Coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity: Tunneling characteristics of magnetic superconductors

M. J. Nass, K. Levin, and G. S. Grest
Phys. Rev. B 23, 1111 – Published 1 February 1981
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Abstract

We compute the superconducting density of states Ns(ω) for a magnetically ordered superconductor. In principle, Ns(ω) contains valuable information about the magnetic correlations. To illustrate how to extract this information, we numerically solve the full (Eliashberg-like) integral equation for Ns(ω). This depends on the magnetic structure factor S(q,ω). Our results are compared with tunneling measurements on a (proximity-effect-) induced superconducting spin-glass. In general, we find good agreement with experiment for the temperature dependence of the zero-bias conductance for two different models of S(q,ω) in a spin-glass. These models, which are constrained to satisfy sum rules, are compared with direct neutron measurements. A calculation of the gap (Δ)-dependent spin-exchange lifetime 1τseffΔ{1[Ns(0)N(0)]2}12 is found to yield significantly better agreement with experiment than the usual golden rule calculation (which includes inelastic processes). For the spin-glasses our theory predicts a temperature-dependent peak in dNs(ω)dω at ωTsg,, where Tsg is the transition temperature. To observe this feature and others, we urge that further measurements of the tunneling characteristics of intrinsic magnetic superconductors be performed.

  • Received 13 May 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.23.1111

©1981 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. J. Nass and K. Levin

  • The James Franck Institute and The Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637

G. S. Grest

  • Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907

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Issue

Vol. 23, Iss. 3 — 1 February 1981

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