Theory of Magnetic Domain Phases in Ferromagnetic Superconductors Zh. Devizorova, S. Mironov, Alexandre I. Buzdin
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Zh. Devizorova, S. Mironov, Alexandre I. Buzdin. Theory of Magnetic Domain Phases in Ferro- magnetic Superconductors. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society, 2019, 122 (11), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.117002. hal-02140465
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Theory of Magnetic Domain Phases in Ferromagnetic Superconductors
Zh. Devizorova,1 S. Mironov,2 and A. Buzdin3 1Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia and Kotelnikov Institute of Radio-engineering and Electronics RAS, 125009 Moscow, Russia 2Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, GSP-105, Russia 3University Bordeaux, LOMA UMR-CNRS 5798, F-33405 Talence Cedex, France and Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119991, Russia (Received 6 August 2018; published 22 March 2019)
Recently discovered superconducting P-doped EuFe2As2 compounds reveal the situation when the superconducting critical temperature substantially exceeds the ferromagnetic transition temperature. The main mechanism of the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity occurs to be an electromag- netic one, and a short-period magnetic domain structure was observed just below Curie temperature [V. S. Stolyarov et al., Sci. Adv. 4, eaat1061 (2018)]. We elaborate a theory of such a transition and demonstrate how the initial sinusoidal magnetic structure gradually transforms into a solitonlike domain one. Further cooling may trigger a first-order transition from the short-period domain Meissner phase to the self-induced ferromagnetic vortex state, and we calculate the parameters of this transition. The size of the domains in the vortex state is basically the same as in the normal ferromagnet, but with the domain walls which should generate the set of vortices perpendicular to the vortices in the domains.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.117002
The coexistence of magnetism and singlet superconduc- the ferromagnetism [13,14] while magnetic anisotropy tivity has always been of great interest because of their should trigger the formation of domain structures (DSs) competing nature. Already in 1956, Ginzburg [1] showed [12,15] which can coexist with Abrikosov vortices [16–18]. that uniform magnetism in bulk systems may destroy However, further investigation of these intriguing phenom- superconductivity due to the electromagnetic (EM) mecha- ena in FSs with purely EM interaction was interrupted nism (so-called, orbital effect), i.e., generation of the because it turned out that even a small exchange field screening Meissner currents. In addition, the exchange producing negligible contribution to the magnetic energy field tends to align electron spins parallel to each other, should dramatically affect the magnetic texture of FSs [11]. which prevents the formation of Cooper pairs with the In the late 1980s there were no FSs where EM interaction opposite spin directions [exchange (EX) mechanism] [2]. could dominate, and the research became mainly focused As a result, the coexistence of uniform ferromagnetism and on the EX mechanism [8,19–23]. In principle, the effects of superconductivity becomes possible primary in thin-film EM interaction could be observed in triplet FSs. However, structures with the damped orbital effect [1], spin-triplet in all three known triplet FSs [3] the Curie temperature θ is uranium-based superconductors [3], or artificial supercon- well above the superconducting critical temperature Tc so ductor-ferromagnet hybrids [4–6]. that below Tc the magnetic structure is already frozen and In contrast, nonuniform magnetic states may peacefully insensitive to the superconductivity. coexist with the superconducting ordering. The typical Recently, the interest in FSs with purely EM interaction example is the antiferromagnetic superconductors RRh4B4 has been unexpectedly renewed with the discovery of the and RMo6S8 with the rare-earth element R [7], where the P-doped EuFe2As2 compound where θ 0031-9007=19=122(11)=117002(6) 117002-1 © 2019 American Physical Society PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 122, 117002 (2019) length ξ ∼ 1.5 nm. A very strong polarization of the Eu from a sinusoidal profile to the steplike structures when subsystemisachievedatfields≳1 T [29], but it does not cooling the sample. Additionally, we calculate the key result in any observable decrease of the transition temper- parameters of the first-order transition to the phase with h ≪ T ature [31] and we may conclude that EX c (hereinafter coexisting domains and vortices and suggest an explanation we put the Boltzmann constant kB ¼ 1). In addition, the time for the hysteresis behavior of the domain structure in resolved magneto-optical measurements in EuFe2As2 [32] EuFe2As2 [36,37]. Finally, we show that the domain walls reveal a very