Nonuniform Spin Triplet Superconductivity due to Antisymmetric Spin–Orbit-Coupling in Noncentrosymmetric Superconductor CePt3Si

Abstract

We show that the nonuniform state [Fulde–Ferrell–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) of external magnetic field. Since there are gapless excitations in nonuniform superconducting state, some physical quantities such as specific heat and penetration depth should obey different temperature-dependences from those in the uniform superconductivity. We discuss the possibility of the realization of nonuniform state in CePt 3 Si.