Quasiclassical Formalism Research Articles

Effects of spin-orbit coupling in superconducting proximity devices: Application to CoSi2/TiSi2 heterostructures

Motivated by the recent findings of unconventional superconductivity in $\mathrm{Co}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}/\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ heterostructures, we study the effect of interface-induced Rashba spin-orbit coupling on the conductance of a three-terminal T-shaped superconducting device. We calculate the differential conductance for this device within the quasiclassical formalism that includes the mixing of triplet-singlet pairing due to the Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We discuss our result in light of the conductance spectra reported by S.-P. Chiu et al., arXiv:2012.13679 for $\mathrm{Co}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}/\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ heterostructures.

The imaginary part of the high-harmonic cutoff

High-harmonic generation—the emission of high-frequency radiation by the ionization and subsequent recombination of an atomic electron driven by a strong laser field—is widely understood using a quasiclassical trajectory formalism, derived from a saddle-point approximation, where each saddle corresponds to a complex-valued trajectory whose recombination contributes to the harmonic emission. However, the classification of these saddle points into individual quantum orbits remains a high-friction part of the formalism. Here we present a scheme to classify these trajectories, based on a natural identification of the (complex) time that corresponds to the harmonic cutoff. This identification also provides a natural complex value for the cutoff energy, whose imaginary part controls the strength of quantum-path interference between the quantum orbits that meet at the cutoff. Our construction gives an efficient method to evaluate the location and brightness of the cutoff for a wide class of driver waveforms by solving a single saddle-point equation. It also allows us to explore the intricate topologies of the Riemann surfaces formed by the quantum orbits induced by nontrivial waveforms.

Transverse thermopower in Dirac and Weyl semimetals

Dirac semimetals (DSM) and Weyl semimetal (WSM) fall under the generic class of three-dimensional solids, which follow relativistic energy-momentum relation $\epsilon_\mathbf{k}= \hbar v_F |\mathbf{k}|$ at low energies. Such a linear dispersion when regularized on a lattice can lead to remarkable properties such as the anomalous Hall effect, presence of Fermi surface arcs, positive longitudinal magnetoconductance, and dynamic chiral magnetic effect. The last two properties arise due to the manifestation of chiral anomaly in these semimetals, which refers to the non-conservation of chiral charge in the presence of electromagnetic gauge fields. Here, we propose the planar Nernst effect, or transverse thermopower, as another consequence of chiral anomaly, which should occur in both Dirac and Weyl semimetals. We analytically calculate the planar Nernst coefficient for DSMs (type-I and type-II) and also WSMs (type-I and type-II), using a quasi-classical Boltzmann formalism. The planar Nernst effect manifests in a configuration when the applied temperature gradient, magnetic field, and the measured voltage are all co-planar, and is of distinct origin when compared to the anomalous and conventional Nernst effects. Our findings, specifically a 3D map of the planar Nernst coefficient in type-I Dirac semimetals (Na$_3$Bi, Cd$_3$As$_2$ etc) and type-II DSM (PdTe$_2$, VAI3 etc), can be verified experimentally by an in-situ 3D double-axis rotation extracting the full $4\pi$ solid angular dependence of the Nernst coefficient.

Phase-coherent electron transport in asymmetric crosslike Andreev interferometers

We present a detailed theoretical description of quantum coherent electron transport in voltage-biased cross-like Andreev interferometers. Making use of the charge conjugation symmetry encoded in the quasiclassical formalism, we elucidate a crucial role played by geometric and electron-hole asymmetries in these structures. We argue that a non-vanishing Aharonov-Bohm-like contribution to the current $I_S$ flowing in the superconducting contour may develop only in geometrically asymmetric interferometers making their behavior qualitatively different from that of symmetric devices. The current $I_N$ in the normal contour -- along with $I_S$ -- is found to be sensitive to phase-coherent effects thereby also acquiring a $2\pi$-periodic dependence on the Josephson phase. In asymmetric structures this current develops an odd-in-phase contribution originating from electron-hole asymmetry. We demonstrate that both phase dependent currents $I_S$ and $I_N$ can be controlled and manipulated by tuning the applied voltage, temperature and system topology, thus rendering Andreev interferometers particularly important for future applications in modern electronics.

