Self-organized topological superconductivity in a Yu-Shiba-Rusinov chain

Michael Alan Schecter; Karsten Flensberg; Morten Holm Christensen; Brian Møller Andersen; Jens Paaske

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.93.140503

Self-organized topological superconductivity in a Yu-Shiba-Rusinov chain

Michael Alan Schecter, Karsten Flensberg, Morten Holm Christensen, Brian Møller Andersen, Jens Paaske

32 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

We study a chain of magnetic moments exchange coupled to a conventional three-dimensional superconductor. In the normal state the chain orders into a collinear configuration, while in the superconducting phase we find that ferromagnetism is unstable to the formation of a magnetic spiral state. Beyond weak exchange coupling the spiral wave vector greatly exceeds the inverse superconducting coherence length as a result of the strong spin-spin interaction mediated through the subgap band of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. Moreover, the simple spin-spin exchange description breaks down as the subgap band crosses the Fermi energy, wherein the spiral phase becomes stabilized by the spontaneous opening of a p-wave superconducting gap within the band. This leads to the possibility of electron-driven topological superconductivity with Majorana boundary modes using magnetic atoms on superconducting surfaces.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	140503
Tidsskrift	Physical Review Letters
Vol/bind	93
Udgave nummer	14
Antal sider	6
ISSN	0031-9007
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.140503
Status	Udgivet - 11 apr. 2016

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abstract = "We study a chain of magnetic moments exchange coupled to a conventional three-dimensional superconductor. In the normal state the chain orders into a collinear configuration, while in the superconducting phase we find that ferromagnetism is unstable to the formation of a magnetic spiral state. Beyond weak exchange coupling the spiral wave vector greatly exceeds the inverse superconducting coherence length as a result of the strong spin-spin interaction mediated through the subgap band of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. Moreover, the simple spin-spin exchange description breaks down as the subgap band crosses the Fermi energy, wherein the spiral phase becomes stabilized by the spontaneous opening of a p-wave superconducting gap within the band. This leads to the possibility of electron-driven topological superconductivity with Majorana boundary modes using magnetic atoms on superconducting surfaces.",

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AU - Schecter, Michael Alan

AU - Flensberg, Karsten

AU - Christensen, Morten Holm

AU - Andersen, Brian Møller

AU - Paaske, Jens

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N2 - We study a chain of magnetic moments exchange coupled to a conventional three-dimensional superconductor. In the normal state the chain orders into a collinear configuration, while in the superconducting phase we find that ferromagnetism is unstable to the formation of a magnetic spiral state. Beyond weak exchange coupling the spiral wave vector greatly exceeds the inverse superconducting coherence length as a result of the strong spin-spin interaction mediated through the subgap band of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. Moreover, the simple spin-spin exchange description breaks down as the subgap band crosses the Fermi energy, wherein the spiral phase becomes stabilized by the spontaneous opening of a p-wave superconducting gap within the band. This leads to the possibility of electron-driven topological superconductivity with Majorana boundary modes using magnetic atoms on superconducting surfaces.

AB - We study a chain of magnetic moments exchange coupled to a conventional three-dimensional superconductor. In the normal state the chain orders into a collinear configuration, while in the superconducting phase we find that ferromagnetism is unstable to the formation of a magnetic spiral state. Beyond weak exchange coupling the spiral wave vector greatly exceeds the inverse superconducting coherence length as a result of the strong spin-spin interaction mediated through the subgap band of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. Moreover, the simple spin-spin exchange description breaks down as the subgap band crosses the Fermi energy, wherein the spiral phase becomes stabilized by the spontaneous opening of a p-wave superconducting gap within the band. This leads to the possibility of electron-driven topological superconductivity with Majorana boundary modes using magnetic atoms on superconducting surfaces.

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DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.93.140503

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VL - 93

JO - Physical Review Letters

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Self-organized topological superconductivity in a Yu-Shiba-Rusinov chain

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