Theoretical investigation of ways to weaken pairbreaking fluctuations in high-temperature superconductors
Abstract
We propose to theoretically investigate the ways of increasing the critical temperature of high-Tcsuperconductors by weakening destructive pairbreaking fluctuations of the order parameter andelectromagnetic fields. We will explore multiband superconductors (such as iron pnictides and MgB2), as well as different possibilities of combining unconventional superconductors with non-superconducting metallic components with high carrier density, for example, proximity-coupled SNS multilayers. The goal of this project is to identify the mechanisms by which the fluctuation-limited critical temperature Tc at which the superconducting phase coherence occurs can be maximized by tuning the thickness and materials of N layers or properties of different bands in superconductors by impurities. This approach will also be used to calculate the effect of fluctuations on Tc at interfaces, particularly ultrathin films (such as FeSe monolayers) on metallic and dielectric substrates and grain boundaries. Theoretical prediction of optimal thicknesses of thin films and multilayers can be tested experimentally on the existing superconductors, including cuprates, pnictides, as well as conventional low-Tc superconductors. These results may help in the ongoing research and development of new high-Tc superconductors sponsored by AFOSR, and design of superconducting heterostructures optimized for fluctuations by tuning the normalstatematerials parameters which control the maximum, fluctuation-limited Tc in superconductors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 28, 2017
- Source ID
- FA95501710196
Entities
People
- Alex Gurevich
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Old Dominion University
- United States Air Force