Pairing Gap Research Articles

Pairing symmetry of the one-band Hubbard model in the paramagnetic weak-coupling limit: A numerical RPA study

We study the spin-fluctuation-mediated superconducting pairing gap in a weak-coupling approach to the Hubbard model for a two dimensional square lattice in the paramagnetic state. Performing a comprehensive theoretical study of the phase diagram as a function of filling, we find that the superconducting gap exhibits transitions from p-wave at very low electron fillings to d_{x^2-y^2}-wave symmetry close to half filling in agreement with previous reports. At intermediate filling levels, different gap symmetries appear as a consequence of the changes in the Fermi surface topology and the associated structure of the spin susceptibility. In particular, the vicinity of a van Hove singularity in the electronic structure close to the Fermi level has important consequences for the gap structure in favoring the otherwise sub-dominant triplet solution over the singlet d-wave solution. By solving the full gap equation, we find that the energetically favorable triplet solutions are chiral and break time reversal symmetry. Finally, we also calculate the detailed angular gap structure of the quasi-particle spectrum, and show how spin-fluctuation-mediated pairing leads to significant deviations from the first harmonics both in the singlet d_{x^2-y^2} gap as well as the chiral triplet gap solution.

Collective modes in the superfluid inner crust of neutron stars

The neutron star inner crust is assumed to be superfluid at relevant temperatures. The contribution of neutron quasiparticles to thermodynamic and transport properties of the crust is therefore strongly suppressed by the pairing gap. Nevertheless, the neutron gas still has low-energy excitations, namely long-wavelength collective modes. We summarize different approaches to describe the collective modes in the crystalline phases of the inner crust and present an improved model for the description of the collective modes in the pasta phases within superfluid hydrodynamics.

Upper critical field and (non)-superconductivity of magnetars

We construct equilibrium models of compact stars using a realistic equation of state and obtain the density range occupied by the proton superconductor in strong B-fields. We do so by combining the density profiles of our models with microscopic calculations of proton pairing gaps and the critical unpairing field H c2 above which the proton type-II superconductivity is destroyed. We find that magnetars with interior homogeneous field within the range 0.1 ≤ B 16 ≤ 2, where B 16 = B/1016 G, are partially superconducting, whereas those with B 16 > 2 are void of superconductivity. We briefly discuss the neutrino emissivity and superfluid dynamics of magnetars in the light of their (non)-superconductivity.

Chiral topological superconductor and half-integer conductance plateau from quantum anomalous Hall plateau transition

We propose to realize a two-dimensional chiral topological superconducting (TSC) state from the quantum anomalous Hall plateau transition in a magnetic topological insulator thin film through the proximity effect to a conventional $s$-wave superconductor. This state has a full pairing gap in the bulk and a single chiral Majorana mode at the edge. The optimal condition for realizing such chiral TSC is to have inequivalent superconducting pairing amplitudes on top and bottom surfaces of the doped magnetic topological insulator. We further propose several transport experiments to detect the chiral TSC. One unique signature is that the conductance will be quantized into a half-integer plateau at the coercive field in this hybrid system. In particular, with the point contact formed by a superconducting junction, the conductance oscillates between $e^2/2h$ and $e^2/h$ with the frequency determined by the voltage across the junction. We close by discussing the feasibility of these experimental proposals.

Induced p-wave superfluidity in imbalanced Fermi gases in a synthetic gauge field

We study the pairing formation and the appearance of induced spin-triplet p-wave superfluidity in dilute three-dimensional imbalanced Fermi gases in the presence of a uniform non-Abelian gauge field. This gauge field generates a synthetic Rashba-type spin–orbit interaction which has remarkable consequences in the induced p-wave pairing gaps. Without the synthetic gauge field, the p-wave pairing occurs in one of the components due to the induced (second-order) interaction via an exchange of density fluctuations in the other component. We show that this p-wave superfluid gap induced by density fluctuations is greatly enhanced due to the Rashba-type spin–orbit coupling.

Point nodes persisting far beyond Tc in Bi2212.

