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BCS Pairing Theory

This presentation provides an overview of BCS pairing theory, which explains the phenomenon of superconductivity. It discusses the key discoveries and ideas put forth by Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer in their 1957 paper. These include that electrons form weakly bound pairs (Cooper pairs) that move coherently through the material with no resistance below a critical temperature. This is due to an electron-phonon interaction that overcomes the electron-electron repulsion. The size and binding energy of Cooper pairs depends on the vibration frequency of the ion lattice. BCS theory successfully explained various experimental observations, like the isotope effect and jumps in heat capacity at the transition temperature.

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Ankan Das Roy
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34 views

BCS Pairing Theory

This presentation provides an overview of BCS pairing theory, which explains the phenomenon of superconductivity. It discusses the key discoveries and ideas put forth by Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer in their 1957 paper. These include that electrons form weakly bound pairs (Cooper pairs) that move coherently through the material with no resistance below a critical temperature. This is due to an electron-phonon interaction that overcomes the electron-electron repulsion. The size and binding energy of Cooper pairs depends on the vibration frequency of the ion lattice. BCS theory successfully explained various experimental observations, like the isotope effect and jumps in heat capacity at the transition temperature.

Uploaded by

Ankan Das Roy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PRESENTATION ON

BCS PAIRING THEORY


Presented by
Narendra Kumar
Mysteries to resolve
History:-

• Discovered by Bardeen, Cooper and


Schrieffer in 1957.
• Got Nobel prize in 1972 for their theory
• In a normal metal there are lattice ions
and electrons passing through these lattice ions ,as the electron moving
through the crystal , scattering and the collision occurs that’s why resistance
occurs .
• Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer suggested that no single electrons pass
through the crystal instead of that pair of electrons are moving .
• The scattering in this process is negligble so the resistance is almost zero
below the critical temperature.
• The theory of superconductivity is described by electron phonon electron
interaction.
Electron Phonon Electron Interaction

• When electron passes through the lattice it experiences the attractive coulomb
force due the presence of lattice ion and
lattice ions get distorted from its equilibrium
position . As a result momentarily positive charge
enhancement occurs at that position . When the
another electron passes through the lattice it
experience attractive coulomb force due to the
momentarily positive charge.
• Vibration of lattice ions occurs due to electrons
passing through the crystal.
• Due to the distortion of lattice ions electrons are paired with a weak attraction
force and these electrons move as a single particle .
• Interaction named as electron phonon electron interaction.
• The formed pair of electrons is called cooper pair.
Reason for the almost zero resistance

• In a normal metal single electron facing scattering which cause resistance.


• BCS suggested that in a superconductor ,pair of electron moves through the
lattice. When the one electron faces the collision or scattering in the lattice ,
another one pulled it out so that scattering is minimum. This process is going on
.Hence the train of electrons passing without no scattering.
• The electron phonon interaction is strongest when the two electrons have equal
and opposite momentum and spin.
• The electron phonon electron interaction dominates over usual electron- electron
interaction below the critical temperature.
• Cooper pair in bound state has less energy than the energy in free state.
• The difference in energy is binding energy and should be supplied to break the
cooper pair.
• Pairing of Cooper pair is strongest at T=0K and at critical temperature the
electrons of cooper pair are free.
• Since pairing is complete at 0k so the energy gap between paired and normal state
is maximum and zero at and above critical temperature.
Size of cooper pair

• Ions in the lattice vibrate with the frequency ὠD


• This frequency depends of the mass of the ion and varies as the reciprocal to the
square root of mass.
• Ions will come to its original position in a time 2π/ ὠD.
• So the second electron will come in a time 2π/ ὠD
• Electrons are moving with the fermi velocity VF in the lattice so the size of the cooper
pair or coherence length is given by

• Δ is the pairing strength or binding


energy of cooper pair.
Isotope effect using BCS theory

• Pairing strength of the cooper pair is given by

• This shows the isotope effect.


BCS equation

• One can easily show that BCS equation is approximately given by

Success of BCS theory


• Explain jump in specific heat.
• Explain Isotope effect.
• Give the reason why quantum flux is h/2e not h/e.
Thank You

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