The microscopic basis for phase-sensitive experiments for determination of the order parameter symmetry in Fe-based superconductors

We present a microscopic theory of dc Josephson current, based on the construction of a coherent temperature Green function in the tight-binding approximation, in junctions with multiband superconductors. This theory is applied to the junctions with multiband Fe-based superconductors (FeBS) described by anisotropic s-wave order parameter symmetries, which probably realized in FeBS. We confirm microscopically the previously suggested crucial experiment for determination of the type of the order parameter symmetry in FeBS.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Anomalous superconducting proximity effect and coherent charge transport in semiconducting thin film with spin-orbit interaction

We present a microscopic theory of the superconducting proximity effect in a semiconducting thin film with spin-orbit interaction ($N_{SO}$) in an external magnetic field. We demonstrate that an effective 1D Hamiltonian which describes induced superconductivity in $N_{SO}$ in contact with a usual $s$-wave superconductor possesses not only spin-singlet induced superconducting order parameter term, as commonly adopted, but spin triplet order parameter term also. Using this new effective Hamiltonian we confirm previous results for a normal current across contacts of $N_{SO}$ with a normal metal and for a Josephson current with the same $N_{SO}$ with induced superconductivity, obtained previously in the framework of the phenomenological Hamiltonian without spin-triplet terms. However, a calculated current-phase relation across the transparent contact between $N_{SO}$ with induced superconductivity in magnetic field and usual $s$-wave superconductor differs significantly from previous results. We suggest the experiment which can confirm our theoretical predictions.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Magnetism, superconductivity and coupling in cuprate heterostructures probed by low-energy muon-spin rotation

We present a low-energy muon-spin-rotation study of the magnetic and superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 trilayer and bilayer heterostructures. By determining the magnetic-field profiles throughout these structures we show that a finite superfluid density can be induced in otherwise semiconducting PrBa2Cu3O7 layers when juxtaposed to YBa2Cu3O7 "electrodes" while the intrinsic antiferromagnetic order is unaffected.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures; figure 9 corrected in version

Steps on current-voltage characteristics of a silicon quantum dot covered by natural oxide

Considering a double-barrier structure formed by a silicon quantum dot covered by natural oxide with two metallic terminals, we derive simple conditions for a step-like voltage-current curve. Due to standard chemical properties, doping phosphorus atoms located in a certain domain of the dot form geometrically parallel current channels. The height of the current step typically equals to (1.2 pA)N, where N=0,1,2,3... is the number of doping atoms inside the domain, and only negligibly depends on the actual position of the dopants. The found conditions are feasible in experimentally available structures.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

The Josephson current in Fe-based superconducting junctions: theory and experiment

We present theory of dc Josephson effect in contacts between Fe-based and spin-singlet $s$-wave superconductors. The method is based on the calculation of temperature Green's function in the junction within the tight-binding model. We calculate the phase dependencies of the Josephson current for different orientations of the junction relative to the crystallographic axes of Fe-based superconductor. Further, we consider the dependence of the Josephson current on the thickness of an insulating layer and on temperature. Experimental data for PbIn/Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$(FeAs)$_2$ point-contact Josephson junctions are consistent with theoretical predictions for $s_{\pm}$ symmetry of an order parameter in this material. The proposed method can be further applied to calculations of the dc Josephson current in contacts with other new unconventional multiorbital superconductors, such as $Sr_2RuO_4$ and superconducting topological insulator $Cu_xBi_2Se_3$.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figure

The Anderson Model out of equilibrium: Time dependent perturbations

The influence of high-frequency fields on quantum transport through a quantum dot is studied in the low-temperature regime. We generalize the non crossing approximation for the infinite-U Anderson model to the time-dependent case. The dc spectral density shows asymmetric Kondo side peaks due to photon-assisted resonant tunneling. As a consequence we predict an electron-photon pump at zero bias which is purely based on the Kondo effect. In contrast to the resonant level model and the time-independent case we observe asymmetric peak amplitudes in the Coulomb oscillations and the differential conductance versus bias voltage shows resonant side peaks with a width much smaller than the tunneling rate. All the effects might be used to clarify the question whether quantum dots indeed show the Kondo effect.Comment: 13 pages, REVTEX 3.0, 5 figure

Heteronuclear compounds formed in the systems based on Fe(II), Fe(III), Al(III), SO 4 2-, Cl--H2O-OH -, and NH3

The possibility of synthesizing heteronuclear compounds in the systems based on Fe(II), Fe(III), Al(III), SO 4 2-, Cl --H2O-OH-, and NH3 was studied. A mathematical model based on data on the potentiometric titration was developed. The elemental and phase composition and the structure of the compounds synthesized were determined by the XPA, DTA and NMR methods to optimize the conditions of the synthesis. © 2010 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Anomalous Inner-Gap Structure in Transport Characteristics of Superconducting Junctions with Degraded Interfaces

Quantitative description of charge transport across tunneling and break-junction devices with novel superconductors encounters some problems not present, or not as severe for traditional superconducting materials. In this work, we explain unexpected features in related transport characteristics as an effect of a degraded nano-scaled sheath at the superconductor surface. Model capturing main aspects of the ballistic charge transport across hybrid superconducting structures with normally-conducting nm-thick interlayers is proposed. The calculations are based on a scattering formalism taking into account Andreev electron-into-hole (and inverse) reflections at normal metal-superconductor interfaces as well as transmission and backscattering events in insulating barriers between the electrodes. Current-voltage characteristics of such devices exhibit a rich diversity of anomalous (from the viewpoint of the standard theory) features, in particular, shift of differential-conductance maximums at gap voltages to lower positions and appearance of well-defined dips instead expected coherence peaks. We compare our results with related experimental data.Comment: an author version published in Nanoscale Research Letter