Layered ferromagnet-superconductor structures: the $\pi$ state and proximity effects

Abstract

We investigate clean mutilayered structures of the SFS and SFSFS type, (where the S layer is intrinsically superconducting and the F layer is ferromagnetic) through numerical solution of the self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations for these systems. We obtain results for the pair amplitude, the local density of states, and the local magnetic moment. We find that as a function of the thickness $d_F$ of the magnetic layers separating adjacent superconductors, the ground state energy varies periodically between two stable states. The first state is an ordinary "0-state", in which the order parameter has a phase difference of zero between consecutive S layers, and the second is a "$\pi$-state", where the sign alternates, corresponding to a phase difference of $\pi$ between adjacent S layers. This behavior can be understood from simple arguments. The density of states and the local magnetic moment reflect also this periodicity.

arXiv comment12 pages, 10 Figures

References in corpus (16)

• Coupling of two superconductors through a ferromagnet : evidence for a pi-junction
• Odd triplet superconductivity in superconductor/ferromagnet multilayered structures
• Enhancement of the Josephson current by an exchange field in superconductor-ferromagnet structures
• Josephson current in superconductor-ferromagnet structures with a nonhomogeneous magnetization
• Josephson effect in double-barrier superconductor-ferromagnet junctions
• Proximity effects at ferromagnet-superconductor interfaces
• Free Energy of an Inhomogeneous Superconductor: a Wave Function Approach
• Proximity effects and characteristic lengths in ferromagnet-superconductor structures
• From inversion to enhancement of the Josephson current by an exchange field in S/F-I-F/S tunnel structures
• $\pi -0$ Transition in Superconductor-Ferromagnetic-Superconductor Junctions
• Josephson Current in S-FIF-S Junctions: Nonmonotonic Dependence on Misorientation Angle
• Theoretical description of the ferromagnetic $\pi$-junctions near the critical temperature
• Spontaneous Spin Polarized Currents in Superconductor-Ferromagnetic Metal Heterostructures
• Mesoscopic effects in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junctions
• Spin-orbit scattering effect on critical current in SFIFS tunnel structures
• Bogoliubov - de Gennes versus Quasiclassical Description of Josephson Structures

Cited by in corpus (41)

• Proximity effects in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures
• Spin-polarized supercurrents for spintronics: a review of current progress
• Ferromagnet-Superconductor Hybrids
• Induced Ferromagnetism due to Superconductivity in Superconductor-Ferromagnet structures
• Odd Triplet Pairing in clean Superconductor/Ferromagnet heterostructures
• Induced Triplet Pairing in clean s-wave Superconductor/Ferromagnet layered structures
• Inverse proximity effect in superconductor-ferromagnet structures: From the ballistic to the diffusive limit
• Theory of superconducting and magnetic proximity effect in S$\mid$F structures with inhomogeneous magnetization textures and spin-active interfaces
• Josephson coupling through ferromagnetic heterojunctions with noncollinear magnetizations
• Charge and Spin Currents in Ferromagnetic Josephson junctions
• Proximity effects and triplet correlations in Ferromagnet/Ferromagnet/Superconductor nanostructures
• Proximity Induced Vortices and Long-Range Triplet Supercurrents in Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions and Spin Valves
• Magnetic proximity effects in V/Fe superconductor/ferromagnet single bilayer revealed by waveguide-enhanced polarized neutron reflectometry
• Spin Controlled Coexistence of 0 and π States in SFSFS Josephson Junctions
• Magnetic moment manipulation by triplet Josephson current
• Emergence of Triplet Correlations in Superconductor/Half Metallic Nanojunctions with Spin Active Interfaces
• Non-equilibrium effects in a Josephson junction coupled to a precessing spin
• Superconducting Proximity Effect through a Magnetic Domain Wall
• Thermodynamics and Phase Diagrams of layered superconductor/ferromagnet nanostructures
• Spin-polarized droplets in the unitary Fermi gas
• Proximity Effects in Conical-Ferromagnet/Superconductor bilayers
• Nanoscale ferromagnet-superconductor-ferromagnet switches controlled by magnetization orientation
• Stability of $\pi$ junction configurations in ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructures
• Supercurrent decay in ballistic magnetic Josephson junctions
• Magnetic proximity effect in [Nb/Gd] superlattices seen by neutron scattering
• Competitive 0 and π states in S/F multilayers: multimode approach
• Ferromagnet-superconductor proximity effect: The clean limit
• Superconducting proximity effects in metals with a repulsive pairing interaction
• Tunneling conductance in Superconductor/Ferromagnet junctions: a self consistent approach
• Spin Screening and Antiscreening in a Ferromagnet/Superconductor Heterojunction
• Anomalous supercurrent modulated by interfacial magnetizations in Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic bilayers
• First order phase transitions in Ferromagnet/Superconductor layered structures
• Resonant tunneling in short Josephson SFS junctions
• Characteristic energies, transition temperatures, and switching effects in clean SNS graphene nanostructures
• Anomalous current-voltage characteristics of SFIFS Josephson junctions with weak ferromagnetic interlayers
• Josephson current through a ferromagnetic bilayer: Beyond the quasiclassical approximation
• Supergap and subgap enhanced currents in asymmetric {S_1FS_2} Josephson junctions
• Local Density of States and Order Parameter Configurations in Layered Ferromagnet-Superconductor Structures
• Transport of Spin and Mass at Normal-Superfluid Interfaces in the Unitary Fermi Gas
• Quasiparticle conductance in Spin Valve Josephson Structures
• Magnetic state of Nb(1-7nm)/Cu${}_{30}$Ni${}_{70}$(6nm) superlattices revealed by Polarized Neutron Reflectometry and SQUID magnetometry