Note on possibility of proximity induced spontaneous currents in superconductor/normal metal heterostructures
https://doi.org/10.26907/mrsej-24113
Abstract
We analyse the possibility of the appearance of spontaneous currents in proximated superconducting/normal metal (S/N) heterostructure when Cooper pairs penetrate into the normal metal from the superconductor. In particular, we calculate the free energy of the S/N structure. We show that whereas the free energy of the N film FN in the presence of the proximity effect increases compared to the normal state, the total free energy, which includes the boundary term FB, decreases. The condensate current decreases FN, but increases the total free energy making the current-carrying state of the S/N system energetically unfavorable.
Supporting agencies: The authors wish Boris Ivanovich Kochelaev all the best on the occasion of his 90ies birthday and are happy to contribute with this note to the journal volume devoted to this event. We thank also Sebastian Bergeret for pointing out the importance of the boundary term in the free energy functional and Anton Vorontsov and Patric Holmvall for useful comments and discussions.
About the Authors
A. F. Volkov
Ruhr-Universität
Germany
Germany
Bochum D-44801
I. M. Eremin
Ruhr-Universität
Germany
Germany
Bochum D-44801
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Review
For citations:
Volkov A.F., Eremin I.M. Note on possibility of proximity induced spontaneous currents in superconductor/normal metal heterostructures. Magnetic Resonance in Solids. 2024;26(1):24113 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.26907/mrsej-24113
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