one Delta_S = 2.3 +- 0.4 meV were clearly observed at T = 4.2 K. The 2Delta_L/kTc^local = 5.5 +- 1 ratio gives support to the strong coupling mechanism which is responsible for the high Tc value. Temperature dependence of the large gap Delta_L(T) indicates the presence of intrinsic proximity effect …
The superconducting gap function of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ was investigated by means of quasiparticle reflection and transmission at the normal conductor-superconductor interface of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$-Pt point contacts. We found two distinguishly different types of $dV/dI$ vs $V$ spectra either with a double-minimum structure or with a zero-bias conductance anomaly. Both types of spectra are expected in the limit of high and low transparency, respectively, of the interface barrier between a normal metal and a spin-triplet superconductor. Together with the temperature dependence of the spectra this result st…
A characteristic feature of the BCS theory of superconductivity is the quantum-mechanical coherence of particle and hole states. Direct observation of particle-hole coherence in unusual superconducting materials is a strong indication of traditional superconductivity. We use the Fermi liquid theory of superconductivity to study the implications of particle-hole coherence on properties of d-wave superconductors near surfaces. Typical surface phenomena are the suppression of the superconducting order parameter, surface bound states associated with Andreev reflection, anomalous screening currents…
Many of the properties of superconductors related to quantum coherence are revealed when the superconducting state is forced to vary in space - in response to an external magnetic field, a proximity contact, an interface to a ferromagnet, or to impurities embedded in the superconductor. Among the earliest examples is Andreev reflection of an electron into a retro-reflected hole at a normal-superconducting interface. In regions of strong inhomogeneity multiple Andreev reflection leads to the formation of sub-gap states, Andreev bound states, with excitation energies below the superconducting ga…
We propose a setup to realize time-reversal invariant topological superconductors in quantum wires, proximity coupled to conventional superconductors. We consider a model of quantum wire with strong spin-orbit coupling and proximity coupling to two s-wave superconductors. When the relative phase between the two superconductors is $ϕ=π$ a Kramers' pair of Majorana zero modes appears at each edge of the wire. We study the robustness of the phase in presence of both time-reversal invariant and time-reversal breaking perturbations. In addition, we show that the system forms a natural realization o…
Systematic studies of the NdFeAsOF superconducting energy gap via the point-contact Andreev-reflection (PCAR) spectroscopy are presented. The PCAR conductance spectra show at low temperatures a pair of gap-like peaks at about 4 - 7 mV indicating the superconducting energy gap and in most cases also a pair of humps at around 10 mV. Fits to the s-wave two-gap model of the PCAR conductance allowed to determine two superconducting energy gaps in the system. The energy-gap features however disappear already at T* = 15 to 20 K, much below the particular Tc of the junction under study. At T* a zero-b…
In noncentrosymmetric superconductors (NCSs), the conversion of a charge current into spin magnetization - the so called magnetoelectric effect - is the direct indicator of the unconventional, mixed-parity order parameter. This paper proposes a scheme to detect the magnetoelectric effect by anomalous, equal-spin Andreev tunneling in NCS/ferromagnet contacts. The proposal relies on the ability to generate spin-polarized triplet pairing by passing an electric current through an NCS. Such an induced triplet pairing bears a similarity to the paradigmatic nonunitary pairing in triplet superfluids w…
Superconductivity is characterized by a nonvanishing superconducting pair amplitude. It has a definite symmetry in spin, momentum and frequency (time). While the spin and momentum symmetry have been probed experimentally for different classes of superconductivity, the odd-frequency nature of certain superconducting correlations has not been demonstrated yet in a direct way. Here we propose the thermopower as an unambiguous way to assess odd-frequency superconductivity. This is possible since the thermoelectric coefficient given by Andreev-like processes is only finite in the presence of odd-fr…
Experimental evidence for Majorana bound states (MBSs) is so far mainly based on the robustness of a zero-bias conductance peak. However, similar features can also arise due to Andreev bound states (ABSs) localized at the end of an island. We show that these two scenarios can be distinguished by an interferometry experiment based on embedding a Coulomb-blockaded island into an Aharonov-Bohm ring. For two ABSs, when the ground state is nearly degenerate, cotunneling can change the state of the island and interference is suppressed. By contrast, for two MBSs the ground state is nondegenerate and…
We demonstrate that the selective equal spin Andreev reflection (SESAR) spectroscopy can be used in STM experiments to distinguish the zero-energy Majorana quasiparticles from the ordinary fermionic states of the Rashba chain. Such technique, designed for probing the p-wave superconductivity, could be applied to the intersite pairing of equal-spin electrons in the chain of magnetic Fe atoms deposited on the superconducting Pb substrate. Our calculations of the effective pairing amplitude for individual spin components imply the magnetically polarized Andreev conductance, which can be used to `…
