Supercurrents and spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking by nonmagnetic disorder in unconventional superconductors

Abstract

Recently, a theoretical study [Li {\it et al.},~npj Quantum Materials 6, 36 (2021)] investigated a model of a disordered $d$-wave superconductor, and reported local time-reversal symmetry breaking current loops for sufficiently high disorder levels. Since the pure $d$-wave superconducting state does not break time-reversal symmetry, it is surprising that such persistent currents arise purely from nonmagnetic disorder. Here we perform a detailed theoretical investigation of such disorder-induced orbital currents, and show that the occurrence of the currents can be traced to local extended $s$-wave pairing. We discuss the energetics leading to regions of $s\pm id$ order, which support spontaneous local currents in the presence of inhomogeneous density modulations.