Edge currents in superconductors with a broken time-reversal symmetry.
We analyze edge currents and edge bands at the surface of a time-reversal symmetry breaking dx2-y2 + id(xy) superconductor. We show that the currents have large Friedel oscillations with two interfering frequencies: square root of 2kF from subgap states, and 2kF from the continuum. The results are based independently on a self-consistent slave-boson mean-field theory for the t-J model on a triangular lattice, and on a T-matrix scattering theory calculation. The shape of the edge-state band, as well as the particular frequency square root of 2kF of the Friedel oscillations, are attributes unique for the dx2-y2 + id(xy) case, and may be used as a fingerprint for its identification. Extensions to different time-reversal symmetry breaking superconductors can be achieved within the same approach.
Braunecker
Bernd
B
Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Lee
Patrick A
PA
Wang
Ziqiang
Z