Anomalous currents and spontaneous vortices in spin-orbit coupled superconductors

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Superconductivity
• Spintronics

Background:

• Spin-orbit coupling is crucial in modern materials science.
• Superconductors with magnetic impurities exhibit unique quantum phenomena.
• Understanding novel mechanisms for supercurrent generation is key for technological advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a new mechanism for generating supercurrents in spin-orbit coupled superconductors.
• To investigate the role of charged magnetic inclusions in inducing supercurrents.
• To explore the generation of superconducting vortices without external magnetic fields.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a Ginzburg-Landau theory to model the phenomenon.
• Deriving parameters from a microscopic model.
• Analyzing the effects of spin-orbit interaction and magnetic inclusions on Cooper pairs.

Main Results:

• A mechanism is proposed where spin-orbit interaction creates a spin-dependent gauge field near magnetic inclusions.
• This pseudo-gauge field can generate supercurrents if Cooper pairs are spin-polarized.
• The mechanism can either enhance or reduce magnetization and generate vortices without orbital magnetic fields.

Conclusions:

• The proposed mechanism offers a new route to control supercurrents and generate vortices in superconductors.
• The findings provide insights into the interplay between spin-orbit coupling, magnetism, and superconductivity.
• The model qualitatively reproduces the magnetic memory effect observed in 4Hb-TaS2, though quantitative discrepancies remain.