A phenomenological theory of superconductor diodes

Abstract

We study theoretically the superconductor diodes, where the magnitude of the critical current changes as the direction is reversed, in terms of a generalized Ginzburg-Landau model with the higher-order terms in the momentum of the order parameter. This theory is applied to Rashba spin-orbit coupled systems, where analytical relations between the nonreciprocal critical currents and the system parameters are achieved. Numerical calculations with mean-field theory are also obtained to study broader parameter regions. These results offer a rather general description and design principles of superconductor diodes.