6 research outputs found
Kohn Anomalies in Superconductors
I present the detailed behavior of phonon dispersion curves near momenta
which span the electronic Fermi sea in a superconductor. I demonstrate that an
anomaly, similar to the metallic Kohn anomaly, exists in a superconductor's
dispersion curves when the frequency of the phonon spanning the Fermi sea
exceeds twice the superconducting energy gap. This anomaly occurs at
approximately the same momentum but is {\it stronger} than the normal-state
Kohn anomaly. It also survives at finite temperature, unlike the metallic
anomaly. Determination of Fermi surface diameters from the location of these
anomalies, therefore, may be more successful in the superconducting phase than
in the normal state. However, the superconductor's anomaly fades rapidly with
increased phonon frequency and becomes unobservable when the phonon frequency
greatly exceeds the gap. This constraint makes these anomalies useful only in
high-temperature superconductors such as .Comment: 18 pages (revtex) + 11 figures (upon request), NSF-ITP-93-7
Method for Measuring the Momentum-Dependent Relative Phase of the Superconducting Gap of High-Temperature Superconductors
The phase variation of the superconducting gap over the (normal) Fermi
surface of the high-temperature superconductors remains a significant
unresolved question. Is the phase of the gap constant, does it change sign, or
is it perhaps complex? A detailed answer to this question would provide
important constraints on various pairing mechanisms. Here we propose a new
method for measuring the relative gap PHASE on the Fermi surface which is
direct, is angle-resolved, and probes the bulk. The required experiments
involve measuring phonon linewidths in the normal and superconducting state,
with resolution available in current facilities. We primarily address the
La_1.85Sr_.15CuO_4 material, but also propose a more detailed study of a
specific phonon in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8.Comment: 13 pages (revtex) + 5 figures (postscript-included), NSF-ITP-93-2