Basic theory of superconductivity in metals without inversion center

Abstract

This Chapter gives a brief introduction to some basic aspects metals and superconductors in crystals without inversion symmetry. In the first part we analyze some normal state properties which arise through antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling existing in non-centrosymmetric materials and show its influence on the de Haas-van Alphen effect. For the superconducting phase we introduce a multi-band formulation which naturally arises due the spin splitting of the bands by spin-orbit coupling. It will then be shown how the states can be symmetry classified and their relation to the original classification in even-parity spin-singlet and odd-parity spin-triplet pairing states. The general Ginzburg-Landau functional will be derived and applied to the nucleation of superconductivity in a magnetic field. It will be shown that magneto-electric effects can modify the standard paramagnetic limiting behavior drastically. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.