# Josephson-plasma and vortex modes in layered superconductors

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## Abstract

The Josephson-plasma and vortex modes in layered superconductors have been studied theoretically for low magnetic fields parallel and perpendicular to layers. The two modes belong to the same lowest-frequency branch of collective-mode spectrum localized near vortices. This is the Josephson-plasma resonance if pancakes are strongly pinned and cannot move. Otherwise the lowest-frequency mode is a vortex mode governed by pancake pinning and the vortex mass. The latter is strongly enhanced by wandering of a vortex line around its average direction. The recently observed jump of the magnetoabsorption-resonance frequency at the vortex phase transition line is interpreted as a transition from the Josephson-plasma to the vortex mode.

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Magnetoabsorption microwave resonances observed in Bi compounds (see  and references therein) have become one of the most important subjects for studying the interlayer Josephson coupling. The resonances were observed for magnetic fields normal and nearly parallel to superconducting layers, and in the absence of the field. A remarkable feature of the resonances was that at high magnetic fields $`H`$ the resonance frequency decreases roughly as $`1/\sqrt{H}`$ (the anticyclotronic behavior). Recently the magnetoabsorption resonances were observed in low perpendicular magnetic fields $`H`$ . In low fields the resonance frequency very weakly depends on $`H`$, but at a field about a few hundred G, the magnetoabsorption resonance frequency jumps to lower values with the anticyclotronic dependence, as observed in earlier experiments in higher fields.

The first attempt to explain these resonances for high perpendicular magnetic fields was done by Kopnin et al.  who related the resonances to a vortex mode governed by surface pinning and the Magnus force. They were able to explain the anticyclotronic behavior, but the essential role of surface pinning and the Magnus force was not been confirmed by further experiments.

Later the majority of researchers came to conclusion that the magnetoabsorption resonances are related to the Josephson Plasma Resonances (JPR) (see  and references therein) with the frequency

$$\omega _0^2=\omega _p^2\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r}),$$
(1)   
where $`\omega _p`$ is the Josephson-plasma frequency at zero magnetic field, $`\stackrel{}{r}`$ is the inplane coordinate, and $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})`$ is the stationary gauge-invariant phase difference between layers, which is nonzero due to misalignment of pancakes in neighboring layers by thermal fluctuations and disorder.

However, this interpretation suffers from a number of inconsistencies (see discussion in Refs. ), and the original idea to relate the magnetoabsorption resonances with a vortex mode  should not be ruled out, though properties of this vortex mode must be different from those assumed in Ref. . In Ref.  the magnetoabsorption resonances in high parallel magnetic fields were interpreted as a vortex mode with the frequency determined by the balance of the pinning force on pancakes and the inertia force determined by the vortex mass. The Magnus force is not effective in the parallel geometry.

In the present work I investigate how a growing low magnetic field, either parallel or perpendicular to layers, changes the collective-mode spectrum in layered superconductors. The goal is to find correspondence of the JPR and the vortex mode to branches of this spectrum. In order to avoid a semantic ambiguity, I shall use the name JPR only for the mode with the frequency given by Eq. (1), as done in all recent experimental papers, though in old papers this name had not the same meaning (see below). The vortex mode is defined as a Goldstone mode which has a finite frequency only due to pinning. I shall show that the JPR mode and the vortex mode belong to the same branch of the spectrum which is the lowest-frequency oscillation mode localized near vortices. This mode becomes the JPR only if pancakes cannot move because of very strong pinning. If the pinning strength is finite, the lowest-frequency mode is a vortex mode governed by pinning and the vortex mass. The vortex mass is related with the electric energy in the interlayer spacing, and the misalignment of pancakes in the perpendicular field essentially increases the vortex mass. On the basis of the presented analysis I suggest that in the recent magnetoabsorption experiments in low perpendicular magnetic fields  they observed a transition from the JPR to the vortex mode accompanied by a frequency jump.

The analysis will be done for a single long Josephson junction, but results of the analysis are relevant also for a layered superconductor after slight modifications (see below). The state of the junction is determined from the sine-Gordon equation for the phase:

$$\frac{1}{\lambda _J^2}\mathrm{sin}\phi ^2\phi =\frac{1}{c_s^2}\ddot{\phi },$$
(2)   
where $`c_s=c\sqrt{s/2\epsilon \lambda }`$ is the Swihart velocity, $`s`$ is the barrier thickness, or the interlayer spacing, $`\lambda `$ is the London penetration depth for bulk superconductors forming the junction ($`\lambda s`$), $`\epsilon `$ is the dielectric permeability, $`\lambda _J^2=\mathrm{\Phi }_0^2/32\pi ^3\lambda E_J`$ is the Josephson length, $`\mathrm{\Phi }_0`$ is the magnetic-flux quantum, and $`E_J`$ is the Josephson coupling energy.