Nonlinear electromagnetic response and Higgs-mode excitation in BCS superconductors with impurities

We reveal that due to the presence of disorder oscillations of the order parameter amplitude called the Higgs mode can be effectively excited by the external electromagnetic radiation in usual BCS superconductors. This mechanism works for superconductors with both isotropic s-wave and anisotropic, such as d-wave, pairings. The non-linear response in the presence of impurities is captured by the quasiclassical formalism. We demonstrate that analytical solutions of the Eilenberger equation with impurity collision integral and external field drive coincide with the exact summation of ladder impurity diagrams. Using the developed formalism we show that resonant third-harmonic signal observed in recent experiments is naturally explained by the excitation of Higgs mode mediated by impurity scattering.

Inter-node superconductivity in strained Weyl semimetals

The effects of a strain-induced pseudomagnetic field on inter-node spin-triplet superconducting states in Weyl semimetals are studied by using the quasiclassical Eilenberger formalism. It is found that the Cooper pairing with spins parallel to the pseudomagnetic field has the lowest energy among the spin-triplet states and its gap does not depend on the strength of the field. In such a state, both electric and chiral superconducting currents are absent. This is in contrast to the superconducting states with the spins of Cooper pairs normal to the field, which support a nonzero chiral current and are inhibited by the strain-induced pseudomagnetic field. The corresponding critical value of the field, which separates the normal and superconducting phases, is estimated.

Charge/spin supercurrent and the Fulde-Ferrell state induced by crystal deformation in Weyl/Dirac superconductors

It has been predicted that emergent chiral magnetic fields can be generated by crystal deformation in Weyl/Dirac metals and superconductors. The emergent fields give rise to chiral anomaly phenomena as in the case of Weyl semimetals with usual electromagnetic fields. Here, we clarify effects of the chiral magnetic field on Cooper pairs in Weyl/Dirac superconductors on the basis of the Ginzburg-Landau equation microscopically derived from the quasiclassical Eilenberger formalism. It is found that Cooper pairs are affected by the emergent chiral magnetic field in a dramatic way, and the pseudo-Lorentz force due to the chiral magnetic field stabilizes the Fulde-Ferrell state and causes a charge/spin supercurrent which flows parallel to the chiral magnetic field in the case of Weyl/Dirac superconductors. This effect is in analogy with the chiral magnetic effect (CME) of Weyl semimetals. In addition, we elucidate that neither Meissner effect nor vortex state due to chiral magnetic fields occurs.

Josephson Effect in a Singlet Superconductor-Ferromagnet-Triplet Superconductor Junction

We study the current-phase relation of a ballistic SIFIT junction, consisting of a spin-singlet superconductor (S), a weak ferromagnetic metal (F), a spin-triplet superconductor (T), and insulating ferromagnetic interfaces (I). We use the generalized quasiclassical formalism developed by A. Millis et al. to compute the current density and the free energy of the junction for arbitrary orientation of the magnetizations of the junction barrier. We investigate in detail the effect of the distribution of magnetization on the various harmonics of the current-phase relation and the transition of the ground state of the junction. The $\phi$-state junction can be realized for a noncollinear orientation of the barrier magnetizations in the plane perpendicular to the d-vector of the triplet superconductor.

Current-Phase Relation of a Ferromagnetic Josephson Junction Between Triplet Superconductors

We study the Josephson effect of a $\rm{T_1 F T_2}$ junction, consisting of spin-triplet superconductors (T), a weak ferromagnetic metal (F), and ferromagnetic insulating interfaces. Two types of the triplet order parameters are considered; $(k_x +ik_y)\hat{z}$ and $k_x \hat{x}+k_y\hat{y}$. We compute the current density in the ballistic limit by using the generalized quasiclassical formalism developed to take into account the interference effect of the multilayered ferromagnetic junction. We discuss in detail how the current-phase relation is affected by orientations of the d-vectors of superconductor and the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic tunneling barrier. General condition for the anomalous Josephson effect is also derived.

