Circular dichroism and birefringence in unconventional superconductors

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Low Temperature Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01151804· OSTI ID:5167847

Yip, S K; Sauls, J A ^[1]

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1. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

The authors present a theoretical analysis of circular dichroism and birefringence in unconventional BCS superconductors with appropriate broken symmetries. They show that for the effect to exist, in addition to broken time-reversal and two-dimensional parity symmetries, it is necessary to take into account the weak particle-hole asymmetry of the low-energy excitations of the metallic state. Circular dichroism and birefringence are shown to arise from the order-parameter collective-mode response of the superconductor; in the clean limit the contribution to the current response from the single-particle excitations does not give rise to circular dichroism or birefringence, even with particle-hole asymmetry. The magnitude of the circular dichroism is found to be small for the classes of superconductors thought to be likely candidates to exhibit the requisite broken symmetries, namely the heavy-fermion and oxide superconductors.

• OSTI ID: 5167847
• Journal Information: Journal of Low Temperature Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Low Temperature Physics; (United States) Vol. 86:3-4; ISSN 0022-2291; ISSN JLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665411* -- Basic Superconductivity Studies-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ASYMMETRY
BCS THEORY
BIREFRINGENCE
DICHROISM
ORDER PARAMETERS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REFRACTION
SUPERCONDUCTORS
SYMMETRY BREAKING