Phase transition into superconducting mixed state and de Haas - van Alphen effect

TL;DR

This paper derives a Landau expansion for the free energy of the superconducting mixed state considering Landau quantization, Pauli paramagnetism, and quantum oscillations, providing insights into the de Haas-van Alphen effect near the upper critical field.

Contribution

It presents a novel analytical derivation of the free energy expansion including Landau quantization effects beyond quasiclassical approximation in the superconducting mixed state.

Findings

Quantum oscillations of critical temperature and magnetization are demonstrated.

The validity limits of the mean field approach are established.

The de Haas-van Alphen effect is characterized in the mixed state.

Abstract

The Landau expansion for the free energy of the superconducting mixed state near the upper critical field in powers of the square modulus of the order parameter averaged over Abrikosov lattice is derived. The analytical calculations has been carried out in frame of Gor'kov formalism for 3-dimensional isotropic BCS model beyond the limits of quasiclassical approximation, another words with Landau quantization of the quasiparticle energy levels taken into consideration. The derivation is performed at low temperature and high enough but finite crystal's purity. The effect of Pauli paramagnetic terms is taken into account. The quantum oscillations of the critical temperature, the order parameter's amplitude and the magnetization (de Haas-van Alphen effect) in the mixed state are found. The limitation of validity of a mean field approach due to critical fluctuations (Ginzburg criterion) for the phase transition under consideration is established.