Spin pumping consists in the injection of spin currents into a non-magnetic material due to the precession of an adjacent ferromagnet. In addition to the pumping of spin the precession always leads to pumping of heat, but in the presence of spin-orbital entanglement it also leads to a charge current. We investigate the pumping of charge, spin and heat in a device where a superconductor and a quantum spin Hall insulator are in proximity contact with a ferromagnetic insulator. We show that the device supports two robust operation regimes arising from topological effects. In one regime, the pumpe…
Using Andreev reflection (AR) as an experimental gauge of the superconducting proximity effect (PE), we assess the topological purity of the superconductivity that is induced by the c-axis PE between an s-wave superconductor and the topological insulators Bi$_{2}$X$_{3}$ (X=Se,Te). Point-contact AR spectroscopy is performed with Nb tips on Bi$_{2}$X$_{3}$ single crystals at 4.2 K. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is also used, to locate the Fermi level $E_F$ relative to the Dirac point in the crystals. The AR data is analyzed with Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory, taking into account tip-induced…
We study an analytical model of a Rashba nanowire that is partially covered by and coupled to a thin superconducting layer, where the uncovered region of the nanowire forms a quantum dot. We find that, even if there is no topological superconducting phase possible, there is a trivial Andreev bound state that becomes pinned exponentially close to zero energy as a function of magnetic field strength when the length of the quantum dot is tuned with respect to its spin-orbit length such that a resonance condition of Fabry-Perot type is satisfied. In this case, we find that the Andreev bound state …
Tunneling spectroscopy measurements are often used to probe the energy spectrum of Andreev bound states (ABSs) in semiconductor-superconductor hybrids. Recently, this spectroscopy technique has been incorporated into planar Josephson junctions (JJs) formed in two-dimensional electron gases, a potential platform to engineer phase-controlled topological superconductivity. Here, we perform ABS spectroscopy at the two ends of planar JJs and study the effects of the magnetic vector potential on the ABS spectrum. We show that the local superconducting phase difference arising from the vector potenti…
By measuring point-contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) spectra in the newly discovered chromium-based quasi-one-dimensional superconductor RbCr$_{3}$As$_{3}$, we find clear evidence of two superconducting components, i.e., one having a gap value of about 1.8 meV and another with a gap value of about 5 meV. Since the current injection may have components in both the direction parallel and perpendicular to the [(Cr$_{3}$As$_{3}$)$^{-}$]$_\infty$ chains in the PCAR measurements, it naturally explains the two-component feature observed in this multi-band superconductor. Detailed analysis shows that …
Electrons in a Dirac semimetals possess linear dispersion in all three spatial dimensions, and form part of a developing platform of novel quantum materials. Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$ supports a three-dimensional Dirac cone at the Sb-induced band inversion point. Nanoscale phase-sensitive junction technology is used to induce superconductivity in this Dirac semimetal. Radio frequency irradiation experiments reveal a significant contribution of 4$π$-periodic Andreev bound states to the supercurrent in Nb-Bi$_{0.97}$Sb$_{0.03}$-Nb Josephson junctions. The conditions for a substantial $4π$ contribution to…
Superconducting proximity junctions made of topological insulator (TI) nanoribbons (NRs) provide a useful platform for studying topological superconductivity. We report on the fabrication and measurement of Josephson junctions (JJs) using Sb doped Bi$_2$Se$_3$ NRs in contact with Al electrodes. Aharonov$-$Bohm and Altshuler$-$Aronov$-$Spivak oscillations of the axial magneto-conductance of TI NR were observed, indicating the existence of metallic surface states along the circumference of the TI NR. We observed the supercurrent in the TI NR JJ and subharmonic gap structures of the differential …
We report on a study of the superconducting order parameter in Fe(Te$_{1-x}$Se$_{x}$) thin films (with different Se contents: x=0.3, 0.4, 0.5) by means of point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy (PCARS). The PCARS spectra show reproducible evidence of multiple structures, namely two clear conductance maxima associated to a superconducting gap of amplitude $Δ_E \simeq 2.75 k_B T_c$ and additional shoulders at higher energy that, as we show, are the signature of the strong interaction of charge carriers with a bosonic mode whose characteristic energy coincides with the spin-resonance energ…
Superconductivity is a quantum phenomena arising, in its simplest form, from pairing of fermions with opposite spin into a state with zero net momentum. Whether superconductivity can occur in fermionic systems with unequal number of two species distinguished by spin, atomic hyperfine states, flavor, presents an important open question in condensed matter, cold atoms, and quantum chromodynamics, physics. In the former case the imbalance between spin-up and spin-down electrons forming the Cooper pairs is indyced by the magnetic field. Nearly fifty years ago Fulde, Ferrell, Larkin and Ovchinnikov…
The Andreev reflection (AR) spectroscopy has been used to probe mutual influence of superconducting pairing and ferromagnetic correlations in contacts of low-temperature superconductor (S), Pb, and half-metallic ferromagnetic, La0.65Ca0.35MnO3(LCMO). Two different AR spectra have been observed. In the contacts without proximity effect, the AR spectra reveal a behavior typical for superconductor/spin-polarized metal contacts. In the contacts, which we distinguish as the proximity affected ones, a few unusual effects have been detected. Namely, we have observed: (i) a spectacular drop in the res…
