Electron-hole imbalance and large thermoelectric effect in superconducting hybrids with spin-active interfaces

Abstract

We argue that spin-sensitive quasiparticle scattering may generate electron-hole imbalance in superconducting structures, such as, e.g., superconducting-normal hybrids with spin-active interfaces. We elucidate a transparent physical mechanism for this effect demonstrating that scattering rates for electrons and holes at such interfaces differ from each other. Explicitly evaluating the wave functions of electron-like and hole-like excitations in superconducting-normal bilayers we derive a general expression for the thermoelectric current and show that -- in the presence of electron-hole imbalance -- this current can reach maximum values as high as the critical current of a superconductor.

7 pages, 2 figures; published version

References in corpus (2)

• Nonlocal Thermoelectric Effects and Nonlocal Onsager Relations in a Three-Terminal Proximity-Coupled Superconductor-Ferromagnet Device
• Theory of a large thermoeffect in superconductors doped with magnetic impurities

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• Thermopower and thermophase in a $d$-wave superconductor
• Diffusive superconductors beyond Usadel approximation: Electron-hole asymmetry and large photoelectric effect
• Complete magnetic control over the superconducting thermoelectric effect
• Nonlinear electric and thermoelectric Andreev transport through a hybrid quantum dot coupled to ferromagnetic and superconducting leads
• Phase-coherent thermoelectricity in superconducting hybrids (Brief Review)
• Giant thermopower in superconducting heterostructures with spin-active interfaces
• Spontaneous symmetry breaking-induced thermospin effect in superconducting tunnel junctions