In contrast to a complex feature of antinodal state, suffering from competing orders, the pairing gap of cuprates is obtained in the nodal region, which therefore holds the key to the superconducting mechanism. One of the biggest question is whether the point nodal state as a hallmark of d-wave pairing collapses at Tc like the BCS-type superconductors, or it instead survives above Tc turning into the preformed pair state. A difficulty in this issue comes from the small magnitude of the nodal gap, which has been preventing experimentalists from solving it. Here we use a laser ARPES capable of ultrahigh-energy resolution, and detect the point nodes surviving far beyond Tc in Bi2212. By tracking the temperature evolution of spectra, we reveal that the superconductivity occurs when the pair-breaking rate is suppressed smaller than the single-particle scattering rate on cooling, which governs the value of Tc in cuprates.

Pairing phase transition: A finite-temperature relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov study

Background: The relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (RHFB) theory has recently been developed and it provides a unified and highly predictive description of both nuclear mean field and pairing correlations. Ground state properties of finite nuclei can accurately be reproduced without neglecting exchange (Fock) contributions. Purpose: Finite-temperature RHFB (FT-RHFB) theory has not yet been developed, leaving yet unknown its predictions for phase transitions and thermal excitations in both stable and weakly bound nuclei. Method: FT-RHFB equations are solved in a Dirac Woods-Saxon (DWS) basis considering two kinds of pairing interactions: finite or zero range. Such a model is appropriate for describing stable as well as loosely bound nuclei since the basis states have correct asymptotic behaviour for large spatial distributions. Results: Systematic FT-RH(F)B calculations are performed for several semi-magic isotopic/isotonic chains comparing the predictions of a large number of Lagrangians, among which are PKA1, PKO1 and DD-ME2. It is found that the critical temperature for a pairing transition generally follows the rule $T_c = 0.60\Delta(0)$ for a finite-range pairing force and $T_c = 0.57\Delta(0)$ for a contact pairing force, where $\Delta(0)$ is the pairing gap at zero temperature. Two types of pairing persistence are analysed: type I pairing persistence occurs in closed subshell nuclei while type II pairing persistence can occur in loosely bound nuclei strongly coupled to the continuum states. Conclusions: This first FT-RHFB calculation shows very interesting features of the pairing correlations at finite temperature and in finite systems such as pairing re-entrance and pairing persistence.

Automated selection of components in bearing assembly for diesel engines

The functional and structural configuration of a system for automated selection of components in crankshaft-bearing assembly for diesel engines is presented. Computer support permits optimization of the gaps in the coaxial frictional pairs of the slipping crankshaft bearings.

Realizing Majorana zero modes by proximity effect between topological insulators andd-wave high-temperature superconductors

We theoretically study superconducting proximity effect between a topological insulator (TI) and a high-temperature d-wave superconductor (dSC). When the TI-dSC heterostructure violates 90 degree-rotation and certain reflection symmetries, we show that a sizable s-wave pairing, coexisting with a d-wave one, emerges in the proximity-induced superconductivity in the TI's top surface states. Weak disorder further suppresses d-wave pairing but not s-wave one in the TI's surface states. More importantly, the pairing gap in surface states is found to be nodeless and nearly-isotropic when the Fermi pocket of surface states is relatively small. Our theoretical results qualitatively explain recent experimental evidences of a nearly-isotropic pairing gap on surface states of Bi_2Se_3 induced by proximity with high-T_c cuprate Bi_2Ca_2Cu_2O_{8+\delta}. We also demonstrate convincing evidences of Majorana zero modes in a magnetic hc/2e vortex core, which may be detectable in future experiments.

Intermode-coupling modulation in the fermion-boson model: heating effects in the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer regime

Heating induced by an oscillating modulation of the interaction strength in an atomic Fermion pair condensate is analyzed. The coupled fermion-boson model, generalized by incorporating a time-dependent intermode coupling through a magnetic Feshbach resonance, is applied. The dynamics are analytically characterized in a perturbative scheme. The results account for experimental findings which have uncovered a damped and delayed response of the condensate to the modulation. The delay is due to the variation of the quasiparticle energies and the subsequent relaxation of the condensate. The detected damping results from the excitations induced by a nonadiabatic modulation: for driving frequencies larger than twice the pairing gap, quasiparticles are generated and, consequently, heating sets in.

