Broken time reversal symmetry vestigial state for a two-component superconductor in two spatial dimensions

TL;DR

This paper investigates a vestigial phase with broken time-reversal symmetry in a two-component superconductor in 2D, showing it can exist above the superconducting transition and its stability depends on energy differences in Ginzburg-Landau parameters.

Contribution

It demonstrates that a vestigial phase with broken time-reversal symmetry is possible in 2D superconductors within Ginzburg-Landau theory, contrasting with 3D cases.

Findings

Vestigial phase exists above superconducting transition in 2D.

The phase region expands with larger energy differences.

Contrasts with 3D superconductor behavior.

Abstract

We consider the vestigial phase with broken time-reversal symmetry above the superconducting transition temperature of a two-component superconductor in two spatial dimensions. We show that, in contrast to 3D, a vestigial phase is in general allowed within Ginzburg-Landau theory. The vestigial phase occupies an increasing temperature region if the parameters in the Ginzburg-Landau theory gives a larger energy difference between the broken time reversal symmetry phase and the other ordered phase.