The collective modes correspond to small oscillations around the stationary solution $`\phi _0(x)`$: $`\phi (x,t)=\phi _0(x)+\phi ^{}(x,t)`$. The small phase $`\phi ^{}e^{i\omega t}`$ is determined by the equation (we shall omit the prime later on)

$$^2\phi \frac{1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0}{\lambda _J^2}\phi =\frac{\omega ^2\omega _p^2}{c_s^2}\phi .$$
(3)   
In the absence of the magnetic field the ground state corresponds to $`\phi _0=0`$, and the solutions of Eq. (3) are plane waves $`\mathrm{exp}(i\stackrel{}{k}\stackrel{}{r}i\omega t)`$. The oscillation spectrum has a plasma edge, i.e., $`\omega =\sqrt{\omega _p^2+c_sk^2}>\omega _p`$, where $`\omega _p^2=e^2E_Js/\epsilon \mathrm{}^2=c_s^2/\lambda _J^2`$ is the Josephson plasma frequency.

If the magnetic field is strictly parallel to the junction plane, the phase $`\phi (x,t)`$ depends only on one spatial coordinate $`x`$. In the stationary case ($`\dot{\phi }=0`$) the sine-Gordon equation has exact periodic solutions $`\phi _0(x)`$ which correspond to chains of Josephson vortices  and the period (intervortex distance) $`a`$ determines the magnetic field: $`H=\mathrm{\Phi }_0/2\lambda a`$. For such $`\phi _0(x)`$, Eq. (3) can be also solved exactly for any intervortex distance . However, we introduce small periodic $`\phi _0(x)`$ which is not a solution of the sine-Gordon equation and vanishes at distances more than $`\lambda _J/2`$ from vortex centers. This yields a small periodic attractive potential $`U=[1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(x)]/\lambda _J^2`$ in Eq. (3). We assume that $`a\lambda _J`$ (low magnetic fields), and look for a periodic solution symmetric in the interval $`a/2<x<a/2`$. The coordinate $`x=0`$ corresponds to the center of the potential well. At $`|x|<\lambda _J/2`$ the perturbation theory yields $`\phi (x)1_0^x𝑑x_1_0^{x_1}𝑑x_2U(x_2)`$. At $`\lambda _J/2<|x|<a/2`$ $`\phi (x)\mathrm{cos}k(a/2x)`$. The lowest-frequency mode corresponds to the bound state with an imaginary $`k=ip`$. Continuity of the phase and its derivative at $`x\pm \lambda _J/2`$ requires that

$$p\mathrm{tanh}pa=\frac{1}{\lambda _J^2}_{a/2}^{a/2}𝑑x[1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(x)].$$
(4)   
At very low magnetic fields when $`pa1`$, the bound state corresponds to the oscillation frequency

$$\omega _0^2=\omega _p^2c_s^2p^2=\omega _p\left\{1\frac{a^2}{\lambda _J^2}\left[1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(x)\right]^2\right\}.$$
(5)   
But if the inequality $`pa1`$ holds, expansion in the left-hand side of Eq. (4) yields

$$p^2\frac{1}{a\lambda _J^2}_{a/2}^{a/2}𝑑x[1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(x)]=\frac{1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(x)}{\lambda _J^2},$$
(6)   
and the squared mode frequency $`\omega _0^2`$ is given by Eq. (1).

Thus the JPR belongs to the lowest-frequency mode localized near the potential well. However, the potential is very weak, the size of the bound state $`1/p`$ (the localization length) is larger than the intervortex distance $`a`$, and therefore localization is not so pronounced.

Let us consider also the lowest-frequency oscillation which belongs to the continuum spectrum with a real $`k`$. The phase distribution for a continuum mode must have at least one node in the vicinity of the vortex, in order to satisfy the condition of orthogonality to the ground bound state. Thus roughly $`k=\pi /a`$, and the lowest frequency $`\omega _c`$ of the continuum spectrum (delocalized phase oscillation) exceeds the zero-field plasma edge $`\omega _p`$:

$$\omega _c^2=\omega _p^2+c_s^2k^2=\omega _p^2\left(1+\frac{\pi ^2\lambda _J^2}{a^2}\right).$$
(7)   
The frequency of this mode grows at increasing the magnetic field. Note that in the old papers  this mode with $`\omega _c>\omega _p`$, but not the localized mode with $`\omega _0<\omega _p`$, was called the plasma mode.

