Effect of Van Hove singularities on Shiba states in two-dimensional s-wave superconductors

Magnetic impurities in a superconductor induce Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states inside the superconducting gap, whose energy depends on the strength of the coupling to the impurity and on the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level. We consider a DOS exhibiting a logarithmic or a power-law divergence at the Fermi level due to Van Hove singularities (VHSs) and higher-order Van Hove singularities (HOVHSs), respectively. We find that the energy of the YSR states has the same functional form as in the constant DOS scenario, with the effect of the singularity being an enhancement of the effective coupling constants. In particular, the critical magnetic coupling strength at which the Shiba transition occurs is always lowered by a factor 1/rho(Delta/E-c), where Delta is the superconducting gap, E-c is the bandwidth, and rho(E) is the factor in the DOS which diverges at E = 0 for a VHS or HOVHS. Further, since the critical magnetic coupling is significantly reduced, a new regime becomes accessible in which the transition point is controlled by the nonmagnetic coupling constant. Interestingly, the slope of the Shiba energy curve at the Shiba transition is independent of impurity parameters and purely reflects the band structure. Additionally, we find that our main conclusions remain valid even when the Fermi level is not precisely tuned to the Van Hove singularity, but instead lies in an energy range of the order of the superconducting gap. Our results show that tuning a superconducting material towards a VHS or HOVHS enhances the possibilities for engineering YSR states and for characterizing the superconductor itself.

Automated summary

Magnetic impurities in a superconductor induce YSR states whose energy is determined by the coupling strength and DOS at the Fermi level. In the presence of VHSs and HOVHSs, the energy of YSR states follows the same pattern as with a constant DOS, resulting in enhanced effective coupling constants. Tuning a superconducting material towards a VHS or HOVHS enhances the possibilities for engineering YSR states and characterizing the superconductor.