Study of spin-orbit coupling effects on superconducting and superfluid properties in spatially inhomogeneous enviroments

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25800194
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Condensed matter physics II
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2014-2015); Kyoto University (2013)
• Principal Investigator: Aoyama Kazushi 大阪大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00623133)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: スピン-軌道カップリング / 超伝導 / 超流動ヘリウム３

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Electrons and atoms are the elementary particles in solids and liquids. They have spin and orbital degrees of freedom which are respectively relevant to magnetic properties and particle distributions and flows such as the electronic current. In this research project, we discussed effects of the coupling between spin and orbital degrees of freedom on superconducting and superfluid properties at system surfaces and domain boundaries. It was found that in non-centrosymmetric superconductors possessing crystal domains with opposite signs of the spin-orbit coupling, the upper critical field is enhanced at the domain boundary. We also showed that in superfluid 3He confined in small size containers, a stripe structure is induced due to the surface scattering effects and the internal degrees of freedom of the order parameter which are characteristic of the spin-orbit coupled superfluid 3He.

Free Research Field

物性理論