Topological Hall Effect in Inhomogeneous Superconductors

We propose a possible mechanism of topological Hall effect in inhomogeneous superconducting states. In our scenario, the Berry phase effect associated with spatially modulated superconducting order parameter gives rise to a fictitious Lorentz force acting on quasiparticles. In the case of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state, the topological Hall effect is detected by applying an electromagnetic wave with a tuned wave number on a surface of the system.Comment: 4 page

Angular Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in cold fermion gases in a toroidal trap

We study the possibility of angular Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state, in which the rotation symmetry is spontaneously broken, in population imbalanced fermion gases near the BCS-BEC crossover. We investigate the superfluid gases at low temperatures on the basis of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation, and examine the stability against thermal fluctuations using the T-matrix approach beyond the local-density approximation (LDA). We find that the angular FFLO state is stabilized in the gases confined in the toroidal trap but not in the harmonic trap. The angular FFLO state is stable near the BCS-BEC crossover owing to the formation of pseudogap. Spatial dependences of number density and local population imbalance are shown for an experimental test.Comment: final version for publication in Phys. Rev. B Rapid Communicatio

Topological exciton condensate of imbalanced electrons and holes

I study the effects of particle-hole imbalance on the exciton superfluid formed in a topological insulator thin-film and obtain the mean-field phase diagram. At finite imbalance a spatially modulated condensate is formed, akin to the Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinikov state in a superconductor, which preempts a first-order transition from the uniform condensate to the normal state at low temperatures. The imbalance can be tuned by changing the chemical potential at the two surfaces separately or, alternatively, by an asymmetric application of Zeeman fields at constant chemical potential. A vortex in the condensate carries a precisely fractional charge half of that of an electron. Possible experimental signatures for realistic parameters are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; (v2) Figures (especially Fig. 4) are improved; Fig. 1 now shows the transition lines correctly (results are the same as before); Text is updated and typos corrected; References are updated and added. To appear in PR

Fate of the inert three-flavor, spin-zero color-superconducting phases

I investigate some of the inert phases in three-flavor, spin-zero color-superconducting quark matter: the CFL phase (the analogue of the B phase in superfluid $^3\rm He$), the A and A* phases, and the 2SC and sSC phases. I compute the pressure of these phases with and without the neutrality condition. It is shown that the 2SC phase is identical to the A* phase up to a color rotation. The CFL phase is the energetically favored phase except for a small region of intermediate densities where the 2SC/A* phase is favored.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure; the version accepted to publish in PR

Fermi-liquid effects in the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state of two-dimensional d-wave superconductors

We study the effects of Fermi-liquid interactions on quasi-two-dimensional d-wave superconductors in a magnetic field. The phase diagram of the superconducting state, including the periodic Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state in high magnetic fields, is discussed for different strengths of quasiparticle many-body interactions within Landau's theory of Fermi liquids. Decreasing the Fermi-liquid parameter $F_0^a$ causes the magnetic spin susceptibility to increase, which in turn leads to a reduction of the FFLO phase. It is shown that a negative $F_0^a$ results in a first-order phase transition from the normal to the uniform superconducting state in a finite temperature interval. Finally, we discuss the thermodynamic implications of a first-order phase transition for CeCoIn$_5$.Comment: published version; removed direct comparison with experiment for the upper critical field, as required by the referee

Magnetoelastic Effects in Iron Telluride

Iron telluride doped lightly with selenium is known to undergo a first order magneto-structural transition before turning superconducting at higher doping. We study the effects of magneto-elastic couplings on this transition using symmetry considerations. We find that the magnetic order parameters are coupled to the uniform monoclinic strain of the unit cell with one iron per cell, as well as to the phonons at high symmetry points of the Brillouin zone. In the magnetic phase the former gives rise to monoclinic distortion while the latter induces dimerization of the ferromagnetic iron chains due to alternate lengthening and shortening of the nearest-neighbour iron-iron bonds. We compare this system with the iron arsenides and propose a microscopic magneto-elastic Hamiltonian which is relevant for all the iron based superconductors. We argue that this describes electron-lattice coupling in a system where electron-electron interaction is crucial.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Vortex tilt modulus in Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state

Vortex tilt response in Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) vortex lattice is theoretically examined as a probe reflecting the spatial structure of this state. In the FFLO state with nodal planes perpendicular to the magnetic field in a quasi 2D material under a parallel field, the tilt modulus E_{2} {\it of the nodal planes} decreases as the paramagnetic effect is effectively enhanced, and this reduction of E_{2} in turn reduces the vortex tilt modulus. This reduction of vortex tilt modulus, more remarkable in more anisotropic systems, accompanying the FFLO transition may be an origin of the monotonous reduction of sound velocity detected upon cooling in a ultrasound measurement for CeCoIn5.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Fully developed triplet proximity effect

We present a model for fully developed triplet proximity effect in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures. Within the circuit-theory approximation, we evaluate the Green's functions, the density of states, and the Josephson current that depend essentially on the magnetization configuration.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Recovering of superconductivity in exchange fields exceeding Pauli limiting field under spin-dependent quasiparticle distribution

We study theoretically the simultaneous influence of spin accumulation potential $eV_\uparrow-eV_\downarrow$ and the Zeeman exchange field on singlet superconductivity. It is shown that the pair-breaking effect of the Zeeman field can be fully compensated by creation of the appropriate spin accumulation potential in the superconductor. Moreover, superconductivity can be recovered for exchange fields well exceeding the Pauli limiting field. It is proposed that the effect can be experimentally realized on the basis of voltage biased junction consisting of a thin superconducting film sandwiched between two half metals.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, published versio

Theory of the striped superconductor

We define a distinct phase of matter, a "pair density wave" (PDW), in which the superconducting order parameter $\phi$ varies periodically as a function of position such that when averaged over the center of mass position, all components of $\phi$ vanish identically. Specifically, we study the simplest, unidirectional PDW, the "striped superconductor," which we argue may be at the heart of a number of spectacular experimental anomalies that have been observed in the failed high temperature superconductor, La$_{2-x}$ Ba$_x$CuO$_4$. We present a solvable microscopic model with strong electron-electron interactions which supports a PDW groundstate. We also discuss, at the level of Landau theory, the nature of the coupling between the PDW and other order parameters, and the origins and some consequences of the unusual sensitivity of this state to quenched disorder.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; Journal ref. adde