Ultrasonic Attenuation in Superconductors

Abstract

A general treatment of ultrasonic attenuation of both longitudinal and transverse waves in superconductors, valid for an arbitrary mean free path, is given on the basis of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. The interaction between the ultrasonic waves and electrons is assumed to be given by a self-consistent electromagnetic field. Instead of the customary theory of the attenuation based on the Boltzmann equation, a different formulation is developed using the density-matrix formalism. The ratio of the attenuations in superconducting and normal metals for the longitudinal wave turns out to be approximately independent of the mean free path. The attenuation of the shear wave due to electromagnetic interaction is shown to be very small in the superconducting state.