Magnetic field evolution of the quasiparticle interference in a d-wave superconductor

TL;DR

This paper predicts how magnetic fields influence quasiparticle interference patterns in d-wave superconductors, aligning with recent experiments and offering a new way to probe the normal state at high fields.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical prediction of magnetic field effects on quasiparticle interference peaks, matching experimental data and providing a novel probe of the superconductor's normal state.

Findings

Magnetic fields modulate interference peak amplitudes in a symmetry-dependent pattern.

The predicted pattern matches recent experimental observations.

Technique can be used to investigate the normal state at high magnetic fields.

Abstract

Quasiparticle interference in a d-wave superconductor with weak disorder produces distinctive peaks in the Fourier-transformed local density of states measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We predict that amplitudes of these peaks can be enhanced or suppressed by applied magnetic field according to a very specific pattern governed by the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter. This calculated pattern agrees with the recent experimental measurement and suggests that the technique could be useful for probing the underlying normal state at high fields.