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Free keywords:
Condensed Matter, Superconductivity, cond-mat.supr-con, Condensed Matter, Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics, cond-mat.mes-hall, Condensed Matter, Statistical Mechanics, cond-mat.stat-mech, Condensed Matter, Strongly Correlated Electrons, cond-mat.str-el, Physics, Optics, physics.optics
Abstract:
Advances in the control of intense infrared light have led to the striking discovery of metastable superconductivity in K3C60 at 100K, lasting more than 10 nanoseconds. Inspired by these experiments, we discuss possible mechanisms for long-lived, photo-induced superconductivity above Tc. We analyze a minimal model of optically-driven Raman phonons coupled to inter-band electronic transitions. Using this model, we develop a possible microscopic mechanism for photo-controlling the pairing interaction by displacively shifting the Raman mode. Leveraging this mechanism, we explore two pictures of long-lived, light-induced superconductivity far above Tc. We first investigate long-lived, photo-induced superconductivity arising from the metastable trapping of a displaced phonon coordinate. We then propose an alternate route to long-lived superconductivity. Within this paradigm, the slow equilibration of quasi-particles enables a long-lived, non-thermal superconducting gap. We conclude by discussing implications of both scenarios to experiments that can be used to discriminate between them. Our work provides falsifiable, mechanistic explanations for the nanosecond scale photo-induced superconductivity found in K3C60, while also offering a theoretical basis for exploring long-lived, non-equilibrium superconductivity in other quantum materials.
