Multi-band superconductors have enhanced critical temperatures

Abstract

We introduce a multi-band BCS free energy functional and prove that for a multi-band superconductor the effect of inter-band coupling can only increase the critical temperature, irrespective of its attractive or repulsive nature and its strength. Further, for weak coupling and weaker inter-band coupling, we prove that the dependence of the increase in critical temperature on the inter-band coupling is (1) linear, if there are two or more equally strongly superconducting bands, or (2) quadratic, if there is only one dominating band.