Penetration depth measurements as a test for time-reversal breaking states in unconventional superconductors
- Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
- Department of Physics Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)
We examine the possibility of nonmagnetic impurity-induced time-reversal breaking in unconventional superconductors. We determine the phase diagram for impurity-induced broken-T-symmetry states, in a model in which a dominant unconventional order parameter is present along with a subdominant conventional one. We find that, under such conditions, a time-reversal breaking state is always possible in a wide range of impurity concentrations at sufficiently small temperatures. We determine the effect that the transition into such a phase has on the temperature dependence of the penetration depth. Our results suggest that such bulk, broken T-symmetry states could be detected by penetration depth measurements in very dirty samples. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
- OSTI ID:
- 537227
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 55; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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