1303.1974 (Alireza Akbari et al.)

Rashba spin-orbit coupling effects in quasiparticle interference of
non-centrosymmetric superconductors    [PDF]

Alireza Akbari, Peter Thalmeier

The theory of quasiparticle interference (QPI) for non-centrosymmetric (NCS) superconductors with Rashba spin-orbit coupling is developed using T-matrix theory in Born approximation. We show that qualitatively new effects in the QPI pattern originate from the Rashba spin-orbit coupling: The resulting spin coherence factors lead to a distinct difference of charge- and spin- QPI and to an induced spin anisotropy in the latter even for isotropic magnetic impurity scattering. In particular a cross - QPI appears describing spin oscillation pattern due to nonmagnetic impurity scattering which is directly related to the Rashba vector. We apply our theory to a 2D model for the NCS heavy fermion unconventional superconductor \CP and discuss the new QPI features for a gap model with accidental node lines due to its composite singlet-triplet nature.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.1974