On Ferromagnetism in a Superconducting Alloy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In this paper we will investigate the possibility of coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in an alloy containing paramagnetic impurities, taking into account the spin-orbit interaction. The ferromagnetic ordering of the impurity spins takes place by virtue of exchange interaction with the conduction electrons and this ordering causes a spatial spin density of the conduction electrons. Gor'kov and Rusinov attempted to explain this problem by taking into account only the exchange interaction in a simple molecular field approximation. But they were not able to obtain consistently the phase diagram which is expressed in terms of temperature and the concentration of paramagnetic impurities. As one of the possible mechanisms of this phenomenon we further consider spin-orbit scattering by non-magnetic impurities whose concentration is usually large. Spin-orbit interaction increases the paramagnetic susceptibility of the electrons. Ferromagnetism is therefore weakened by this interaction. Furthermore the ferromagnetic sliding of the Fermi surface becomes less destructive of the Cooper effect because the electron spin is not conserved in spin-orbit interaction. We will show that superconductivity and ferromagnetism can coexist owing to the presence of a spin-orbit interaction with natural strength.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: