Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1111.5801

Energy of N Cooper pair by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations

Michel Crouzeix, Monique Combescot

Published Nov 24, 2011• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This Letter provides the solution to a yet unsolved basic problem of Solid State Physics: the ground state energy of an arbitrary number of Cooper pairs interacting via the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer potential. We here break a 50 year old math problem by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations which give the exact energy of these $N$ pairs via $N$ parameters coupled through $N$ non-linear equations. Our result fully supports the standard BCS result obtained for a pair number equal to half the number of states feeling the potential. More importantly, it shows that the interaction part of the $N$-pair energy depends on $N$ as $N(N-1)$ only from N=1 to the dense regime, a result which evidences that Cooper pairs interact via Pauli blocking only.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1111.5801

Related papers

Energy of N Cooper Pairs by Analytically Solving the Richardson-Gaudin Equations for Conventional Superconductors

Michel Crouzeix, Monique Combescot

This Letter provides the solution to a yet unsolved basic problem of solid state physics: the ground state energy of an arbitrary number of Cooper pairs interacting via the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer potential. We here break a 50 yr old math problem by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations which give the exact energy of these N pairs via N parameters coupled through N nonlinear equations. Our result fully supports the standard BCS result obtained for a pair number equal to half the number of states feeling the potential. More importantly, it shows that the interaction part of the N-pair energy depends on N as N(N-1) only from N=1 to the dense regime, a result which evidences that Cooper pairs interact via Pauli blocking only.

Physical Review Letters•Dec 22, 2011•16 citations

Richardson-Gaudin Exact Solution

Monique Combescot, Shiue-Yuan Shiau

Chapter 10 deals with the exact solution to the BCS problem, as obtained by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations. The chapter first provides a simple derivation of these equations and shows how to solve them for arbitrary N. The explicit N dependence of the N–Cooper pair energy obtained from this resolution provides invaluable insights into the role of the Pauli exclusion principle in paired fermion systems because the reduced BCS potential does not directly act between Cooper pairs. Revelation of this subtle point makes it possible to understand (i) why Cooper pairs can strongly overlap without breaking, whereas, at large density, an exciton system dissociates into an electron-hole plasma, and (ii) why the gap energy is far larger than the average pair energy. This understanding is further supported by the Cooper pair many-body parameter, which has the same form as the ones for Wannier or Frenkel excitons do.

Oxford University Press eBooks•Dec 1, 2015•0 citations

Two-Cooper-pair problem and the Pauli exclusion principle

W. V. Pogosov, Monique Combescot, Michel Crouzeix

While the one-Cooper-pair problem is now a textbook exercise, the energy of two pairs of electrons with opposite spins and zero total momentum has not been derived yet, the exact handling of Pauli blocking between bound pairs being not that easy for $N=2$ already. The two-Cooper-pair problem however is quite enlightening to understand the very peculiar role played by the Pauli exclusion principle in superconductivity. Pauli blocking is known to drive the change from 1 to $N$ pairs but no precise description of this continuous change has been given so far. Using Richardson's procedure, we here prove that Pauli blocking increases the free part of the two-pair ground-state energy but decreases the binding part when compared to two isolated pairs---the excitation gap to break a pair however increasing from one to two pairs. When extrapolated to the dense BCS regime, the decrease in the pair binding while the gap increases strongly indicates that at odd with common belief, the average pair binding energy cannot be on the order of the gap.

