Lecture XXII 64

Lecture XXII: BCS Superconductivity

Recall: We have seen that phonon exchange a pairing interaction which renders
a single pair of electrons unstable towards the formation of a bound state (Cooper)
Motivated by this consideration, we have proposed a many-body generalisation
of the pair state in the form of the variational BCS state
| =

k
(u
k
+ v
k
c

k
c

k
)|
and within which one may show that the anomalous average

b
k
= |c

k
c

k
|
acquires a non-zero expectation
In principle, we could now proceed with the Ansatz for | and employ a variational
analysis. However, instead, we will make use of this Ansatz to develop an approximation
scheme to expand the second quantised BCS Hamiltonian. Indeed, such an approach will
lead to the same phenomenology.
Since we expect quantum uctuations in

b
k
to be small, we may set
c

k
c

k
=

b
k
+
small
..
c

k
c

b
k
(cf. our approach to BEC where a

0
was replaced by a C-number) so that

H

N =

k
c

k
c
k
V

kk

c
k
c
k
,
k
=
k

k
c

k
c
k
V

kk

b
k
c
k

c
k

+ b
k
c

k
c

b
k
b
k

_
Then, if we set V

k
b
k
, we obtain Bogoliubov-de Gennes or Gorkov Hamiltonian

H

N =

k
c

k
c
k

k
_

c
k

c
k

+ c

k
c

k
_
+
||
2
V
=

k
_
c

k
c
k
_
_

k

k
__
c
k
c

k
_
+
||
2
V
For simplicity, let us for now assume that is real
Bilinear in fermion operators,

H

N is diagonalised by canonical transformation
_
c
k
c

k
_
=
O
T
..
_
u
k
v
k
v
k
u
k
_ _

k

k
_
where anticommutation relation requires O
T
O = 1,
i.e. u
2
k
+ v
2
k
= 1 (orthogonal transformations)
Lecture Notes October 2005
Lecture XXII 65
Substituting, one nds that the Hamiltonian diagonalised if
2
k
u
k
v
k
+ (v
2
k
u
2
k
) = 0
i.e. setting u
k
= sin
k
and v
k
= cos
k
,
tan 2
k
=

, sin 2
k
=

_

2
k
+
2
, cos 2
k
=

k
_

2
k
+
2
(N.B. for complex = ||e
i
, v
k
= e
i
cos
k
)
As a result

H

N =

k
(
k
(
2
k
+
2
)
1/2
)

2
V
+

k
(
2
k
+
2
)
1/2

k
Quasi-particle excitations, created by

k
, have minimum energy
Energy gap rigidity of ground state
Ground state wavefunction identied as vacuum state of algebra {
k
,

k
},
i.e state which is annihilated by all the quasi-particle operators
k
.
Condition met uniquely by the state
|

k
| =

k
(u
k
c
k
v
k
c

k
)(u
k
c
k
+ v
k
c

k
)|
=

k
(v
k
)(u
k
c
k
c

k
v
k
c

k
c

k
)| = const.

k
_
u
k
+ v
k
c

k
c

k
_
|
cf. variational analysis in fact, const. = 1
Note that phase of is arbitrary,
i.e. ground state is continuously degenerate (cf. BEC)
Self-consistency condition: BCS gap equation
= V

k
b
k
= V

k
|c

k
c

k
| = V

k
u
k
v
k
=
V
2

k
sin 2
k
=
V
2

2
k
+
2
i.e. 1 =
V
2

k
1
_

2
k
+
2
=
V L
d
(
F
)
2
_

D

D
d
1
_

2
+
2
if
D
, 2
D
e

1
(
F
)V L
d
Ground state: In limit 0, v
2
k
(
F

k
), and the ground state collapses
to the lled Fermi sea with chemical potential
F
As becomes non-zero, states in the vicinity of the Fermi surface rearrange into a
condensate of paired states
Lecture Notes October 2005
Lecture XXII 66
Excitations: Spectrum of quasi-particle excitations
_

2
k
+
2
shows rigid energy gap .
An excitation can be either the creation of a quasi-particle at positive energy or the
elimination of a quasi-particle (the creation of a quasi-hole) at negative energy. In
the ground state, all negative-energy quasi-particle states are lled.
Density of quasi-particle excitations near Fermi surface
() =
1
L
d

k
(
_

k
+
2
) =
_
d
1
L
d

k
(
k
)
. .
()
(
_
+
2
)
(
F
)

s=1
_

0
d

_
s[
2

2
]
1/2
_

[
2
+
2
]
1/2

= 2(
F
)( )

(
2

2
)
1/2
,
Spectral weight transferred from Fermi surface to interval [, ]
Lecture Notes October 2005