Impurity Scattering in Carbon Nanotubes with Superconducting Pair Correlations

Abstract

Effects of the superconducting pair potential on the impurity scattering processes in metallic carbon nanotubes are studied theoretically. The backward scattering of electrons vanishes in the normal state. In the presence of the superconducting pair correlations, the backward scatterings of electron- and hole-like quasiparticles vanish, too. The impurity gives rise to backward scatterings of holes for incident electrons, and it also induces backward scatterings of electrons for incident holes. Negative and positive currents induced by such the scatterings between electrons and holes cancel each other. Therefore, the nonmagnetic impurity does not hinder the supercurrent in the regions where the superconducting proximity effects occur, and the carbon nanotube is a good conductor for Cooper pairs. Relations with experiments are discussed.