Distribution functions in non-equilibrium theory of superconductivity and Andreev spectroscopy in unconventional superconductors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive theoretical framework for non-equilibrium superconductivity, enabling detailed analysis of unconventional pairing, boundary conditions, and Andreev spectroscopy, with potential applications in studying time reversal symmetry breaking states.

Contribution

The authors develop a new formulation of non-equilibrium superconducting transport equations using Green's functions, solving an open problem in boundary conditions and applying it to Andreev spectroscopy in unconventional superconductors.

Findings

Explicit representation of Zaitsev's boundary conditions derived.

Formulation includes spin singlet and triplet pairing.

Analysis of Andreev scattering in unconventional superconductors.

Abstract

We present a new theoretical formulation of non-equilibrium superconducting phenomena, including singlet and triplet pairing. We start from the general Keldysh-Nambu-Gor'kov Green's functions in the quasiclassical approximation and represent them in terms of 2x2 spin-matrix coherence functions and distribution functions for particle-type and hole-type excitations. The resulting transport equations for the distribution functions may be interpreted as a generalization to the superconducting state of Landau's transport equation for the normal Fermi liquid of conduction electrons. The equations are well suited for numerical simulations of dynamical phenomena. Using our formulation we solve an open problem in quasiclassical theory of superconductivity, the derivation of an explicit representation of Zaitsev's nonlinear boundary conditions [A.V. Zaitsev, JETP 59, 1015 (1984)] at surfaces and interfaces. These boundary conditions include non-equilibrium phenomena and spin singlet and triplet unconventional pairing. We eliminate spurious solutions as well as numerical stability problems present in the original formulation. Finally, we formulate the Andreev scattering problem at interfaces in terms of the introduced distribution functions and present a theoretical analysis for the study of time reversal symmetry breaking states in unconventional superconductors via Andreev spectroscopy experiments at N-S interfaces with finite transmission. We include impurity scattering self consistently.