Andreev Bound States, Surfaces and Subdominant Pairing in High Tc Superconductors

Abstract

A characteristic feature of the BCS theory of superconductivity is the quantum-mechanical coherence of particle and hole states. Direct observation of particle-hole coherence in unusual superconducting materials is a strong indication of traditional superconductivity. We use the Fermi liquid theory of superconductivity to study the implications of particle-hole coherence on properties of d-wave superconductors near surfaces. Typical surface phenomena are the suppression of the superconducting order parameter, surface bound states associated with Andreev reflection, anomalous screening currents, and spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry. We review these phenomena and present new results for the effects of surface roughness.