Observability of surface currents in p-wave superconductors

A general approach is formulated to describe spontaneous surface current distribution in a chiral p-wave superconductor. We use the quasiclassical Eilenberger formalism in the Ricatti parametrization to describe various types of the superconductor surface, including arbitrary roughness and metallic behavior of the surface layer. We calculate angle resolved distributions of the spontaneous surface currents and formulate the conditions of their observability. We argue that local measurements of these currents by muon spin rotation technique may provide an information on the underlying pairing symmetry in the bulk superconductor.

Anisotropic Upper Critical Field of Iron-Based Superconductors

The upper critical field and its anisotropy are the easiest properties to examine in the research of iron-based superconductors. Based on warped cylindrical Fermi surface models, we investigate the temperature and angle dependence of the upper critical field in detail by employing the quasi-classical formalism of the Werthamer–Helfand–Hohenberg (WHH) theory. Our numerical results reveal the anisotropy of the upper critical field, which may be caused by an anisotropic gap function (e.g., d-wave pairing) or an anisotropic Fermi surface, respectively. Further, according to our analysis, this anisotropy can be modulated by the deformation of the Fermi surface and will be strongly suppressed by the Pauli paramagnetic effect.

Magnetic field oscillations of the critical current in long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions

We study the Josephson current in long ballistic superconductor-monolayer graphene-superconductor junctions. As a first step, we have developed an efficient computational approach to calculate the Josephson current in tight-binding systems. This approach can be particularly useful in the long-junction limit, which has hitherto attracted less theoretical interest but has recently become experimentally relevant. We use this computational approach to study the dependence of the critical current on the junction geometry, doping level, and an applied perpendicular magnetic field $B$. In zero magnetic field we find a good qualitative agreement with the recent experiment of M. Ben Shalom et al. [Nat. Phys. 12, 318 (2016)] for the length dependence of the critical current. For highly doped samples our numerical calculations show a broad agreement with the results of the quasiclassical formalism. In this case the critical current exhibits Fraunhofer-like oscillations as a function of $B$. However, for lower doping levels, where the cyclotron orbit becomes comparable to the characteristic geometrical length scales of the system, deviations from the results of the quasiclassical formalism appear. We argue that due to the exceptional tunability and long mean free path of graphene systems a new regime can be explored where geometrical and dynamical effects are equally important to understand the magnetic field dependence of the critical current.

Superconducting phase domains for memory applications

In this work, we study theoretically the properties of S-F/N-sIS type Josephson junctions in the frame of the quasiclassical Usadel formalism. The structure consists of two superconducting electrodes (S), a tunnel barrier (I), a combined normal metal/ferromagnet (N/F) interlayer, and a thin superconducting film (s). We demonstrate the breakdown of a spatial uniformity of the superconducting order in the s-film and its decomposition into domains with a phase shift π. The effect is sensitive to the thickness of the s layer and the widths of the F and N films in the direction along the sIS interface. We predict the existence of a regime where the structure has two energy minima and can be switched between them by an electric current injected laterally into the structure. The state of the system can be non-destructively read by an electric current flowing across the junction.

High-Harmonic Generation in Solids: Bridging the Gap Between Attosecond Science and Condensed Matter Physics

We review recent progress in understanding the dominant mechanism driving high-harmonic generation in solids. Three-dimensional two-band single active electron calculations predict that the major emission arises from the recombination of electron-hole pairs upon their creation and acceleration in the laser field, in analogy to atomic high-harmonic generation. The main goal of this study is to review a simple quasi-classical trajectory formalism and use it to better understand the fundamental properties of high-harmonic generation in solids and how they compare to high-harmonic generation in atomic and molecular gases. The simple formalism presents a valuable tool for extending attosecond science from the gas to the condensed matter phase. This is demonstrated by discussing the potential synthesis of attosecond pulses from solids.

