2007/10/31 by J. E. Hirsch · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Magnetic properties of thin films #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #cond-mat.str-el #cond-mat.supr-con
paper · pdf · doi:10.1209/0295-5075/81/67003
published as Europhys. Lett. 81, 67003 (2008) · Interpretation of type I vs. type II behavior added (fig. 2)
arxiv created 2007/11/21 · openalex publication_date 2008/02/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
We propose a dynamical explanation of the Meissner effect in superconductors and predict the existence of a spin Meissner effect: that a macroscopic spin current flows within a London penetration depth λ L of the surface of superconductors in the absence of applied external fields, with carrier density = the superfluid density and carrier speed ( m e = bare electron mass). The two members of a Cooper pair circulate in orbits of radius 2λ L in opposite direction and the spin current in a Cooper pair has orbital angular momentum ℏ. Our description also provides a "geometric" interpretation of the difference between type-I and type-II superconductors.