Superconducting $d_{x^2-y^2} \pm id_{xy}$ phase glass

Abstract

We discuss the effects of magnetic impurities on d-wave superconductors. We calculate the electron mediated RKKY interaction between the impurity spins in a d-wave superconductor and find that it decays as $r^{-3}$ at large distances. We argue that this interaction leads to the formation of a spin glass at low temperature $T \ll T_c$. It was previously shown that a local complex $Δ^1 \sim d_{xy}$ order parameter is induced around each impurity spin. We consider the pair tunneling resulting in the Josephson interaction between different patches of induced $d_{xy}$ order parameter. Due to the local coupling between impurity spins and the superconducting order parameter the Josephson coupling favors a ferromagnetic phase at low temperatures. The competition between the Josephson coupling and the RKKY interaction gives rise to an interesting phase diagram. At low impurity concentrations we find an unusual supercondcting phase glass, where the impurity spins $S^z$ and $d_{xy}$ component are disordered and yet the product of these two develops a true long range order $<S^z Δ^1>$. This phase has no analog in purely magnetic spin glasses and arises as a result of the direct coupling of the impurity spin to the phase of $Δ^1$. At high impurity concentrations it is possible that a ferromagnetic phase will form.