Dirac electron-hole pairing gap in the heterostructure of ultra-thin films of topological insulator bilayer

The electron-hole pairing gap in a system of topological insulator (TI) ultra-thin film bilayer separated by a dielectric barrier is theoretically investigated beyond the mean-field approximation. We show that the pairing gap Δ is dramatically suppressed when accounting for the Coulomb correlation effect as well as the finite-thickness effect of the dielectric barrier. However, Δ can be increased by the coupling between the upper and lower surface states of each TI ultra-thin film. In order to observe much larger Δ in the present structure experimentally, the dielectric surrounding media materials with much lower dielectric constant, such as SiO2-based xerogel films, may be needed.

Reentrance phenomenon of superfluid pairing in hot rotating nuclei

Reentrance phenomenon of superfluid pairing in highly rotating excited (hot) nuclei is studied within the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-based approach (the FTBCS1), taking into account the effect of quasiparticle number fluctuations (QNF) on the pairing field at finite temperature and angular momentum within the pairing model plus noncollective rotation along the symmetry axis. The numerical calculations are carried out for the pairing gaps and level densities in 104Pd, of which an anomalous enhancement of level density at low excitation energy E* and high angular momentum J has been experimentally observed. The results obtained show that the QNF within the FTBCS1 theory smooth out the superfluid-normal phase transition and lead to the appearance of pairing reentrance phenomenon in hot rotating nuclei. This feature can be clearly seen in the behavior of pairing gap obtained at low E* and high J. The good agreement between the level densities obtained within the FTBCS1 and those extracted from the experiment indicates that the observed enhancement in the level densities of 104Pd nucleus is a manifestation of the pairing reentrance phenomenon.

Singlet pairing gaps of neutrons and protons in hyperonic neutron stars**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The 1S0 nucleonic superfluids are investigated within the relativistic mean-field model and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory in hyperonic neutron stars. The 1S0 pairing gaps of neutrons and protons are calculated based on the Reid soft-core interaction as the nucleon-nucleon interaction. In particular, we have studied the influence of degrees of freedom for hyperons on the 1S0 nucleonic pairing gap in neutron star matter. It is found that the appearance of hyperons has little impact on the baryonic density range and the size of the 1S0 neutronic pairing gap; the 1S0 protonic pairing gap also decreases slightly in this region where ρB = 0.0–0.393 fm−3. However, if baryonic density becomes greater than 0.393 fm−3, the 1S0 protonic pairing gap obviously increases. In addition, the possible range for a protonic superfluid is obviously enlarged due to the presence of hyperons. In our results, the hyperons change the 1S0 protonic pairing gap, which must change the cooling properties of neutron stars.

Empirical pairing gaps, shell effects, and di-neutron spatial correlation in neutron-rich nuclei

The empirical pairing gaps derived from four different odd–even mass staggering formulas are compared. By performing single-j shell and multi-shell seniority model calculations as well as by using the standard HFB approach with Skyrme force we show that the simplest three-point formula ΔC(3)(N)=12[B(N,Z)+B(N−2,Z)−2B(N−1,Z)] can provide a good measure of the neutron pairing gap in even-N nuclei. It removes to a large extent the contribution from the nuclear mean field as well as contributions from shell structure details. It is also less contaminated by the Wigner effect for nuclei around N=Z. We also show that the strength of ΔC(3)(N) can serve as a good indication of the two-particle spatial correlation in the nucleus of concern and that the weakening of ΔC(3)(N) in some neutron-rich nuclei indicates that the di-neutron correlation itself is weak in these nuclei.

Odd-even mass staggering with Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory

We have studied odd-even nuclear mass staggering with the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory by employing isoscalar and isovector contact pairing interactions. By reproducing the empirical odd-even mass differences of the Sn isotopic chain, the strengths of pairing interactions are determined. The optimal strengths adjusted in this work can give better description of odd-even mass differences than that fitted by reproducing the experimental neutron pairing gap of $^{120}$Sn.

