Superconducting fluctuation corrections to ultrasound attenuation in layered superconductors

Abstract

We consider the temperature dependence of the sound attenuation and sound velocity in layered impure metals due to s-wave superconducting fluctuations of the order parameter above the critical temperature. We obtain the dependence on material properties of these fluctuation corrections in the hydrodynamic limit, where the electron mean free path l is much smaller than the wavelength of sound and where the electron collision rate τ−1 is much larger than the sound frequency. For longitudinal sound propagating perpendicular to the layers, the open Fermi surface condition leads to a suppression of the divergent contributions to leading order, in contrast with the case of paraconductivity. The leading temperature dependent corrections, given by the Aslamazov-Larkin, Maki-Thompson and density-of-states terms, remain finite as T→Tc. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of new ultrasonic experiments on layered organic conductors should make these fluctuations effects measurable.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

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