Relativistic spin-polarized KKR theory for superconducting heterostructures: Oscillating order parameter in the Au layer of Nb/Au/Fe trilayers

The fully relativistic spin-polarized multiple-scattering theory is developed for inhomogeneous superconductors, including superconducting/normal-metal/ferromagnet heterostructures. The method allows the solution of the first-principles Dirac–Bogoliubov–de Gennes equations combined with a semiphenom...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. B 2018-01, Vol.97 (2), Article 024514
Main Authors: Csire, Gábor, Deák, András, Nyári, Bendegúz, Ebert, Hubert, Annett, James F., Újfalussy, Balázs
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ferromagnetism
First principles
Gold
Green's functions
Heterostructures
Iron
Mathematical analysis
Niobium
Order parameters
Parameterization
Quantum wells
Relativism
Relativistic effects
Relativistic theory
Superconductivity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The fully relativistic spin-polarized multiple-scattering theory is developed for inhomogeneous superconductors, including superconducting/normal-metal/ferromagnet heterostructures. The method allows the solution of the first-principles Dirac–Bogoliubov–de Gennes equations combined with a semiphenomenological parametrization of the exchange-correlation functional. Simple conditions are derived for the case when the right-hand-side and left-hand-side solutions must be treated separately when setting up the corresponding Green's function. As an application of the theory, we calculate the order parameters of Nb/Fe and Nb/Au/Fe systems. We find Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov-like oscillations in the iron layers, but more interestingly an oscillatory behavior is observed in the gold layers as well. The band-structure calculations suggest that this is the consequence of an interplay between the quantum-well states and ferromagnetism.
ISSN:2469-9950
2469-9969
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.97.024514