Stability of vortex state of Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov type in magnetic fields perpendicular to superconducting layers

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of FFLO vortex states in quasi-2D superconductors under perpendicular magnetic fields, highlighting the role of Fermi surface topology in stabilizing these states in CeCoIn5.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of FFLO vortex state stability in layered superconductors with specific Fermi surface features under perpendicular magnetic fields.

Findings

A 3D-like Fermi surface component stabilizes FFLO vortex states.

The modulation direction in FFLO vortex lattices is linked to the normal to FFLO transition.

The study explains recent experimental NMR observations in CeCoIn5.

Abstract

Motivated by recent NMR data suggesting the presence of a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) vortex lattice in magnetic fields perpendicular to the superconducting plane in the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCoIn5, we examine here the stability of FFLO states in quasi two-dimensional (2D) superconductors under a perpendicular field. It is found that a 3D-like portion of Fermi surfaces peculiar to CeCoIn5 stabilizes a FFLO vortex state modulating along the field parallel to the c-axis and that the direction of modulation in a FFLO vortex lattice is related to the characters of the normal to FFLO and the Abrikosov to FFLO transitions.