Opposite to the common idea of a magnetic order requirement to obtain spin current propagation, materials with no magnetic ordering have also been revealed to be efficient spin conductors. In this work, we investigate the spin current injection at the interface between a magnetic insulator and a superconductor. We are mainly interested in the paramagnetic insulator/superconductor interface however, our model also describes the ferromagnetic phase. We used the Schwinger bosonic formalism to describe the magnetic insulator and standard BCS theory was applied to treat the superconductor layer. In the normal-metal limit, our results are in agreement with the expected ones. For example, we found the correct spin current behavior $I\approx T^{3/2}$ at low temperature. In addition, our model shows a pronounced peak in the spin current injection at temperatures close to the superconductor transition temperature due to the superconducting quasiparticle coherence. The role of magnetic fields in the spin current injection is also investigated.
In this paper, a brief review of the history of topological insulators is given. After that,electronic transport experiments in topological insulator-superconductor hybrid structures, including experimental methods, physical properties and seemingly contradictory observations are discussed. Additionally, some new topological insulator hybrid structures are proposed.
Spin-galvanic response to non-equilibrium spin injection in superconductors with spin-orbit coupling
Universidad del País Vasco（巴斯克大学）；IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science（伊克拉巴斯基奎，巴斯克科学基金会）；Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)（圣塞巴斯蒂安国际物理中心）；Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM-MPC), Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU（材料物理中心（CFM-MPC），CSIC-UPV/EHU联合中心）
At nonzero temperatures, superconductors contain excitations known as Bogoliubov quasiparticles. The mesoscopic dynamics of quasiparticles inform the design of quantum information processors, among other devices. Knowledge of these dynamics stems from experiments in which quasiparticles are injected in a controlled fashion, typically at energies comparable to the pairing energy . Here we perform tunnel spectroscopy of a mesoscopic superconductor under high electric field. We observe quasiparticle injection due to field-emitted electrons with 10^6 times the pairing energy, an unexplored regime …
We report on nonlocal transport in superconductor hybrid structures, with ferromagnetic as well as normal-metal tunnel junctions attached to the superconductor. In the presence of a strong Zeeman splitting of the density of states, both charge and spin imbalance is injected into the superconductor. While previous experiments demonstrated spin injection from ferromagnetic electrodes, we show that spin imbalance is also created for normal-metal injector contacts. Using the combination of ferromagnetic and normal-metal detectors allows us to directly discriminate between charge and spin injection…
As platforms of Majorana modes, topological insulator (quantum anomalous Hall insulator)/superconductor (SC) heterostructures have attracted tremendous attention over the past decade. Here we substitute the topological insulator by its higher-order counterparts. Concretely, we consider second-order topological insulators (SOTIs) without time-reversal symmetry and investigate SOTI/SC heterostructures in both two and three dimensions. Remarkably, we find that such novel heterostructures provide natural realizations of second-order topological superconductors (SOTSCs) which host Majorana corner m…
We report on transport properties of the topological insulator single crystal $Sb2Te3$ nanoflakes with thickness about from 7 to 50nm. A steep drop of resistance is appeared near $3K$ in the ultrathin $Sb2Te3$ nanoflakes, manifesting a superconducting transition.The magnetic field induced superconductor insulator transition of disordered 2D superconductor system is observed in the nanoflakes.The results show that the existence of certain optimum degree of disorder is a necessary condition for emergence of superconductivity.Temperature dependence of magneto-resistance shows a consecutive transf…
We theoretically investigate domain wall motion in an antiferromagnetic insulator layer caused by thermally generated spin currents in an adjacent spin-split superconductor layer. An uncompensated antiferromagnet interface enables the two crucial ingredients underlying the mechanism - spin splitting in the superconductor and absorption of spin currents by the antiferromagnet. Treating the superconductor using the quasiclassical theory and the antiferromagnet via Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert description, we find domain wall propagation along the thermal gradient with relatively large velocities $\si…
Helical Dirac-Majorana interferometer in a superconductor-topological insulator sandwich structure
在拓扑绝缘体与两个s波超导体构成的异质结构中，当两个s波超导体形成具有π相移的约瑟夫森结时，存在具有螺旋Majorana边缘模的时反不变性拓扑超导相.基于这样的异质结构，螺旋Dirac-Majorana干涉仪被提出来直接测量螺旋Majorana模式的独特输运特征。此外，我们设想如何在现有材料如Bi 2 Se 3或Bi 2 Te 3薄膜的基础上实现我们的提议。
Hybrid superconductor-semiconductor heterostructures are promising platforms for realizing topological superconductors and exploring Majorana bound states physics. Motivated by recent experimental progress, we theoretically study how magnetic insulators offer an alternative to the use of external magnetic fields for reaching the topological regime. We consider different setups, where: (1) the magnetic insulator induces an exchange field in the superconductor, which leads to a splitting in the semiconductor by proximity effect, and (2) the magnetic insulator acts as a spin-filter tunnel barrier…
We investigate ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) modulation in $d$-wave superconductor (SC)/ferromagnetic insulator (FI) bilayer systems theoretically. The modulation of the Gilbert damping in these systems reflects the existence of nodes in the $d$-wave SC and shows power-law decay characteristics within the low-temperature and low-frequency limit. Our results indicate the effectiveness of use of spin pumping as a probe technique to determine the symmetry of unconventional SCs with high sensitivity for nanoscale thin films.
We report on transport properties of Josephson junctions in hybrid superconducting-topological insulator devices, which show two striking departures from the common Josephson junction behavior: a characteristic energy that scales inversely with the width of the junction, and a low characteristic magnetic field for suppressing supercurrent. To explain these effects, we propose a phenomenological model which expands on the existing theory for topological insulator Josephson junctions.