Local spin-density-wave order inside vortex cores in multiband superconductors

Coexistence of antiferromagnetic order with superconductivity in many families of newly discovered iron-based superconductors has renewed interest to this old problem. Due to competition between the two types of order, one can expect appearance of the antiferromagnetism inside the cores of the vortices generated by the external magnetic field. The structure of a vortex in type II superconductors holds significant importance from the theoretical and the application points of view. Here we consider the internal vortex structure in a two-band s$_\pm$ superconductor near a spin-density-wave instability. We treat the problem in a completely self-consistent manner within the quasiclassical Eilenberger formalism. We study the structure of the s$_\pm$ superconducting order and magnetic field-induced spin-density-wave order near an isolated vortex. We examine the effect of this spin-density-wave state inside the vortex cores on the local density of states.

Diffusive superconductors beyond the Usadel approximation: Electron-hole asymmetry and large photoelectric effect

We extend the quasiclassical formalism for diffusive superconductors by deriving anisotropic (gradient) corrections to the Usadel equation. We demonstrate that in a number of physical situations such corrections may play a crucial role being responsible for the effects which cannot be recovered within the standard Usadel approximation. One of them is the so-called photoelectric effect in superconductors and superconducting-normal (SN) hybrid structures. Provided a superconducting part of the system is irradiated by an external ac electromagnetic field the charge imbalance develops and a non-vanishing dc voltage is induced across the SN interface. In the presence of magnetic impurities in a superconductor the magnitude of this effect becomes large and can easily be detected in modern experiments.

FFLO-wave-vector Lock-in Effect in Quasi-1D Superconductors

We study the phase transition into the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in high magnetic field in quasi-one dimensional superconductors within the quasi-classical formalism, taking into account the interchain Josephson coupling and the paramagnetic spin splitting. We show that anomalies in the field-direction dependence of the upper critical field when the magnetic field length equals to the FFLO period, previously described in [29], are characterized by the lock-in effect of the FFLO modulation wave vector, which is governed by the magnetic length.

Radiation from multi-GeV electrons and positrons in periodically bent silicon crystal

A periodically bent Si crystal is shown to efficiently serve for producing highly monochromatic radiation in a gamma-ray energy spectral range. A short-period small-amplitude bending yields narrow undulator-type spectral peaks in radiation from multi-GeV electrons and positrons channeling through the crystal. Benchmark theoretical results on the undulator are obtained by simulations of the channeling with a full atomistic approach to the projectile-crystal interactions over the macroscopic propagation distances. The simulations are facilitated by employing the MBN Explorer package for molecular dynamics calculations on the meso-, bio- and nano-scales. The radiation from the ultra-relativistic channeling projectiles is computed within the quasi-classical formalism. The effects due to the quantum recoil are shown to be significantly prominent in the gamma-ray undulator radiation.

Peculiarities of the orbital effect in the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in quasi-one-dimensional superconductors

Using the quasiclassical formalism, we determine the low-temperature phase diagram of a quasi-one-dimensional superconductor, taking into account the interchain Josephson coupling and the paramagnetic spin splitting. We show that the anisotropy of the onset of superconductivity changes in the FFLO state as compared with the conventional superconducting phase. It can result in anomalous peaks in the field-direction dependence of the upper critical field when the magnetic field length equals to the FFLO period. This regime is characterized by the lock-in effect of the FFLO modulation wave vector, which is governed by the magnetic length. Furthermore, in the FFLO phase, the anisotropy of the upper critical field is inverted at ${T}_{1}^{**}=0.5{T}_{c0}$, where the orbital anisotropy disappears. We suggest that an experimental study of the anisotropy of the upper critical field can provide very reach information about the parameters of the FFLO phase in quasi-1D samples.

Theory of Self-Induced Vortex State in Ferromagnetic Superconductors

We have developed the quasi-classical formalism for a self-induced vortex state in ferromagnetic superconductors. By combining the spatially averaged approximation of the superconductivity with the phenomenological form of the ferromagnetism, we demonstrate the thermodynamic properties of the p-wave triplet equal-spin-pairing state with the spontaneous vortex lattice. The occurrence condition for the self-induced vortex state is discussed within this formalism. The comparison of the calculated quantities with the observed ones indicates that the self-induced vortex state indeed occurs in UCoGe, and its pairing symmetry seems to be the A2-type with a small spin difference in the gap magnitudes. In the vicinity of the ferromagnetic quantum critical point with a large uniform susceptibility, it is possible to exhibit the type-II to the type-I transition in the magnetization process.