We present a full microscopic theory based on the SU(2) covariant formulation of the quasiclassical formalism to describe the Josephson current through an extended superconductor-normal metal- superconductor (SNS) diffusive junction with an intrinsic
spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the presence of a spin-splitting field h. We demonstrate that the ground state of the junction corresponds to a finite intrinsic phase difference 0 < {phi}0 < 2{pi} between the superconductor electrodes provided that both, h and the SOC-induced SU(2) Lorentz force are finite. In the particular case of a Rashba SOC we present analytic and numerical results for {phi}0 as a function of the strengths of the spin fields, the length of the junction, the temperature and the properties of SN interfaces.
We investigate the proximity effect in diffusive superconducting hybrid structures with a spin-orbit (SO) coupling. Our study is focused on the singlet-triplet conversion and the generation of long-range superconducting correlations in ferromagnetic
elements. We derive the quasiclassical equations for the Greens functions including the SO coupling terms in form of a background SU(2) field. With the help of these equations, we first present a complete analogy between the spin diffusion process in normal metals and the generation of the triplet components of the condensate in a diffusive superconducting structure in the presence of SO coupling. From this analogy it turns out naturally that the SO coupling is an additional source of the long-range triplet component (LRTC) besides the magnetic inhomogeneities studied in the past. We demonstrate an explicit connection between an inhomogeneous exchange field and SO coupling mechanisms for the generation of the LRTC and establish the conditions for the appearance of the LRTC in different geometries. We also consider a S/F bilayer in contact with normal metal with SO coupling and show that the latter can be used as a source for the LRTC. Our work gives a global description of the singlet-triplet conversion in hybrids structures in terms of generic spin-fields and our results are particularly important for the understanding of the physics underlying spintronics devices with superconductor elements.
We present an exhaustive study of the coherent heat transport through superconductor-ferromagnet(S-F) Josephson junctions including a spin-filter (I$_{sf}$) tunneling barrier. By using the quasiclassical Keldysh Greens function technique we derive a
general expression for the heat current flowing through a S/F/I$_{sf}$/F/S junction and analyze the dependence of the thermal conductance on the spin-filter efficiency, the phase difference between the superconductors and the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic layers. In the case of non-collinear magnetizations we show explicitly the contributions to the heat current stemming from the singlet and triplet components of the superconducting condensate. We also demonstrate that the magnetothermal resistance ratio of a S/F/I$_{sf}$/F/S heat valve can be increased by the spin-filter effect under suitable conditions.
The long-range proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) hybrid nano-structures is observed if singlet Cooper pairs from the superconductor are converted into triplet pairs which can diffuse into the fer- romagnet over large distances. It
is commonly believed that this happens only in the presence of magnetic inhomogeneities. We show that there are other sources of the long-range triplet component (LRTC) of the con- densate and establish general conditions for their occurrence. As a prototypical example we consider first a system where the exchange field and spin-orbit coupling can be treated as time and space components of an effective SU(2) potential. We derive a SU(2) covariant diffusive equation for the condensate and demonstrate that an effective SU(2) electric field is responsible for the long-range proximity effect. Finally, we extend our analysis to a generic ferromagnet and establish a universal condition for the LRTC. Our results open a new avenue in the search for such correlations in S/F structures and make a hitherto unknown connection between the LRTC and Yang-Mills electrostatics.
We analyze the ground state properties of an array of quantum dots connected in series between superconducting electrodes. This system is represented by a finite Hubbard chain coupled at both ends to BCS superconductors. The ground state is obtained
using the Lanczos algorithm within a low energy theory in which the bulk superconductors are replaced by effective local pairing potentials. We study the conditions for the inversion of the sign of the Josephson coupling ($pi$-junction behavior) as a function of the model parameters. Results are presented in the form of phase diagrams which provide a direct overall view of the general trends as the size of the system is increased, exhibiting a strong even-odd effect. The analysis of the spin-spin correlation functions and local charges give further insight into the nature of the ground state and how it is transformed by the presence of superconductivity in the leads. Finally we study the scaling of the Josephson current with the system size and relate these results with previous calculations of Josephson transport through a Luttinger liquid.
