Breakdown of superconductivity in a magnetic field with self-intersecting zero set

Abstract

We prove that the lowest eigenvalue of the Laplace operator with a magnetic field having a self-intersecting zero set is a monotone function of the parameter defining the strength of the magnetic field, in a neighborhood of infinity. We apply this monotonicity result on the study of the transition from superconducting to normal states for the Ginzburg-Landau model, and prove that the transition occurs at a unique threshold value of the applied magnetic field.