Conventional Magnetic Superconductors: Coexistence of Singlet Superconductivity and Magnetic Order

TL;DR

This paper reviews the physics of bulk magnetic superconductors, focusing on the coexistence and interplay of singlet superconductivity with various magnetic orders, and discusses their unique properties and potential applications in Josephson junctions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of the coexistence of singlet superconductivity with magnetic order, including new insights into spiral structures, weak ferromagnetism, and Josephson junctions with magnetic textures.

Findings

Singlet SC and uniform ferromagnetic order rarely coexist.

Coexistence with antiferromagnetism is more favorable.

Josephson junctions with spiral magnetic order exhibit novel effects.

Abstract

The basic physics of bulk magnetic superconductors (MS) related to the problem of the coexistence of singlet superconductivity (SC) and magnetic order is reviewed. The interplay between exchange (EX) and electromagnetic (EM) interaction is discussed and argued that the singlet SC and uniform ferromagnetic (F) order practically never coexist. In case of their mutual coexistence the F order is modified into a domain-like or spiral structure depending on magnetic anisotropy. It turns out that this situation is realized in several superconductors such as $ErRh_{4}B_{4}$, $HoMo_{6}S_{8}$, $HoMo_{6}Se_{8}$ with electronic and in $AuIn_{2}$ with nuclear magnetic order. The later problem is also discussed here. The coexistence of SC and antiferromagnetism is more favorable than with the modified F order. Very interesting physics is realized in systems with SC and weak-ferromagnetism which results in an very reach phase diagram. The properties of magnetic superconductors in magnetic field are very peculiar, especially near the (ferro)magnetic transition temperature where the upper critical field becomes smaller than the thermodynamical critical field. The extremely interesting physics of Josephson junctions based on MS with spiral magnetic order is also discussed. The existence of the triplet pairing amplitude $F_{\uparrow \uparrow}$ ($F_{\downarrow \downarrow}$) in MS with rotating magnetization (the effect recently rediscovered in SFS junctions) gives rise to the so called $\pi $-contact. Furthermore, the interplay of the superconducting and magnetic phase in such a contact renders possibilities for a new type of coupled Josephson-qubits.