Magnetic disorder in superconductors: Enhancement by mesoscopic fluctuations

I. S. Burmistrov and M. A. Skvortsov
Phys. Rev. B 97, 014515 – Published 19 January 2018

Abstract

We study the density of states (DOS) and the transition temperature Tc in a dirty superconducting film with rare classical magnetic impurities of an arbitrary strength described by the Poissonian statistics. We take into account that the potential disorder is a source of mesoscopic fluctuations of the local DOS, and, consequently, of the effective strength of magnetic impurities. We find that these mesoscopic fluctuations result in a nonzero DOS for all energies in the region of the phase diagram where without this effect the DOS is zero within the standard mean-field theory. This mechanism can be more efficient in filling the mean-field superconducting gap than rare fluctuations of the potential disorder (instantons). Depending on the magnetic impurity strength, the suppression of Tc by spin-flip scattering can be faster or slower than in the standard mean-field theory.

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  • Received 7 March 2017
  • Revised 29 December 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.97.014515

©2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

I. S. Burmistrov1,2,3 and M. A. Skvortsov1,2

  • 1Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143026 Moscow, Russia
  • 2L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kosygina Street 2, 117940 Moscow, Russia
  • 3Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia

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Issue

Vol. 97, Iss. 1 — 1 January 2018

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