Volovik effect in the $\pm$s-wave state for the iron-based superconductors

Abstract

We studied the field dependencies of specific heat coefficient $γ(H) = \lim_{T \rightarrow 0} C(T,H)/T $ and thermal conductivity coefficient $\lim_{T \rightarrow 0} κ(T ,H)/T$ of the $\pm$s-wave state in the mixed state. We found that it is a generic feature of the two band s-wave state with the unequal sizes of gaps, small $Δ_S$ and large $Δ_L$, that Doppler shift of the quasiparticle excitations (Volovik effect) creates a finite density of states, on the extended states outside of vortex cores, proportional to $H$ in contrast to the $\sqrt{H}$ dependence of the d-wave state. Impurity scattering effect on the $\pm$s-wave state, however, makes this generic $H$-linear dependence sublinear approaching to the $\sqrt{H}$ behavior. Our calculations of $\lim_{T \rightarrow 0} κ(T ,H)/T$ successfully fit the experimental data of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x )_2$ As$_2$ with different Co-doping $x$ by systematically varying the gap size ratio $R= |Δ_S | / |Δ_L |$. We also resolve the dilemma of a substantial value of $γ(H \rightarrow 0)$ but almost zero value of $\lim_{T \rightarrow 0} κ(T ,H \rightarrow 0)/T$, observed in experiments.

5 pages, 2 figures accepted to Phys. Rev. Lett.