slow relaxation time for Euþ2 spin τ ∼ 100 ps, favor the generation of unusual vortices with the cores h ∼ ℏ=τ ∼ 0 1 which implies the exchange interaction EX . K. perpendicular to the vortices in the domains. Moreover, the Mössbauer studies [26,33] and density-func- Before going into detail we briefly overview possible tional band-structure calculations [34] indicate that the regimes in the evolution of magnetic texture with the exchange interaction between Eu atoms and superconduct- variation of temperature T (see Fig. 1). In the cooling ing electrons in EuFe2As2 and similar compounds is very process at T ¼ Tc the superconducting Meissner phase h ≲ 1 weak, EX K, and then the exchange Ruderman-Kittel- appears. The well-developed superconductivity prevents Kasuya-Yosida contribution into the magnetic energy is the nucleation of uniform ferromagnetism at T ¼ θ.Asa θ ∼ NðE Þh2 ∼ 10−3 EX F EX K [for the electron density of result, the magnetic order emerges at the temperature states NðEFÞ ∼ 2–3 states=eV per one Eu atom [30]]. θm < θ and the magnetization has the sine profile with The strong spin-orbit scattering in EuFe2As2 is likely to only one spatial harmonic. While cooling below θm the suppress the paramagnetic mechanism of superconductivity nonlinear effects give rise to other spatial harmonics and the destruction. When the spin-orbit electron scattering mean magnetization evolves towards the well-developed steplike l T free path so is of the order of the ordinary mean free path DS with increasing domain size. At temperature M−V the l l ≳ l ( so ), the EM interaction dominates over the exchange growing amplitude of the magnetization makes the uniform one in the nonuniform magnetic structure formation, if superconducting phase less favorable than the phase with θ < θðaξ2=l3Þ a EX , where is of the order of interatomic coexisting DS and vortex lattice. However, in the cooling distance [35]. The small value of the superconducting regime the immediate vortex entry at T ¼ TM−V is pre- coherence length in EuFe2As2 ensures the domination of vented by the Bean-Livingston-like barrier. This results in the EM mechanism. overcooling of the Meissner state and the first-order phase The unusual relation θ (a) (b) FIG. 1. (a) Ferromagnetic superconductor (FS) with the easy-axis magnetic anisotropy along the z axis. (b) The phase diagram demonstrating the temperature evolution of the coexisting phases in FS with dominant EM mechanism. 117002-2 PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 122, 117002 (2019) To support the above qualitative picture we calculate the temperature evolution of the magnetic texture in the FS with θ ðB − 4πM Þ2 A2 FðB ;M Þ¼ z z þ z z 8π 8πλ2 nθ˜ b M4 ∂M 2 þ τM2 þ z þ a2 z : ð Þ 2 z 2 1 M0 2 M0 ∂x Here, τ ¼ðT − θÞ=θ is the reduced temperature, M ¼ MzðxÞz is the magnetization, B ¼ BzðxÞz is the magnetic FIG. 2. The dependence of the parameter m describing the form field with the corresponding vector potential A ¼ AðxÞy, λ of magnetic domains on temperature τ ¼ðT − θÞ=θ. is the London penetration depth, n is the concentration of magnetic atoms, M0 is the saturation magnetization at can choose the ansatz for the magnetization in the form of ˜ 2 T ¼ 0, and θ ¼ M0=n. The estimates for the coefficients the elliptic sine function: MzðxÞ¼Msn½2KðmÞQx=π . a and b give b ∼ 1 and a ≪ λ. Here KðmÞ is the elliptic integral and the parameter m In the cooling regime the first sinusoidal harmonic of controls the shape of the MzðxÞ profile. Such an ansatz magnetization characterized by the wave vector qm emerges perfectly describes the gradual transition between the sine at T ¼ θm ≲ θ. To calculate the shift τm ¼ðθ − θmÞ=θ one magnetization (m ¼ 0) and the steplike one (m → 1). 4 may neglect the term ∝R Mz in Eq. (1) and make the Fourier Substituting the Fourier components of MzðxÞ into 4 expansion MzðxÞ¼ Mq expðiqxÞdq=2π. Then using Eq. (2), restoring the term ∝ Mz, and minimizing the MaxwellR equations we rewrite the averaged free energy resulting functional, we obtain the analytical expressions FV¯ ¼ FdV: reflecting the temperature evolution of the values m, Q, and X M [38]. The results confirm the very fast emergence of the ¯ 2 2 2 2 2 F ¼ jMqj ½2π=ð1 þ λ q ÞþΓðτ þ a q Þ ; ð2Þ well-developed DS below θm (see Fig. 2) with the increas- q ing domain size (see Fig. 3). In the most interesting case of the well-developed DS, i.e., m → 1, the wave vector Q, ˜ 2 ¯ ¯ where Γ ¼ nθ=M0. The condition F ¼ 0 defines the magnetization M, and free energy F take the form: dependence τðqÞ whose minimum corresponds to the actual pffiffiffiffiffi 2=3 1=3 1=2 τ λ M0 τm jτj 2 jτj temperaturepffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi shift m. The result depends on the value .If M ¼ pffiffiffi − ; ð3Þ λ a Γ=2π appear, while for , the free-energy minimum π τ 1=6 b M4 M ðxÞ Q ¼ q m ; F¯ ¼ −Γ : ð Þ corresponds to the sinusoidal profile z pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiwith m 4=3 2 4 2 2 1=4 2 jτj 2 M0 qm ¼ð2π=Γλ a Þ , and we