Our calculation has not revealed the Goldstone vortex mode, because our potential does not correspond to a real Josephson vortex with the phase $`\phi _0`$ which satisfies the stationary sine-Gordon equation. For real vortices the perturbation theory is invalid, but the exact theory yields that the lowest frequency $`\omega _0`$ vanishes. The phase in the bound state is proportional to the derivative of the stationary phase distribution $`d\phi _0(x)/dx`$.

So the procedure to tune the potential from zero to values of the order $`1/\lambda _J^2`$ goes through states which are not realized physically, since the vortex is a topological nonlinear excitation, and its topological charge cannot change continuously. However, this procedure clearly demonstrates genesis of the JPR and the vortex mode from the original spectrum of the spatially uniform state. The JPR and the vortex mode belong to the same spectrum branch related to a phase oscillation localized near the defect (vortex), but the JPR with the frequency Eq. (1) is possible only for an artificial weak potential. Thus in parallel fields the JPR mode doesnot exist at all .

In a layered superconductor a perpendicular field creates vortices which are chains of pancakes. If pancakes lie on an ideally straight line normal to layers, there is no phase difference across Josephson junctions. But because of disorder and thermal fluctuations, pancakes do not form an ideally straight line, and pancakes in neighboring layers are separated by random distances . For a single Josephson junction this means that the vortex line in two banks of the junction meets the junction plane in two different points with the distance $`r_w`$ between them, and a phase difference $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})`$ across the junction appears. If $`r_w\lambda _J`$, the phase distribution corresponds to a Josephson string, which is a segment of a Josephson vortex of width $`\lambda _J`$ stretched between the points ($`x=0,y=0`$) and ($`x=0,y=r_w`$). If $`r_w\lambda _J`$, the statinary sine-Gordon equation yields that at $`r\lambda _J`$ $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})`$ is a dipole field:

$$\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})=\mathrm{arctan}\frac{y}{x}\mathrm{arctan}\frac{yr_w}{x}.$$
(8)   
At large distances $`r=\sqrt{x^2+y^2}r_w`$ (but not larger than $`\lambda _J`$) the phase is $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})=r_wx/r^2`$. At distances $`r\lambda _J`$ the phase $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})`$ is exponentially small. We shall call such a phase distribution a short Josephson string.

We look for the lowest-frequency mode for a short Josephson string assuming for the sake of simplicity that the potential $`(1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0)/\lambda _J^2`$ in Eq. (3) is axisymmetric. The most important perturbation originates from distances $`r_wr\lambda _J`$ where the axisymmetric part of $`1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(r)\phi _0(r)^2/2`$ is equal to $`r_w^2/4r^2`$. An axisymmetric mode is determined from the equation

$$\frac{1}{r}\frac{d}{dr}\left(r\frac{d\phi }{dr}\right)\frac{r_w^2}{4\lambda _J^2}\frac{1}{r^2}\phi =\frac{\omega ^2\omega _p^2}{c_s^2}\phi .$$
(9)   
For a bound state in a weak potential one may neglect the right-hand side of Eq. (9) for $`r<\lambda _J`$, and the perturbation theory yields

$$\phi (r)=1\frac{r_w^2}{8\lambda _J^2}\left(\mathrm{ln}\frac{r}{r_w}\right)^2.$$
(10)   
Outside the potential well, at $`r>\lambda _J`$, the axisymmetric bound-state oscillation is $`\phi =AI_0(pr)+BK_0(pr)`$, or, if $`pa1`$, $`\phi A\left(1+p^2r^2/4\right)B\mathrm{ln}pr`$. The periodical boundary conditions in a real vortex array can be approximately simulated by the condition $`\phi ^{}(r)=0`$ at the boundary of the Wigner-Zeitz cell $`r=a=\sqrt{\mathrm{\Phi }_0/\pi H}`$. Then

$$\phi A\left(1+\frac{p^2a^2}{2}\mathrm{ln}\frac{1}{pr}\right).$$
(11)   
The continuity conditions at the border of the potential well ($`r=\lambda _J`$) yield

$$\frac{r_w^2}{2\lambda _J^2}\mathrm{ln}\frac{\lambda _J}{r_w}=\frac{p^2a^2}{1+\frac{p^2a^2}{2}\mathrm{ln}\frac{1}{p\lambda _J}}.$$
(12)   
In very low magnetic fields ($`a\mathrm{}`$)

