Generation of polarized spin-triplet Cooper pairings by magnetic barriers in superconducting junctions

TL;DR

This paper explores how magnetic barriers in superconducting junctions can generate polarized spin-triplet Cooper pairs, leading to unique electronic states detectable via density of states measurements.

Contribution

It demonstrates the generation of equal spin-triplet pairings in diffusive normal metals through magnetic and spin-orbit effects, a novel insight into superconducting proximity effects.

Findings

Spin-triplet pairings are generated due to spin-flip scattering.

Zero-energy peaks in density of states indicate odd-frequency pairing.

Magnetic barriers enable control over triplet pairing states.

Abstract

We investigate the proximity effect in an s-wave superconductor/ferromagnetic metal with a Rashba spin-orbit coupling/diffusive normal metal junction and an s-wave superconductor/noncollinear magnetic metal/diffusive normal metal junction. We show the generation of equal spin-triplet pairings in the diffusive normal metal due to spin-flip scattering in the intermediate magnetic regions. The emergence of the spin-triplet odd-frequency Cooper pairings can generate a zero-energy peak in the quasiparticle density of states in the diffusive normal metal.