Anomalous features of the proximity effect in triplet superconductors

Abstract

Anomalous features of the proximity effect specific to diffusive normal metal (DN)/triplet superconductor junctions are studied within the quasiclassical Green's function formalism. The pair amplitude fN as a function of energy ε in DN, satisfies an anomalous relation, fN(ε)=-fN*(- ε), contrary to that in singlet superconductor junctions case where fN(ε)=fN*(-ε). Such an unusual ε dependence is responsible for a zero energy peak in the local density of states and is a source of an anomalous penetration of the applied magnetic field into DN. Our results are relevant to Sr2RuO4, which is considered to have a px+ipy-wave symmetry. © 2005 The American Physical Society.