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Phenomenological theory of the surface nucleation field in anisotropic superconductors
Author(s) -
Klein U.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.2221940225
Subject(s) - nucleation , condensed matter physics , anisotropy , superconductivity , surface (topology) , field (mathematics) , ginzburg–landau theory , magnetic field , scaling , phenomenological model , critical field , physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , geometry , mathematics , pure mathematics
The surface nucleation field for anisotropic (conventional) superconductors is calculated for an arbitrary modification of the superconducting transition temperature near the surface. We use, as a phenomenological description, anisotropic Ginzburg‐Landau theory including appropriate surface terms. A uniaxial situation, as in layered high‐ T c compounds, is considered, with the external magnetic field oriented along one of the main crystallographic axes. The resulting nucleation fields are all determined by a single universal curve (and appropriate direction‐dependent scaling factors). Depending on the surface state, both an enhancement and a suppression of the usual third critical field 1.7 H c2 may occur. The results are relevant for layered compounds, in particular for high‐ T c materials, where the surface conditions depend sensitively on the nature of the first layer on top of the surface.