Applying the Helmholtz Decomposition theorem to linearized General Relativity leads to a gauge-invariant formulation where the transverse-traceless part of the metric perturbation describes gravitational waves in matter. Gravitational waves incident on a superconductor can be described by a linear London-like constituent equation characterized by a "gravitational shear modulus" and a corresponding plasma frequency and penetration depth. Electric-like and magnetic-like gravitational tensor fields are defined in terms of the strain field of a gravitational wave. It is shown that in the DC limit, the magnetic-like tensor field is expelled from the superconductor in a gravitational Meissner-like effect. The Cooper pair density is described by the GinzburgLandau free energy density embedded in curved spacetime. The ionic lattice is modeled by quantum harmonic oscillators coupled to gravitational waves and characterized by quasi-energy eigenvalues for the phonon modes. The formulation predicts the possibility of a dynamical Casimir effect since the zero-point energy of the ionic lattice phonons is found to be modulated by the gravitational wave, in a quantum analog of a "Weber-bar effect." Applying periodic thermodynamics and the Debye model in the low-temperature limit leads to a free energy density for the ionic lattice. Lastly, we relate the gravitational strain of space to the strain of matter to show that the response to a gravitational wave is far less for the Cooper pair density than for the ionic lattice. This predicts a charge separation effect in the superconductor as a result of the gravitational wave.
We consider the interaction between the Earth's gravitational field and a superconductor in the fluctuation regime. Exploiting the weak field expansion formalism and using time dependent Ginzburg-Landau formulation, we show a possible short-time alteration of the gravitational field in the vicinity of the superconductor.
We provide the detailed calculation of a general form for Maxwell and London equations that takes into account gravitational corrections in linear approximation. We determine the possible alteration of a static gravitational field in a superconductor making use of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, providing also an analytic solution in the weak field condition. Finally, we compare the behavior of a high-Tc superconductor with a classical low-Tc superconductor, analyzing the values of the parameters that can enhance the reduction of the gravitational field.
The response of a superconductor to a gravitational wave is shown to obey a London-like constituent equation. The Cooper pairs are described by the Ginzburg-Landau free energy density embedded in curved spacetime. The lattice ions are modeled by quantum harmonic oscillators characterized by quasi-energy eigenvalues. This formulation is shown to predict a dynamical Casimir effect since the zero-point energy of the ionic lattice phonons is modulated by the gravitational wave. It is also shown that the response to a gravitational wave is far less for the Cooper pair density than for the ionic lat…
The attractive gravitational force between two electrons in superconductors is deduced from the Eddington-Dirac large number relation, together with Beck and Mackey electromagnetic model of vacuum energy in superconductors. This force is estimated to be weaker than the gravitational attraction between two electrons in the vacuum.
We calculate the possible interaction between a superconductor and the static Earth's gravitational fields, making use of the gravito-Maxwell formalism combined with the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory. We try to estimate which are the most favourable conditions to enhance the effect, optimizing the superconductor parameters characterizing the chosen sample. We also give a qualitative comparison of the behaviour of high-$T_\text{c}$ and classical low-$T_\text{c}$ superconductors with respect to the gravity/superfluid interplay.
It is well known that a covariant Lagrangian for relativistic charged particles can lead to a vanishing Hamiltonian. Alternatively, it is shown that using a "space+time" Lagrangian leads to a new canonical momentum and minimal coupling rule that describes the coupling of both electromagnetic and gravitational fields to a relativistic charged particle. Discrepancies between Hamiltonians obtained by various authors are resolved. The canonical momentum leads to a new form of the London equations and London gauge. Using the linearized Einstein field equation in harmonic coordinates, and a non-rela…
Recent measurements on a class of high-Tc superconductors (HTSC) have shown that Cooper-pairs binding may be associated to a d-wave, while in another class, d and s waves may coexist. When d-wave Cooper-pairs are injected in a superconductor that can sustain s-wave binding, d-wave pairs decay to s-wave pairs and energy is irradiated by means of gravitons. We show that in s-wave to d-wave type superconductor (SDS) junctions in an equilibrium condition no net gravitational wave energy is emitted, on the other hand under non equilibrium conditions a net gravitational wave energy is emitted by the…
We will use Fisher information to properly analyze the quantum weak equivalence principle. We argue that gravitational waves will be partially reflected by superconductors. This will occur as the violation of the weak equivalence principle in Cooper pairs is larger than the surrounding ionic lattice. Such reflections of virtual gravitational waves by superconductors can produce a gravitational Casimir effect, which may be detected using currently available technology.