arXiv:0911.1688•Physical Review B•May 13, 2010•22 citations

Coherence factors beyond the BCS expressions—a derivation

G. Gorohovsky, Eldad Bettelheim

We present a derivation of a previously announced result for matrix elements between exact eigenstates of the pairing Hamiltonian. Our results, which generalize the well-known Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) (Bardeen et al 1957 Phys. Rev. 108 1175; 1957 Phys. Rev. 106 162) expressions for what are known as ‘coherence factors’, are derived based on the Slavnov (1989 Theor. Math. Phys. 79 502) formula for overlaps between Bethe-ansatz states, thus making use of the known connection between the exact diagonalization of the BCS Hamiltonian, due to Richardson (1963 Phys. Lett. 3 277; 1964 Nucl. Phys. A 52 221), and the algebraic Bethe ansatz. The resulting formula has a compact form after a suitable parameterization of the energy plane. Although we apply our method here to the pairing Hamiltonian, it may be adjusted to study what is termed the ‘Sutherland limit’ (Sutherland 1995 Phys. Rev. Lett. 74 816) for exactly solvable models, namely where a macroscopic number of rapidities form a large string.

arXiv:1309.5606•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Dec 12, 2013•5 citations

BCS theory tested in an exactly solvable fermion fluid

R. M. Quick, Carlos Esebbag, MANUEL DE LLANO

Remarkably the one-dimensional (1D) many-fermion fluid with pairwise-attractive \ensuremath{\delta}-function interactions is exactly solvable in that one can determine the exact many-body ground-state energy and chemical potential for all values of the coupling strength and/or density. Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory is tested in this model by numerically determining the BCS total ground-state energy and chemical potential as a function of the coupling strength and/or density, and comparing with the exact results. As is the case for 2D and 3D theories, two regimes are apparent: (a) a BCS-proper regime of weakly coupled, overlapping Cooper pairs and (b) a Bose-gas regime of strongly interacting fermions which pair to form an ideal Bose gas at low density. In the two extremes the BCS energy and chemical potential are identical to the exact values and are moderately close for intermediate coupling and/or density.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•May 1, 1993•23 citations

Analytic solution of the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer gap equation in one, two, and three dimensions

DAVID M. VAN DER WALT, R. M. Quick, MANUEL DE LLANO

Analytic expressions for the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) gap of a many-electron system with the BCS model interaction are obtained in one, two, and three dimensions in the weak coupling limit, but for arbitrary interaction width ν≡ℏωD/EF, 0<ν<∞. Here ℏωD is the maximum energy of a force-mediating boson, and EF is the Fermi energy (which is fixed by the electronic density). Our results address both phononic (ν≪1) as well as nonphononic (e.g., exciton, magnon, plasmon, etc.) pairing mechanisms where the mediating boson energies are not small compared with EF, provided weak electron–boson coupling prevails. The essential singularity in coupling, sometimes erroneously attributed to the two-dimensional character of the BCS model interaction with ν≪1, is shown to appear in one, two, and three dimensions before the limit ν→0 is taken.

