https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2004-00188-7
Microscopic theory of equilibrium properties of F/S/F trilayers with weak ferromagnets
Centre de Recherches sur les Très Basses
Températures (CRTBT) (U.P.R. 5001 du CNRS, Laboratoire conventionné
avec l'Université Joseph Fourier) , B.P. 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9,
France
Corresponding author: a melin@grenoble.cnrs.fr
Received:
23
January
2004
Published online:
29
June
2004
The aim of this paper is to explain the non monotonic temperature dependence of the self-consistent superconducting gap of ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet (F/S/F) trilayers with weak ferromagnets in the parallel alignment (equivalent to F/S bilayers). We show that this is due to Andreev bound states that compete with the formation of a minigap. Using a recursive algorithm we discuss in detail the roles of various parameters (thicknesses of the superconductor and ferromagnets, relative spin orientation of the ferromagnets, exchange field, temperature, disorder, interface transparencies).
PACS: 74.78.Na – Mesoscopic and nanoscale systems / 74.45.+c – Proximity effects; Andreev effect; SN and SNS junctions / 74.50.+r – Tunneling phenomena; point contacts, weak links, Josephson effects
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2004