Universal upper bound for the entropy of superconducting vortices and the Nernst effect

TL;DR

This paper establishes a universal upper limit for the entropy of superconducting vortices, providing a theoretical explanation for experimental observations related to the Nernst effect in superconductors.

Contribution

It introduces a universal bound on vortex entropy in superconductors, linking thermodynamic limits to experimental Nernst effect data.

Findings

Entropy per vortex per layer is bounded by k_B ln 2.

The bound explains recent experimental results on the Nernst effect.

Provides a theoretical framework connecting vortex entropy and thermodynamic limits.

Abstract

We show that the entropy per quantum vortex per layer in superconductors in external magnetic fields is bounded by the universal value k_B ln 2, which explains puzzling results of recent experiments on the Nernst effect.