Origin of Excess Low-Energy States in a Disordered Superconductor in a Zeeman Field

Y. L. Loh; N. Trivedi; Y. M. Xiong; P. W. Adams; G. Catelani

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.067003

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Origin of Excess Low-Energy States in a Disordered Superconductor in a Zeeman Field

Y. L. Loh, N. Trivedi, Y. M. Xiong, P. W. Adams, G. Catelani

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.067003 · Physical Review Letters

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Abstract

Tunneling density of states measurements of disordered superconducting Al films in high Zeeman fields reveal a significant population of subgap states which cannot be explained by standard BCS theory. We provide a natural explanation of these excess states in terms of a novel disordered Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase that occurs near the spin-paramagnetic transition at the Chandrasekhar-Clogston critical field. The disordered Larkin-Ovchinnikov superconductor is characterized by a pairing amplitude that changes sign at domain walls. These domain walls carry magnetization and support Andreev bound states that lead to distinct spectral signatures at low energy.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

Formula	Reported Tc (K)	Pressure (GPa)	Type
Al Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	2.7	Pressure not reported	unknown