Theory of the spin-galvanic effect and the anomalous phase shift φ0 in superconductors and Josephson junctions with intrinsic spin-orbit coupling

Abstract

Due to the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) an electric current flowing in a normal metal or semiconductor can induce a bulk magnetic moment. This effect is known as the Edelstein (EE) or magnetoelectric effect. Similarly, in a bulk superconductor a phase gradient may create a finite spin density. The inverse effect, also known as the spin-galvanic effect, corresponds to the creation of a supercurrent by an equilibrium spin polarization. Here, by exploiting the analogy between a linear-in-momentum SOC and a background SU(2) gauge field, we develop a quasiclassical transport theory to deal with magnetoelectric effects in superconducting structures. For bulk superconductors this approach allows us to easily reproduce and generalize a number of previously known results. For Josephson junctions we establish a direct connection between the inverse EE and the appearance of an anomalous phase shift φ0 in the current-phase relation. In particular we show that φ0 is proportional to the equilibrium spin current in the weak link. We also argue that our results are valid generically, beyond the particular case of linear-in-momentum SOC. The magnetoelectric effects discussed in this study may find applications in the emerging field of coherent spintronics with superconductors.

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