Local Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in d_(x2-y2) Superconductors

Abstract

We show that an isolated impurity in a spin singlet d_{x2-y2} superconductor generates a d_{xy} order parameter with locally broken time-reversal symmetry. The origin of this effect is a coupling between the d_{x2-y2} and the d_{xy} order parameter induced by spin-orbit scattering off the impurity. The signature of locally broken time-reversal symmetry is an induced orbital charge current near the impurity, which generates a localized magnetic field in the vicinity of the impurity. We present a microscopic theory for the impurity induced d_{xy} component, discuss its spatial structure as well as the pattern of induced current and local magnetic field near the localized impurity spin.

4 pages in ReVTeX format. PACS numbers: 74.25Bt, 74.62Dh

References in corpus (3)

• Impurity-Induced Bound Excitations on the Surface of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8
• Magnetic Impurities in d-wave Superconductors
• Pauli susceptibility of nonadiabatic Fermi liquids

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