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Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors

Dissertation (MSc (Physics))--University of Pretoria, 1993.

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Other Authors: Carter, R.M.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Carter, R.M.
author_browse Carter, R.M.
author_facet Carter, R.M.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc (Physics))--University of Pretoria, 1993.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
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provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/99497 Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors Carter, R.M. Van der Walt, David Michael BCS Theory Non-conventional superconductors UCTD Dissertation (MSc (Physics))--University of Pretoria, 1993. The Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory of superconductivity affords a very good microscopic understanding of metallic superconductors, where the electron-electron interaction is known to be phonon-mediated. However, it does not adequately describe non-conventional, in particular high-Tc, superconductivity. In this dissertation, BCS theory has been extended in an attempt to provide a framework within which the mechanisms responsible for exotic superconductivity can be understood. The BCS gap equation is solved without the usual restriction of small interaction width for the intermediating bosons, since the electron-electron interaction responsible for superconductive pairing need not necessarily be phonon mediated. Bulk high-Tc superconductors are usually polycrystalline materials, composed of weakly coupled grains which may as a first approximation be treated as small isolated superconducting systems. The finite size of these individual grains needs to be considered in an effective description of high temperature superconductivity. Nuclei that exhibit a. BCS-type pairing transition also fall into the category of small superconducting systems. For these finite systems, the effect of the thermodynamic and quantum fluctuations needs to be included. In particular, the effect of fluctuations on the macroscopic order parameter of the system, which drops smoothly to zero in the thermodynamic limit to indicate a phase transition, is examined. Furthermore, the expectation value of the pairing potential, rather than the conventional BCS energy gap, is proposed and motivated as the more appropriate order parameter for pairing systems. Finally, canonical number projection is also performed to consider the finite number of superconducting particles in small superconducting systems. Physics MSc (Physics) 2024-11-27T09:16:01Z 2024-11-27T09:16:01Z 22/01/20 1993 Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/99497 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle BCS Theory
Non-conventional superconductors
UCTD
Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors
title Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors
title_full Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors
title_fullStr Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors
title_full_unstemmed Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors
title_short Extensions of BCS theory for non-conventional superconductors
title_sort extensions of bcs theory for non conventional superconductors
topic BCS Theory
Non-conventional superconductors
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/99497