Superconducting fluctuation corrections to ultrasound attenuation in layered superconductors

Abstract

We consider the temperature dependence of the sound attenuation and sound velocity in layered impure metals due to superconducting fluctuations of the order parameter above the critical temperature. We obtain the dependence on material properties of these fluctuation corrections in the hydrodynamic limit, where the electron mean free path is much smaller than the wavelength of sound and where the electron collision rate is much larger than the sound frequency. For longitudinal sound propagating perpendicular to the layers, the open Fermi surface condition leads to a suppression of the divergent contributions to leading order, in contrast with the case of paraconductivity. The leading temperature dependent corrections, given by the Aslamazov-Larkin, Maki-Thompson and density of states terms, remain finite as T->Tc. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of new ultrasonic experiments on layered organic conductors should make these fluctuations effects measurable.

arXiv comment13 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for PRB. Added discussion on incoherent interlayer tunneling and other small modifications suggested by referees

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Single-boson exchange decomposition of the vertex function
• Competition between magnetism and superconductivity in the organic metal $\kappa$-[BEDT-TTF]${}_2$Cu[N(CN)${}_2$]Br
• Gor'kov-Hedin-Baym Equations for Quantum Many-Body Systems with Spin-Dependent Interactions
• Effect of superconducting fluctuations on ultrasound in unconventional superconductor