scholarly journals Effects of spin-orbit coupling on zero-energy bound states localized at magnetic impurities in multiband superconductors

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kangjun Seo ◽  
Jay D. Sau ◽  
Sumanta Tewari
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aksel Kobiałka ◽  
Tadeusz Domański ◽  
Andrzej Ptok

Abstract Interplay between superconductivity, spin-orbit coupling and magnetic field can lead to realisation of the topologically non–trivial states which in finite one dimensional nanowires are manifested by emergence of a pair of zero-energy Majorana bound states. On the other hand, in two dimensional systems the chiral edge states can appear. We investigate novel properties of the bound states in a system of mixed dimensionality, composed of one-dimensional nanowire connected with two-dimensional plaquette. We study this system, assuming either its part or the entire structure to be in topologically non–trivial superconducting state. Our results show delocalisation of the Majorana modes, upon leaking from the nanowire to the plaquette with some tendency towards its corners.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabían Gonzalo Medina ◽  
Dunkan Martínez ◽  
Alvaro Díaz-Fernández ◽  
Francisco Domínguez-Adame ◽  
Luis Rosales ◽  
...  

Abstract The quest for Majorana zero modes in the laboratory is an active field of research in condensed matter physics. In this regard, there have been many theoretical proposals; however, their experimental detection remains elusive. In this article, we present a realistic setting by considering a quantum ring with Rashba spin-orbit coupling and threaded by a magnetic flux, in contact with a topological superconducting nanowire. We focus on spin-polarized persistent currents to assess the existence of Majorana zero modes. We find that the Rashba spin-orbit coupling allows for tuning the position of the zero modes and has sizable effects on spin-polarized persistent currents. Our results pave the way towards probing the existence of Majorana zero modes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Rossi ◽  
Fabrizio Dolcini ◽  
Fausto Rossi

AbstractSemiconductor nanowires with strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling are currently on the spotlight of several research fields such as spintronics, topological materials and quantum computation. While most theoretical models assume an infinitely long nanowire, in actual experimental setups the nanowire has a finite length, is contacted to metallic electrodes and is partly covered by gates. By taking these effects into account through an inhomogeneous spin-orbit coupling profile, we show that in general two types of bound states arise in the nanowire, namely confinement bound states and interface bound states. The appearance of confinement bound states, related to the finite length of the nanowire, is favoured by a mismatch of the bulk band bottoms characterizing the lead and the nanowire, and occurs even in the absence of magnetic field. In contrast, an interface bound states may only appear if a magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the spin-orbit field direction overcomes a critical value, and is favoured by an alignment of the band bottoms of the two regions across the interface. We describe in details the emergence of these two types of bound states, pointing out their differences. Furthermore, we show that when a nanowire portion is covered by a gate the application of a magnetic field can change the nature of the electronic ground state from a confinement to an interface bound state, determining a redistribution of the electron charge.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1370-1380
Author(s):  
Szczepan Głodzik ◽  
Aksel Kobiałka ◽  
Anna Gorczyca-Goraj ◽  
Andrzej Ptok ◽  
Grzegorz Górski ◽  
...  

We investigate single and multiple defects embedded in a superconducting host, studying the interplay between the proximity-induced pairing and interactions. We explore the influence of the spin–orbit coupling on energies, polarization and spatial patterns of the bound (Yu–Shiba–Rusinov) states of magnetic impurities in a two-dimensional square lattice. We also address the peculiar bound states in the proximitized Rashba chain, resembling the Majorana quasiparticles, focusing on their magnetic polarization that has been recently reported by S. Jeon et al. (Science 2017, 358, 772). Finally, we study leakage of these polarized Majorana quasiparticles into side-attached nanoscopic regions and confront them with the subgap Kondo effect near to the singlet–doublet phase transition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Beck ◽  
Lucas Schneider ◽  
Levente Rózsa ◽  
Krisztián Palotás ◽  
András Lászlóffy ◽  
...  

AbstractMagnetic atoms coupled to the Cooper pairs of a superconductor induce Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states (in short Shiba states). In the presence of sufficiently strong spin-orbit coupling, the bands formed by hybridization of the Shiba states in ensembles of such atoms can support low-dimensional topological superconductivity with Majorana bound states localized on the ensembles’ edges. Yet, the role of spin-orbit coupling for the hybridization of Shiba states in dimers of magnetic atoms, the building blocks for such systems, is largely unexplored. Here, we reveal the evolution of hybridized multi-orbital Shiba states from a single Mn adatom to artificially constructed ferromagnetically and antiferromagnetically coupled Mn dimers placed on a Nb(110) surface. Upon dimer formation, the atomic Shiba orbitals split for both types of magnetic alignment. Our theoretical calculations attribute the unexpected splitting in antiferromagnetic dimers to spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry at the surface. Our observations point out the relevance of previously unconsidered factors on the formation of Shiba bands and their topological classification.


2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (10) ◽  
pp. 1145-1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Song ◽  
H Han ◽  
Y Zhang ◽  
Y Yu ◽  
T Gao

Potential energy curves for the ground and excited electronic states of the CH radical molecule were calculated employing spin-orbit multiconfiguration quasi-degenerate perturbation theory (SO-MCQDPT). The results of our present SO-MCQDPT calculation for the CH radical molecule indicate that the ground electronic state of X 2Π splits into lower X1 2Π1/2 and higher X2 2Π3/2Ω states. The excited electronic state of a 4Σ– splits into lower a1 4Σ–1/2 and higher a24Σ–3/2, and the excited electronic state of A 2Δ splits into lower A1 2Δ3/2 and higher A2 2Δ5/2. The spin-orbit splittings for the 2S+1Λ states X 2Π, a 4Σ–, and A 2Δ are determined to be 25.963, 0.016, and 0.992 cm–1, respectively. The splittings are in good agreement with the experimental data for X 2Π and A 2Δ , and there are no experimental data for a 4Σ–. The potential-energy curves for all calculated bound states of CH are fitted to an analytical potential-energy function in the large range of R = 0.06–0.55 nm, from which accurate spectroscopic parameters are derived. It is the first time that the eight Ω states (X1 2Π1/2, X2 2Π3/2, a1 4Σ–1/2, a2 4Σ–3/2, A1 2Δ3/2, A2 2Δ5/2, B2Σ–1/2, and C2Σ+1/2) generated from the five valence 2S+1 Λ states (X 2Π , a 4Σ–, A 2Δ, B 2Σ–, and C 2Σ+) among those dissociating up to H(2Sg)+C(1Dg) have been studied theoretically. In addition, the carbon atom was taken as an example to prove the validity of the SO-MCQDPT method. The agreement between calculated and observed spin-orbit coupling is vert good. PACS Nos.: 31.15.aj, 31.15.xh, 71.70.Ej


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