Thermal quantities of 46Ti

Thermodynamic quantities of 46Ti have been calculated in the framework of the BCS model with inclusion of modified nuclear pairing gap (MPBCS) that was proposed in our previous publication. Using modified paring gap results in an S-shaped heat capacity curve at critical temperature with a smooth behavior instead of singular behavior of the same curve in the BCS calculations. In addition the thermal quantities have been extracted within the framework of a canonical ensemble according to the new experimental data on nuclear level densities measured by the Oslo group. Comparison shows a good agreement between our calculations in MPBCS and the extracted quantities in the canonical ensemble framework.

Single-particle spectral density of the unitary Fermi gas: Novel approach based on the operator product expansion, sum rules and the maximum entropy method

Making use of the operator product expansion, we derive a general class of sum rules for the imaginary part of the single-particle self-energy of the unitary Fermi gas. The sum rules are analyzed numerically with the help of the maximum entropy method, which allows us to extract the single-particle spectral density as a function of both energy and momentum. These spectral densities contain basic information on the properties of the unitary Fermi gas, such as the dispersion relation and the superfluid pairing gap, for which we obtain reasonable agreement with the available results based on quantum Monte-Carlo simulations.

Pairing gaps and Fermi energies at scission for 296Lv alpha-decay

The pairing corrections, the single particle occupation numbers, are investigated within density-dependent delta interaction formalism for pairing residual interactions. The potential barrier is computed in the framework of the macroscopic-microscopic model. The microscopic part is based on the Woods-Saxon two center shell model. The alpha-decay of a superheavy element is treated, by paying a special attention to the region of the scission configurations. The sequence of nuclear shapes follows the superasymmetric fission path for alpha decay. It was found that the pairing gaps of the states that reach asymptotically the potential well of the alpha particle have large values at scission but become zero after scission. The 1s1/2 single particle levels of the nascent alpha particle are fully occupied while the superior levels are empties in the scission region and remains in the same states during the penetration of the Coulomb barrier. The projection of the numbers of particle on the two fragments are obtained naturally. At scission, the nascent alpha particle forms a very bound cluster.

The effect of the angle dependence of d-wave pairing gap on the asymmetric fermion superfluids

A general analysis for the d-wave pairing in two components fermion system. Two physical conditions which can induce mismatched Fermi surfaces are considered: (i) Fixed chemical potential asymmetry δμ and (ii) fixed fermion number asymmetry α. In case (i), the gapless quasiparticle excitation arises both in usual Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) and Sarma state due to the angle-dependent pairing gap, and they should be distinguished by gap susceptibility κΔ rather than the constraint Δ < δμ. Meanwhile, the d-wave pairing can hold larger chemical potential asymmetry δμ than the s-wave pairing. In case (ii), we find the angle dependence of the d-wave pairing gap can enhance the superfluidity for large asymmetry at low temperature.

Pairing versus quarteting coherence length

We systematically analyse the coherence length in even-even nuclei. The pairing coherence length in the spin-singlet channel for the effective density dependent delta (DDD) and Gaussian interaction is estimated. We consider in our calculations bound states as well as narrow resonances. It turns out that the pairing gaps given by the DDD interaction are similar to those of the Gaussian potential if one renormalizes the radial width to the nuclear radius. The correlations induced by the pairing interaction have in all considered cases a long range character inside the nucleus and decrease towards the surface. The mean coherence length is larger than the geometrical radius for light nuclei and approaches this value for heavy nuclei. The effect of the temperature and states in continuum is investigated. Strong shell effects are evidenced, especially for protons. We generalize this concept to quartets by considering similar relations, but between proton and neutron pairs. The quartet coherence length has a similar shape, but with larger values on the nuclear surface. We evidence the important role of proton-neutron correlations by estimating the so-called alpha coherence length, which takes into account the overlap with the proton-neutron part of the $\alpha$-particle wave function. It turns out that it does not depend on the nuclear size and has a value comparable to the free $\alpha$-particle radius. We have shown that pairing correlations are mainly concentrated inside the nucleus, while quarteting correlations are connected to the nuclear surface.