Non-uniform superconductivity in S/F nanostructures

A strong exchange field acting oil the Cooper pairs ill the ferromagnetic (F) metal leads to the damping oscillatory behaviour of the superconducting order parameter inside the F layer. In consequence the electron density of state and spin polarization decay non-monotonously in S/F proximity structures. We review the influence of these effects oil the properties of S-F multilayers where the critical temperature and Josephson current depend in all oscillatory manner oil the exchange field and thickness of ferromagnetic metal. These oscillations are related with the transition into the state where the phase of superconducting order parameter is opposite oil the adjacent Superconducting layers. We briefly discuss the properties of the Josephson junction at this transition.