$$p\frac{1}{\lambda _J}\mathrm{exp}\left[\frac{4\lambda _J^2}{r_w^2}\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}(\lambda _J/r_w)}\right].$$
(13)   
Then the squared frequency $`\omega _0^2=\omega _p^2c_s^2p^2`$ is

$$\omega _0^2=\omega _p^2\left\{1\mathrm{exp}\left[\frac{8\lambda _J^2}{r_w^2}\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}(\lambda _J/r_w)}\right]\right\}.$$
(14)   
For a long Josephson string $`r_w\lambda _J`$ one maynot use the perturbation theory, but the lowest-frequency mode can be calculated as a bending oscillation for an elastic string of the length $`r_w`$ and width $`\lambda _J`$ with its ends fixed. The line tension of the string (the string energy per unit length) is $`ϵ=8E_J\lambda _J`$. The mass of the moving string is determined by the electric energy:

$$M=\frac{2s}{v_L^2}\frac{\epsilon E^2}{8\pi }(d\stackrel{}{r})_2=\frac{\epsilon \mathrm{\Phi }_0^2}{16\pi ^3c^2s}\left(\frac{\phi _0}{x}\right)^2(d\stackrel{}{r})_2.$$
(15)   
where $`E=(\mathrm{}/2es)\dot{\phi }=(\mathrm{}/2es)(\stackrel{}{v}_L\stackrel{}{})\phi _0`$ is the electric field parallel to the $`c`$ axis, and $`\stackrel{}{v}_L`$ is the string velocity. Neglecting the logarithmic contribution from vicinities of the string ends, this expression yields for the mass per unit length $`\mu _l=M/r_w=\mathrm{\Phi }_0^2/2\pi ^3c^2s\lambda _J`$ . Finally, the frequency is $`\omega _0^2=\pi ^2ϵ/\mu _lr_w^2=\pi ^2\omega _p^2\lambda _J^2/r_w^2=\pi ^2c_s^2/r_w^2`$. At $`r_w\lambda _J`$ where the crossover from a short to a long Josephson string takes place, this frequency is of the same order as given by Eq. (14).

We see that low magnetic fields do not affect the lowest-frequency localized mode. But at increasing $`H`$, i.e., decreasing the parameter $`pa`$ in Eq. (12), the logarithmic term in the denominator becomes unimportant. Then the squared frequency is given by Eq. (1), with

$$1\mathrm{cos}\phi _0(x)\frac{\phi _0(x)^2}{2}=\frac{r_w^2}{2a^2}\mathrm{ln}\frac{\lambda _J}{r_w},$$
(16)   
and the bound state corresponds to the JPR mode. The restriction on observation of the JPR mode is

$$p^2a^2\mathrm{ln}\frac{1}{p\lambda _J}=\frac{r_w^2}{2\lambda _J^2}\mathrm{ln}\frac{\lambda _J}{r_w}\mathrm{ln}\frac{a^2}{r_w^2\mathrm{ln}(\lambda _J/r_w)}1.$$
(17)   
Thus the JPR is a weakly localized mode with imaginary $`k`$, contrary to Bulaevskii et al.  who related the JPR to the most homogeneous delocalized state. Delocalized states belong to the continuum spectrum, and as well as in the parallel 1D geometry \[see Eq. (7)\], the lowest-frequency mode of the continuum spectrum exceeds the plasma frequency and grows with the magnetic field.

Up to now we considered oscillations for a string with fixed (strongly pinned) ends, since if the ends moved, a singular contribution would appear in $`\phi `$. Decreasing the pinning strength, the frequency of the localized mode decreases, and if pinning vanishes, the frequency must vanish also. The string ends correspond to pancakes in a layered superconductor. Thus the localized mode is a JPR if pinning of pancakes is infinitely strong. But for a finite pinning strength the localized mode is a vortex mode with pancakes and strings moving together and with the frequency which depends on pinning. Since pinning varies from a sample to a sample, it is difficult to suggest an universal estimation of the frequency of the vortex mode. But, as already discussed in Ref. , the fact that the experimentally measured $`c`$-axis critical current has the same dependence on the magnetic field as the squared magnetoabsorption resonance frequency, confirms our suggestion that the magnetoabsorption resonances in high fields correspond not to the JPR, but to the vortex mode governed by pinning.