It is known that the contribution of torsion to the equation for the chiral Weyl fermions can be equivalently considered in terms of the axial $U(1)$ gauge field. In this scenario the gravitational field transforms to the $U(1)$ gauge field. Here we show that in chiral superconductors the opposite scenario takes place: the electromagnetic $U(1)$ field serves as the spin connection for the Bogoliubov fermionic quasiparticles. As a result the electromagnetic field gives rise to the gravitational anomaly, which contains the extra factor $1/3$ in the corresponding Adler-Bell-Jackiw equation as com…
We estimate the conjectured interaction between the Earth gravitational field and a superconductor immersed in external, static electric and magnetic field. The latter is close to the sample upper critical field and generates the presence of a vortex lattice. The proposed interaction could lead to multiple, measurable effects. First of all, a local affection of the gravitational field inside the superconductor could take place. Second, a new component of a generalized electric field parallel to the superconductor surface is generated inside the sample. The analysis is performed by using the ti…
A simple tabletop setup based on a superconducting quantum interference device is proposed for testing the gravitational interaction. A D-shaped superconducting loop has the straight segment immersed inside a massive sphere while the half-circle segment is wrapped around the sphere. The superconducting condensate within the straight arm of the loop thus bathes inside a gravitational simple harmonic oscillator potential while the condensate in the half-circle arm bathes in the constant gravitational potential around the sphere. The resulting phase difference at the Josephson junctions on both s…
Superconductors will be considered as macroscopic quantum gravitational antennas and transducers, which can directly convert upon reflection a beam of quadrupolar electromagnetic radiation into gravitational radiation, and vice versa, and thus serve as practical laboratory sources and receivers of microwave and other radio-frequency gravitational waves. An estimate of the transducer conversion efficiency on the order of unity comes out of the Ginzburg-Landau theory for an extreme type II, dissipationless superconductor with minimal coupling to weak gravitational and electromagnetic radiation f…
We review and discuss some recent developments on the unconventional interaction between superconducting systems and the local gravitational field. While it is known that gravitational perturbations (such as gravitational waves) can affect supercondensates and supercurrents dynamics, here we want to focus on the more subtle superfluid back-reaction acting on the surrounding gravitational field, analysing some specific favourable situations. To this end, we will consider suitable quantum macrosystems in a coherent state, immersed in the static weak Earth's gravitational field, investigating pos…
The general relativistic modifications to the resistive state in superconductors of second type in the presence of a stationary gravitational field are studied. Some superconducting devices that can measure the gravitational field by its red-shift effect on the frequency of radiation are suggested. It has been shown that by varying the orientation of a superconductor with respect to the earth gravitational field, a corresponding varying contribution to AC Josephson frequency would be added by gravity. A magnetic flux (being proportional to angular velocity of rotation $Ω$) through a rotating h…
The quantization of the extended canonical momentum in quantum materials including the effects of gravitational drag is applied successively to the case of a multiply connected rotating superconductor and superfluid. Experiments carried out on rotating superconductors, based on the quantization of the magnetic flux in rotating superconductors, lead to a disagreement with the theoretical predictions derived from the quantization of a canonical momentum without any gravitomagnetic term. To what extent can these discrepancies be attributed to the additional gravitomagnetic term of the extended ca…
The general principles needed to compute the effect of a stationary gravitational field on the quasistationary electromagnetic phenomena in normal conductors and superconductors are formulated from general relativistic point of view. Generalization of the skin effect, that is the general relativistic modification of the penetration depth (of the time-dependent magnetic field in the conductor) due to its relativistic coupling to the gravitational field is obtained. The effect of the gravitational field on the penetration and coherence depths in superconductors is also studied. As an illustratio…
These lectures give an introduction to the theory of holographic superconductors. These are superconductors that have a dual gravitational description using gauge/gravity duality. After introducing a suitable gravitational theory, we discuss its properties in various regimes: the probe limit, the effects of backreaction, the zero temperature limit, and the addition of magnetic fields. Using the gauge/gravity dictionary, these properties reproduce many of the standard features of superconductors. Some familiarity with gauge/gravity duality is assumed. A list of open problems is included at the …
We study the behaviour of a superconductor in a weak static gravitational field for temperatures slightly greater than its transition temperature (fluctuation regime). Making use of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, we find a possible short time alteration of the static gravitational field in the vicinity of the superconductor, providing also a qualitative behaviour in the weak field condition. Finally, we compare the behaviour of various superconducting materials, investigating which parameters could enhance the gravitational field alteration.
One of the conceptual tensions between quantum mechanics (QM) and general relativity (GR) arises from the clash between the spatial nonseparability of entangled states in QM, and the complete spatial separability of all physical systems in GR, i.e., between the nonlocality implied by the superposition principle, and the locality implied by the equivalence principle. Experimental consequences of this conceptual tension will be explored for macroscopically coherent quantum fluids, such as superconductors, superfluids, and atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), subjected to tidal and Lense-Thir…
We study thermodynamics of black hole solutions in Lanczos-Lovelock AdS gravity in d+1 dimensions coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics and a Stueckelberg scalar field. This class of theories is used in the context of gauge/gravity duality to describe a high-temperature superconductor in d dimensions. Larger number of coupling constants in the gravitational side is necessary to widen a domain of validity of physical quantities in a dual QFT. We regularize the gravitational action and find the finite conserved quantities for a planar black hole with scalar hair. Then we derive the quantum statis…
In this paper, we have studied the effect of Born-Infeld electrodynamics in holographic $p$-wave superconductors with massive vector condensation. We have analysed this model in the probe limit using a variational method known as the Stürm-Liouville eigenvalue approach. For this $p$-wave holographic superconductor model, we have calculated the critical temperature $T_{c}$ as well as the value of the condensation operator for two different choices of $m^{2}$. We have also pointed out the similarities and dissimilarities between this model for $m^{2} = 0$ and $p$-wave holographic superconductor …
We study the planar anti-de Sitter black hole in the p-wave holographic superconductor model. We identify a critical coupling value which determines the type of phase transition. Beyond the horizon, at specific temperatures flat spacetime emerges. Numerical analysis close to these temperatures demonstrates the appearance of a large number of alternating Kasner epochs.
A novel gravitational-wave antenna is proposed based on the prediction that supercurrents induced by gravitational waves in a superconductor that is bent into the shape of a figure "8" will couple efficiently to such waves.
