Title | Critical viscosity of a fluctuating superconductor |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2019 |
Authors | Y. Liao, and V. Galitski |
Journal | Phys. Rev. B |
Volume | 100 |
Pagination | 060501 |
Date Published | AUG 2 |
Type of Article | Article |
ISSN | 2469-9950 |
Abstract | We consider a fluctuating superconductor in the vicinity of the transition temperature, T-c. The fluctuation shear viscosity is calculated. In two dimensions, the leading correction to viscosity is negative and scales as delta eta(T) alpha ln(T - T-c). Critical hydrodynamics of the fluctuating superconductor involves two fluids: a fluid of fluctuating pairs and a quasiparticle fluid of single-electron excitations. The pair viscosity (Aslamazov-Larkin) term is shown to be zero. The (density of states) correction to viscosity of single-electron excitations is negative, which is due to fluctuating pairing that results in a reduction of electron density. Scattering of electrons off of the fluctuations gives rise to an enhanced quasiparticle scattering and another (Maki-Thomson) negative correction to viscosity. Our results suggest that fluctuating superconductors provide a promising platform to investigate low-viscosity electronic media and may potentially host fermionic/electronic turbulence. Some experimental probes of two-fluid critical hydrodynamics are proposed such as time-of-flight measurement of turbulent energy cascades in critical cold atom superfluids and magnetic dynamos in three-dimensional fluctuating superconductors. |
DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevB.100.060501 |