Fluctuations of the Order Parameter's Phase in Layered Superconductors

Abstract

The influence of the quantum fluctuations of the order parameter's phase on the critical temperature Tc is studied for a Josephson coupled layered superconductor. Two characteristic critical temperatures exist for a system, namely the superconducting critical temperature T(2)c for a single layer estimated by the mean-field theory and the transition temperature for the outset or the superconducting phase coherence T*c. The true critical temperature Tc is shown to vary inside the intervals T*c ≤ Tc ≤ T(2)c. For a strong quantum phase fluctuation limit, the superconducting layers become decoupled.