Low temperature physics of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$: multi-component superconductivity

Abstract

It is shown that the properties of the superconductivity observed in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ can be accounted for by properly taking into account the internal degrees of freedom of the system. The electrons are strongly correlated in the RuO$_2$ planes while the superconducting phase transition is driven by ``umklapp scattering'' between the planes. The in-plane magnetic correlations are determined via a non-perturbative approach. The orbital degeneracy and the magnetic moments are internal degrees of freedom of the Cooper pairs that account for the thermodynamic properties in the superconducting phase.

4 pages ReVTeX, 3 figures. v2: important typing error corrected (p.1, col.2, bot.); references added; minor other changes