Publication
Title
Multichiral ground states in mesoscopic p-wave superconductors
Author
Abstract
Using Ginzburg-Landau formalism, we investigate the effect of confinement on the ground state of mesoscopic chiral p-wave superconductors in the absence of magnetic field. We reveal stable multichiral states with domain walls separating the regions with different chiralities, as well as monochiral states with spontaneous currents flowing along the edges. We show that multichiral states can exhibit identifying signatures in the spatial profile of the magnetic field if those are not screened by edge currents in the case of strong confinement. Such magnetic detection of domain walls in topological superconductors can serve as long-sought evidence of broken time-reversal symmetry. Furthermore, when applying electric current to mesoscopic p-wave samples, we found a hysteretic behavior in the current-voltage characteristic that distinguishes states with and without domain walls, thereby providing another useful hallmark for indirect confirmation of chiral p-wave superconductivity.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Physical review B / American Physical Society. - New York, N.Y, 2016, currens
Publication
New York, N.Y : American Physical Society , 2016
ISSN
2469-9969 [online]
2469-9950 [print]
DOI
10.1103/PHYSREVB.94.184517
Volume/pages
94 :18 (2016) , 10 p.
Article Reference
184517
ISI
000388816700001
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Superconductivity per atomic layer.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 10.01.2017
Last edited 09.10.2023
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