Hidden Order as a Source of Interface Superconductivity

Abstract

Interfacial superconductivity is observed in a variety of heterostructures composed of different materials including superconducting and nonsuperconducting (at appropriate doping and temperatures) cuprates and iron-based pnictides. The origin of this superconductivity remains in many cases unclear. Here, we propose a general mechanism of interfacial superconductivity for systems with competing order parameters. We assume that parameters characterizing the material allow formation of another order like charge- or spin-density wave competing and prevailing superconductivity in the bulk (hidden superconductivity). Diffusive electron scattering on the interface results in a suppression of this order and releasing the superconductivity. Our theory is based on the use of Ginzburg--Landau equations applicable to a broad class of systems. We demonstrate that the local superconductivity appears in the vicinity of the interface and the spatial dependence of the superconducting order parameter~$\Delta(x)$ is described by the Gross--Pitaevskii equation. Solving this equation we obtain quantized values of temperature and doping levels at which~$\Delta(x)$ appears. Remarkably, the local superconductivity shows up even in the case when the rival order is only slightly suppressed and may arise also on the surface of the sample (surface superconductivity).