Journal of Mathematical Physics•Sep 1, 1993•4 citations
This Letter provides the solution to a yet unsolved basic problem of Solid State Physics: the ground state energy of an arbitrary number of Cooper pairs interacting via the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer potential. We here break a 50 year old math problem by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations which give the exact energy of these NNN pairs via NNN parameters coupled through NNN non-linear equations. Our result fully supports the standard BCS result obtained for a pair number equal to half the number of states feeling the potential. More importantly, it shows that the interaction part of the NNN-pair energy depends on NNN as N(N−1)N(N-1)N(N−1) only from N=1 to the dense regime, a result which evidences that Cooper pairs interact via Pauli blocking only.
This Letter provides the solution to a yet unsolved basic problem of solid state physics: the ground state energy of an arbitrary number of Cooper pairs interacting via the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer potential. We here break a 50 yr old math problem by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations which give the exact energy of these N pairs via N parameters coupled through N nonlinear equations. Our result fully supports the standard BCS result obtained for a pair number equal to half the number of states feeling the potential. More importantly, it shows that the interaction part of the N-pair energy depends on N as N(N-1) only from N=1 to the dense regime, a result which evidences that Cooper pairs interact via Pauli blocking only.
Chapter 10 deals with the exact solution to the BCS problem, as obtained by analytically solving Richardson-Gaudin equations. The chapter first provides a simple derivation of these equations and shows how to solve them for arbitrary N. The explicit N dependence of the N–Cooper pair energy obtained from this resolution provides invaluable insights into the role of the Pauli exclusion principle in paired fermion systems because the reduced BCS potential does not directly act between Cooper pairs. Revelation of this subtle point makes it possible to understand (i) why Cooper pairs can strongly overlap without breaking, whereas, at large density, an exciton system dissociates into an electron-hole plasma, and (ii) why the gap energy is far larger than the average pair energy. This understanding is further supported by the Cooper pair many-body parameter, which has the same form as the ones for Wannier or Frenkel excitons do.
While the one-Cooper-pair problem is now a textbook exercise, the energy of two pairs of electrons with opposite spins and zero total momentum has not been derived yet, the exact handling of Pauli blocking between bound pairs being not that easy for N=2N=2N=2 already. The two-Cooper-pair problem however is quite enlightening to understand the very peculiar role played by the Pauli exclusion principle in superconductivity. Pauli blocking is known to drive the change from 1 to NNN pairs but no precise description of this continuous change has been given so far. Using Richardson's procedure, we here prove that Pauli blocking increases the free part of the two-pair ground-state energy but decreases the binding part when compared to two isolated pairs---the excitation gap to break a pair however increasing from one to two pairs. When extrapolated to the dense BCS regime, the decrease in the pair binding while the gap increases strongly indicates that at odd with common belief, the average pair binding energy cannot be on the order of the gap.
We present a derivation of a previously announced result for matrix elements between exact eigenstates of the pairing Hamiltonian. Our results, which generalize the well-known Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) (Bardeen et al 1957 Phys. Rev. 108 1175; 1957 Phys. Rev. 106 162) expressions for what are known as ‘coherence factors’, are derived based on the Slavnov (1989 Theor. Math. Phys. 79 502) formula for overlaps between Bethe-ansatz states, thus making use of the known connection between the exact diagonalization of the BCS Hamiltonian, due to Richardson (1963 Phys. Lett. 3 277; 1964 Nucl. Phys. A 52 221), and the algebraic Bethe ansatz. The resulting formula has a compact form after a suitable parameterization of the energy plane. Although we apply our method here to the pairing Hamiltonian, it may be adjusted to study what is termed the ‘Sutherland limit’ (Sutherland 1995 Phys. Rev. Lett. 74 816) for exactly solvable models, namely where a macroscopic number of rapidities form a large string.
Remarkably the one-dimensional (1D) many-fermion fluid with pairwise-attractive \ensuremath{\delta}-function interactions is exactly solvable in that one can determine the exact many-body ground-state energy and chemical potential for all values of the coupling strength and/or density. Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory is tested in this model by numerically determining the BCS total ground-state energy and chemical potential as a function of the coupling strength and/or density, and comparing with the exact results. As is the case for 2D and 3D theories, two regimes are apparent: (a) a BCS-proper regime of weakly coupled, overlapping Cooper pairs and (b) a Bose-gas regime of strongly interacting fermions which pair to form an ideal Bose gas at low density. In the two extremes the BCS energy and chemical potential are identical to the exact values and are moderately close for intermediate coupling and/or density.
Analytic expressions for the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) gap of a many-electron system with the BCS model interaction are obtained in one, two, and three dimensions in the weak coupling limit, but for arbitrary interaction width ν≡ℏωD/EF, 0<ν<∞. Here ℏωD is the maximum energy of a force-mediating boson, and EF is the Fermi energy (which is fixed by the electronic density). Our results address both phononic (ν≪1) as well as nonphononic (e.g., exciton, magnon, plasmon, etc.) pairing mechanisms where the mediating boson energies are not small compared with EF, provided weak electron–boson coupling prevails. The essential singularity in coupling, sometimes erroneously attributed to the two-dimensional character of the BCS model interaction with ν≪1, is shown to appear in one, two, and three dimensions before the limit ν→0 is taken.