find τm ¼ð2a=λÞ 2π=Γ. The period of the emerging magnetic structure is smaller than λ, which makes this structure compatible with super- conductivity due to the weak Meissner screening. With further cooling below θm the emerging higher harmonics Mq result in the crossover from the sine magnetization profile to the steplike domains MzðxÞ¼ M with the increasing size. The wave vector Q of the domain structure is determined by the balance between the energy of Meissner currents tending to increase Q and the domain walls’ energy, which favors small Q values. In the limit Qλ ≫ 1, the first contribution is proportional to M2=ðλ2Q2Þ while the estimate for the energy of the linear domain walls appearing inp theffiffiffiffiffi systems with strong mag- netic anisotropy gives Γa jτjM2Q. The minimization of the resulting free energy shows that the wave vector 1=6 Q ∼ qmðτm=jτjÞ decreases when cooling the sample. FIG. 3. The dependence of DS wave vector Q on temperature The above conclusion is perfectly supported by the τ ¼ðT − θÞ=θ for infinite FS (red curve) and FS of the thickness accurate calculations. In the easy-axis ferromagnets one L (black curve). Inset: The same for FN slab. 117002-3 PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 122, 117002 (2019) pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi Note that well below θ the growing magnetization MðjτjÞ ½ 1 þ 9γ þ 1 3=2 4πb H 2 jτ j¼ pffiffiffiffiffi τ ; γ ¼ cm ; cm m 2 may become large enough to induce Abrikosov vortices. 54 Γτm 4πM0 The resulting coexistence phase should emerge through the ð9Þ first-order transition. In the presence of the vortex lattice the screening Meissner currents are small and, thus, at temper- where Hcm is the thermodynamic critical field. atures below the transition point instead of DS one should Taking the parameters of EuFe2As2 [29],wemay have the uniform magnetization. The thermodynamic estimate the ratio between TM−V and Tcm. Since τm is critical temperature TM−V of such a transition can be −3 rather smallpffiffiffiτm ∼ 10 ≪ 1,wehaveγ ≫ 1 and obtained from the comparison between the DS and VS 3=4 jτcmj ≈ ðγ = 2Þτm, and, thus, TM−V significantly exceeds free energies. For the well-developed steplike profile T T M ðxÞ cm. However, the calculated value of cm may be sub- z , the former energy takes the form Eq. (4) while stantially smaller than the temperature of the vortex entry in the latter one reads [39] experiment. Indeed, the presence of accidental vortices trapped, e.g., at the defects, increases Tcm since the ðB − 4πM Þ2 b M4 B H˜ F ¼ z z þ Γ τM2 þ z þ z c1 : ð Þ Meissner currents near the vortex cores are of the order v 8π z 2 2 4π 5 M0 of the depairing current, which favors the formation the additional vortex-antivortex pairs. Thus, in real type-II H˜ ¼ H ½βd=ξ = ½λ=ξ H Here c1 c1 ln ln , where c1 is the lower superconductors we expect Tcm ≲ TM−V. critical field,pξffiffiffi is the superconducting coherence length, 2 Up to now we have not accounted for the finite size of the d ¼ 2Φ0=ð 3BzÞ, Φ0 is the superconducting flux quan- sample. For the slab of the finite thickness L, the domain tum, and β ¼ 0.381 is the geometrical factor relevant for structure produces the stray magnetic field which decays at the triangular vortex lattice. ∝ Q−1 ˜ distances from the slab surface. The corresponding In the case Hc1 ≪4πMz, which is typical for FSs minimiz- contribution to the free energy tends to shrink the domains, ing Eq. (5) with respect to the magnitude of the uniform thus making the vector Q higher for the thinner samples at a magnetization Mz, we obtain the free energy of the VS: fixed T (see Fig. 3) [38]. However, even for the thin-film pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi FSs the stray field effect does not qualitatively change the 2 2 ˜ Fv ¼ −ΓM0τ =ð2bÞþM0Hc1 jτj=b: ð6Þ dependence QðτÞ and the domain size remains increasing upon cooling the sample. For the reasonable choice of parameters we expect Interestingly, in the finite samples the emergence of the jτM−Vj¼ðθ − TM−VÞ=θ ≫ τm; thus, the temperature of dense vortex lattice below Tcm on top of magnetic DS the phase transition between the DS and the VS is should result in substantial growth in the domain size. In pffiffiffi this coexistence phase the Meissner screening is almost τ 24π b 1 H˜ 6=5 jτ j¼ m c1 : ð Þ destroyed and the situation is fully analogous to the M−V 3=2 7 4 Γ τm 4πM0 nonsuperconducting ferromagnetic film (FN). In such a film the ferromagnetic domain structure should appear to However, the evolution of the magnetic order near the minimize the stray field. Calculating the dependence QðτÞ temperature TM−V should reveal hysteresis behavior. for this case we find that at a given T the domain is Indeed, in the cooling process the vortices cannot enter significantly larger if the superconductivity is destroyed the sample at TM−V because of the Bean-Livingston barrier (see the inset in Fig. 3). Such an increase of the domain size which vanishes only at the temperature Tcm