Inhomogeneous superconducting states in two weakly linked superconducting ultra thin films

TL;DR

This paper explores inhomogeneous superconducting states in ultrathin films under magnetic fields, revealing a novel Bloch SC state with unique vortex arrangements and phase transitions characterized by analytical solutions.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a Bloch SC state with staggered supercurrents and analyzes its properties and phase transition to the FF state in ultrathin superconducting films.

Findings

Discovery of Bloch SC state with staggered supercurrents

Quantization of London's fluxoid in the Bloch SC state

Analytical solutions using Jacobian elliptic functions

Abstract

A sufficiently large parallel magnetic field will generate staggered supercurrent loops and superfluid density wave in two weakly linked superconducting (SC) ultrathin films, resulting in an inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The SC order parameter of such an FFLO state is characterized by Bloch wave functions, called the "Bloch SC state". The staggered supercurrent loops form an array of Josephson vortex-antivortex pairs, instead of the usual Josephson vortex lattice. Enclosing a unit cell of the array, the London's fluxoid is quantized as $\Phi^{\prime}=\Phi_0=hc/2e$, while the net orbital magnetization caused by the staggered supercurrent is zero. Meanwhile, a small parallel magnetic field gives rise to an Fulde-Ferrell (FF) state that has uniform superfluid density. The phase transition between the Bloch SC state and the FF state belongs to the universality class of two-dimensional commensurate-incommensurate transitions. An analytical solution in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions is found to be an excellent approximation to the Bloch SC order parameter.