Variation of zero-energy density of states of a d -wave superconductor in a rotating in-plane magnetic field: Effect of nonmagnetic impurities

Oscillation of zero-energy density of states under the rotation of an in-plane magnetic field is used to identify node positions of the superconducting gap. Based on Eilenberger theory that can capture the vortex core contribution appropriately, we quantitatively study the effects of nonmagnetic impurity scattering on the oscillation in a dx2-y2-wave superconductor, as a function of the magnetic field and the scattering rate in the Born and the unitary limits. We find that the sign of the oscillation can be changed by the impurity scattering at low fields, indicating that impurity effect is an important factor in the analysis of angle-resolved specific heat measurements.