Critical fluctuations in high-temperature superconductors and the Ettingshausen effect

We study the fluctuation Ettingshausen effect in a type-II superconductor using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation. The free-fluctuation theory predicts a divergence in the Ettingshausen coefficient at T=${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}2}$(H), in conflict with the recent data of Palstra et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 3090 (1990)]. Including interactions through a self-consistent Hartree approximation eliminates the divergence and provides a quantitative explanation of the experiments.