Odd-frequency pairing in the Kondo lattice

P. Coleman, E. Miranda, A. Tsvelik

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125 Scopus citations

Abstract

We discuss the possibility that heavy-fermion superconductors involve odd-frequency triplet pairing. A key technical innovation here is a Majorana representation for the local moments which avoids the use of a Gutzwiller projection. We employ the Kondo lattice model and develop a mean-field theory for odd-frequency pairing that entails pairing between local moments and conduction electrons, as described by a spinor order parameter. We confirm that the Meissner stiffness is positive and the state is stable. A residual band of gapless quasiparticles whose spin and charge coherence factors vanish linearly in energy, decouples from the condensate. The unusual energy dependence of these coherence factors leads to a T3 NMR relaxation rate at a conduction electron site that coexists with a linear specific heat. Two verifiable predictions of the theory are (i) that a Korringa relaxation will fail to develop in heavy-fermion superconductors, even in the limit of strong pair breaking and severe gaplessness and (ii) that the hitherto unmeasured NMR relaxation rate at the actinide or rare-earth site will become exponentially activated in the superconducting phase.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)8955-8982
Number of pages28
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume49
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - 1994

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Condensed Matter Physics

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