Interband proximity effect and nodes of superconducting gap in Sr2RuO4

M. E. Zhitomirsky (1) , T. M. Rice

1 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

The power-law temperature dependences of the specific heat, the nuclear relaxation rate, and the thermal conductivity suggest the presence of line nodes in the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4. These recent experimental observations contradict the scenario of a nodeless (k_x+ik_y)-type superconducting order parameter. We propose that interaction of superconducting order parameters on different sheets of the Fermi surface is a key to understanding the above discrepancy. A full gap exists in the active band, which drives the superconducting instability, while line nodes develop in passive bands by interband proximity effect.

Domaines: Supraconductivité [cond-mat.supr-con]

M. E. Zhitomirsky, T. M. Rice. Interband proximity effect and nodes of superconducting gap in Sr2RuO4. Physical Review Letters, 2001, 87, pp.057001. ⟨hal-00007660⟩