Proximity effect, quasiparticle transport, and local magnetic moment in ferromagnet-d-wave superconductor junctions

Abstract

The proximity effect, quasiparticle transport, and local magnetic moment in ferromagnet--d-wave superconductor junctions with {110}-oriented interface are studied by solving self-consistently the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations within an extended Hubbard model. It is found that the proximity induced order parameter oscillates in the ferromagnetic region. The modulation period is shortened with the increased exchange field while the oscillation amplitude is depressed by the interfacial scattering. With the determined superconducting energy gap, a transfer matrix method is proposed to compute the subgap conductance within a scattering approach. Many novel features including the zero-bias conductance dip and splitting are exhibited with appropriate values of the exchange field and interfacial scattering strength. The conductance spectrum can be influenced seriously by the spin-flip interfacial scattering. In addition, a sizable local magnetic moment near the {110}-oriented surface of the d-wave superconductor is discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 16 ps-figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.