Spin and charge currents driven by the Higgs mode in high-field superconductors

Abstract

The Higgs mode in superconducting materials describes slowly decaying oscillations of the order parameter amplitude. We demonstrate that in superconductors with a built-in spin-splitting field the Higgs mode is strongly coupled to the spin degrees of freedom, allowing for the generation of time-dependent spin currents. Converting such spin currents to electric signals by spin-filtering elements provides a tool for the second-harmonic generation and the electrical detection of the Higgs mode generated by the external irradiation. The nonadiabatic spin torques generated by these spin currents allow for the magnetic detection of the Higgs mode by measuring the precession of the magnetic moment in the adjacent ferromagnet. We discuss also the reciprocal effect, which is the generation of the Higgs mode by the magnetic precession. Coupling the collective modes in superconductors to light and magnetic dynamics provides an opportunity for the study of superconducting optospintronics.