Effects of forward disorder on quasi-one-dimensional superconductors

Abstract

We study the competition between disorder and singlet superconductivity in a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) system. We investigate the applicability of the Anderson theorem, namely that time-reversal conserving (nonmagnetic) disorder does not impact the critical temperature, by opposition to time-reversal breaking disorder (magnetic). To do so, we examine a quasi-1D system of spin 1/2 fermions with attractive interactions and forward scattering disorder using field theory (bosonization). By computing the superconducting critical temperature (Tc), we find that, for nonmagnetic disorder, the Anderson theorem also holds in the quasi-1D geometry. In contrast, magnetic disorder has an impact on the critical temperature, which we investigate by deriving renormalization group equations describing the competition between disorder and interactions. Computing the critical temperature as a function of disorder strength, we observe different regimes depending on the strength of interactions. We discuss possible platforms where this can be observed in cold atoms and condensed matter.

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