In order to observe a vortex-mode resonance in a layered superconductor, the inertia force proportional to the vortex mass (we neglect the Magnus force here) should not be small compared to the friction force. A moving vortex line is a chain of pancakes connected by random strings of average length $`r_w`$ , and $`r_w`$ may be considered as a size of an extended vortex core. The Josephson length $`\lambda _J=\gamma s`$ ($`\gamma `$ is the anisotropy ratio) usually exceeds $`r_w`$. The mass $`M`$ of the short string is determined mostly by the vicinity of two pancakes, and in Eq. (15) $`\phi _0/x=y/r^2`$ \[or $`(yr_w)/r^2`$\]. Then the mass per unit length is (cf. Ref. )

$$\mu _s=\frac{M}{s}=\frac{\epsilon \mathrm{\Phi }_0^2}{8\pi ^2s^2c^2}\mathrm{ln}\frac{r_w}{\xi _{ab}},$$
(18)   
where $`\xi _{ab}`$ is the coherence length in the $`ab`$ plane. On the other hand, the dissipation rate for string motion is also proportional to the electric energy: $`\eta v_L^2=\sigma _cE^2(d\stackrel{}{r})_2`$, where $`\sigma _c`$ is the normal conductivity along the $`c`$ axis and $`\eta `$ is the friction coefficient per unit vortex length along the $`c`$ axis. Then the quality factor of the resonance (the ratio of the inertia force to the friction force) is $`Q=\mu _l\omega _0/\eta =\epsilon \omega _0/4\pi \sigma _c`$. It is identical to the quality factor of the uniform plasma oscillation as one can see comparing the supercurrent and the normal current in the expression for the total current $`j=(\epsilon \omega _p^2/4\pi i\omega )\stackrel{}{E}+\sigma _c\stackrel{}{E}`$. Thus normal-current dissipation is not more dangerous for the vortex mode than for the plasma mode.

The assumption of infinitely strong pancake pinning cannot be valid everywhere, and therefore the JPR mode cannot be an universal explanation of the magnetoabsorption resonances. This explanation was based on Eqs. (1) and (16). In Refs.  I argued that in order to derive the observed anticyclotronic dependence from these equations, one must make a too strong assumption that $`r_wa`$ in a wide interval of fields. The condition $`r_wa`$ means a complete disintegration of vortex lines. Note that now Bulaevskii et al.  also believe that this condition does not take place and line structure retains in the vortex liquid. Then they must accept that it is impossible to explain the anticyclotronic behavior in the liquid phase in terms of JPR. As discussed in Ref. , the line structure in the vortex liquid was confirmed by experiments on the microwave absorption .

The analysis given above shows that Eq. (1) itself is not always valid. In addition, in high magnetic fields ($`a\lambda _J`$) one may not use Eq. (16) for the decoupled state of the vortex matter in which pancakes positions in neighboring layers are uncorrelated, but the 2D itralayer crystalline order still exists. Then the Josephson strings form an ordered 2D lattice in any interlayer spacing. In high magnetic fields when $`\lambda _J`$ exceeds $`a`$, Eq. (16) is valid if orientations of the Josephson strings are random, and there is no interference between contributions of distant strings (at distances larger than $`a`$) to $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})^2`$ . But if the strings form a lattice, the distribution of $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})`$ is similar to the distribution of the current component $`j_y`$ for the vortex lattice in the mixed state. This means that the contributions from distant strings to $`\phi _0(\stackrel{}{r})^2`$ cancel, and the logarithm $`\mathrm{ln}(\lambda _J/r_w)`$ in Eq. (16) must be replaced by $`\mathrm{ln}(a/r_w)`$. Then even the assumption $`r_wa`$ does not help to obtain the anticyclotronic behavior.

In summary, we explain the experimental dependence of magnetoabsorption resonances on a low perpendicular magnetic field  as the following. In very low fields, before the frequency jump, the magnetoabsorption resonance weakly depends on a field as was predicted for the JPR , and therefore is the JPR mode. After the jump which apparently coincides with the vortex-matter phase transition (the second-peak line at low temperatures), the magnetoabsorption resonance becomes the vortex mode governed by pancake pinning. This explains the anticycltronic dependence after the jump. The nature of the frequency jump depends on the structure of the vortex matter in the high-field phase which is not well established up to now. It maybe related with a jump of $`r_w`$ as supposed by the decoupling scenario of the phase transition . The jump of $`r_w`$ should result in a jump of vortex mass, or in weakening of pinning, or both.

Any scenario of the phase transition supposes that in the high-field phase directions of vortex lines strongly oscillate , Then even the electric field strictly parallel to the $`c`$ axis and to the average direction of vortices can make some tilted segments of vortex lines to oscillate. Thus the Lorentz-force-free geometry of the magnetoabsorption experiments in perpendicular fields does not rule out a possibility to excite the vortex mode.

The work was supported by the grant of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.