New Theory for Cooper Pair Formation and Superconductivity

Abstract

A new theory for Cooper pair formation and superconductivity is derived from quantum statistical mechanics. It is shown that zero momentum Cooper pairs have non-local permutations and behave as effective bosons with an internal weight close to unity when bound by a primary minimum in the potential of mean force. For a short-ranged, shallow, and highly curved minimum there is no thermodynamic barrier to condensation. The size of the condensing Cooper pairs found here is orders of magnitude smaller than those found in BCS theory. The new statistical theory is applicable to high temperature superconductors.