Nernst, Seebeck, and hall effect in the mixed state of anisotropic superconductors — effect of vortex-antivortex excitations

Abstract

In the mixed state of superconductors the motion of the vortex structure due to a temperature gradient generates the Nernst and Seebeck effect. The first is essentially the result of the thermal force acting directly on the vortex lines. The second effect is primarily due to the thermal diffusion of quasiparticles which is compensated by a backflow supercurrent. We show that the presence of free vortex-antivortex excitations does not contribute to the measured transverse Nernst electric field but to the longitudinal Seebeck electric field. The opposite is true for the respective Hall components.