Theory of superconductivity

Lecture times and location:

Monday: 1-2:30pm in room: BZW/A120

Thursady: 9:20-10:50 am in room: BZW/A120

General Information

The course is intended for master and doctoral students of experimental or theoretical physics with an interest in condensed matter physics. Ambitious bachelor students can also attend. The course counts towards credit for the "Vertiefung" for the Bachelor of Science in physics and, in in the field of theoretical physics, for the Master.
Prerequisites: Introductory quantum mechanics is required, advanced quantum mechanics ("Quantentheorie 2") is recommended since we will use the formalism of second quantization. An introduction into experimental solid state physics is also recommended. Neither solid state theory nor many-particle theory are required.

The following topics will be covered:

• Basic experiments
• Review of Bose-Einstein condensation
• Electrodynamics of superconductors: London and Pippard theories
• Ginzburg-Landau theory, Anderson-Higgs mechanism
• Vortices, Kosterlitz-Thouless theory
• Origin of the electron-electron attraction
• Cooper instability and BCS theory
• Consequences of Cooper pairing: Thermodynamics, tunneling, nuclear resonance
• Josephson effects
• Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation for inhomogeneous superconductors
• Unconventional superconductivity, cuprate and pnictide superconductors
• Andreev scattering and Andreev bound states
• Topological superconductors

Tutorials

The lecture is accompanied by tutorials, which officially replace one of the lectures in every second week. However, we are flexible with scheduling the tutorials. In the tutorials, questions that have remained unclear in the lecture can be discussed. Also, methods introduced in the lecture will be applied to specific problems, both in class and as homework. Solving the problems is highly recommended. Only by active application can you expect to assimilate the material and make it useful for your work.
The homework solutions will be collected and graded since credit for the course will be given based on these.

There will not be a final exam for this course. Master students can of course choose it as one of the two topics for the oral exam "Vertiefung Theoretische Physik". Doctoral students can take a "Fachprüfung" on this course in replacement for the Rigorosum or be examined on it in their Rigorosum.

Exercise Sheets

...can be found in the folder Exercise Sheets. The first homework assignement is due on November 3, 2022.