Roles of Electron Correlations in the Spin-Triplet Superconductivity of Sr2RuO4

Abstract

We discuss a microscopic mechanism of the spin-tiplet superconductivity in the quasi-two-dimensional ruthenium oxide Sr2RuO4 on the basis of two-dimensional three-band Hubbard model. We solve the linearized Eliashberg equation by taking into account the full momentum-frequency dependence of the order parameter for the spin-triplet and the spin-singlet states, and estimate the transition temperature as a function of the Coulomb integrals. The effective pairing interaction is expanded perturbatively with respect to the Coulomb interaction at the Ru sites up to the third order. As a result, we show that the spin-triplet p-wave state is more stable than the spin-singlet d-wave state for moderately strong Coulomb interaction. Our results suggest that one of the three bands, $\gamma$, plays a dominant role in the superconducting transition, and the pairing on the other two bands($\alpha$ and $\beta$) is induced passively through the inter-orbit couplings. The most significant momentum dependence for the p-wave pairing originates from the vertex correction terms, while the incommensurate antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, which are observed in inelastic neutron scattering experiments, are expected to disturb the p-wave pairing by enhancing the d-wave pairing. Therefore we can regard the spin-triplet superconductivity in Sr2RuO4 as one of the natural results of the electron correlations, and cannot consider as a result of some strong magnetic fluctuations. We will also mention the normal Fermi liquid properties of Sr2RuO4.