The spin-galvanic (inverse Edelstein) and inverse spin-Hall effects are calculated for a hybrid system that combines thin superconductor and Rashba-metal layers. These effects are produced by a nonequilibrium spin polarization which is injected into the normal metal layer. This polarization gives rise to an electric potential that relaxes within some characteristic length, which is determined by Andreev reflection. Within this length the dissipative electric current of quasiparticles in the normal layer converts into the supercurrent. This process involves only subgap states and at low tempera…
拓扑绝缘体是量子物质的一种新的态，它不能与传统的绝缘体和半导体进行电连接。它们的特点是在体和无间隙的边缘或表面状态，这是由时间反演对称性保护的完全绝缘的差距。这些拓扑材料已经在理论上预测和实验上观察到的各种系统，包括碲化汞量子阱，铋锑合金，和Bi $_2$ Te $_3$和Bi $_2$ Se $_3$晶体。本文综述了二维和三维拓扑绝缘体的理论模型、材料性质和实验结果，并讨论了拓扑能带理论和拓扑场论。拓扑超导体在体相和无隙表面态中都有完整的配对能隙，而无隙表面态则由马约拉纳费米子组成。我们回顾了拓扑超导体的理论与拓扑绝缘体理论的相似性。
A remarkable discovery in recent years is that there exist various kinds of topological insulators and superconductors characterized by a periodic table according to the system symmetry and dimensionality. To physically realize these peculiar phases and study their properties, a critical step is to construct experimentally relevant Hamiltonians which support these topological phases. We propose a general and systematic method based on the quaternion algebra to construct the tight binding Hamiltonians for all the three-dimensional topological phases in the periodic table characterized by arbitr…
We report Coulomb blockade transport studies of semiconducting InAs nanowires grown with epitaxial superconducting Al and ferromagnetic insulator EuS on overlapping facets. Comparing experiment to a theoretical model, we associate cotunneling features in even-odd bias spectra with spin-polarized Andreev levels. Results are consistent with zero-field spin splitting exceeding the induced superconducting gap. Energies of subgap states are tunable on either side of zero via electrostatic gates.
Topological superconductors (TSCs) are of significant current interest because they offer promising platforms for finding Majorana fermions. Here we report a new superconductor synthesized by intercalating Cu into a naturally-formed topological insulator (TI) heterostructure consisting of Bi2Se3 TI units separated by nontopological PbSe units. For the first time in a TI-based superconductor, the specific-heat behavior of this material suggests the occurrence of unconventional superconductivity with gap nodes. The existence of gap nodes in a strongly spin-orbit coupled superconductor would give…
We study theoretically the large variations of the supercurrent through a normal dot that are induced by a small quasiparticle injection current from normal leads connected to the dot. We find that the supercurrent decomposes into a subgap contribution, which depends on the voltages applied to the normal leads, as well as a contribution with opposite sign from energies outside the gap, which is insensitive to the voltages. As the voltages gradually suppress the subgap contribution, a critical voltage exists above which the contribution from energies outside the gap dominates, leading to a sign…
In this review, we discuss recent progress in the explorations of topological materials beyond topological insulators; specifically, we focus on topological crystalline insulators and bulk topological superconductors. The basic concepts, model Hamiltonians, and novel electronic properties of these new topological materials are explained. The key role of symmetries that underlie their topological properties is elucidated. Key issues in their materials realizations are also discussed.
We study the perpendicular transport characteristics of small superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator/superconductor (YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$/LaMnO$_{3+δ}$/YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$) tunnel junctions. At a large bias voltage $V\sim 1$ V we observe a step-like onset of excess current that occurs below the superconducting transition temperature $T<T_c$ and is easily suppressed by a magnetic field. The phenomenon is attributed to a novel type of the superconducting proximity effect of non-equilibrium electrons injected into the conduction band of the ferromagnetic insulator via a Fowler-Nordheim tunne…
This is a short note presenting a repeated experiment of the half-quantized transport signature given by Majorana chiral modes living in a heterostructure formed by an s-wave superconductor and a quantum-anomalous-Hall insulator.
We study the nonequilibrium energy transport across a topological insulator/superconductor junction, by deriving an interfacial heat current formula through scattering wave approach. Several anomalous thermal properties are uncovered, such as thermal energy's Klein tunneling, asymmetric Kapitza resistance and negative differential thermal resistance. We expect these findings could have potential applications for the energy control in various hybridized mesoscopic systems.
We investigate states on the surface of strong and weak topological insulators and superconductors that have been gapped by a symmetry breaking term. The surface of a strong 3D topological insulator gapped by a magnetic material is well known to possess a half quantum Hall effect. Furthermore, it has been known that the surface of a weak 3D topological insulator gapped by a charge density wave exhibits a half quantum spin Hall effect. To generalize these results to all Altland-Zirnbauer symmetry classes of topological insulators and superconductors, we reproduce the classification table for th…
The spin transport inside an odd-frequency spin-triplet superconductor differs from that of a conventional superconductor due to its distinct symmetry properties. We study spin transport inside an emergent odd-frequency superconductor by replacing the spin-singlet gap matrix in the Usadel equation with a matrix representing spin-triplet pairing that is odd under inversion of energy. We show that the peculiar nature of the density of states allows for an even larger spin injection than in the normal-state. Moreover, when the odd-frequency pairing inherits its temperature dependence from a conve…
Nature of the quantum insulator to superconductor and superconductor to normal state transitions in cuprate superconductors
本文用量子临界现象的标度理论详细分析了La $_{2-x}$ Sr $_{x}$ CuO $_{4}$，Y $_{0.8}$ Ca $_{0.2}$-123，Tl-1212和Tl-2201的各种超导性质。我们的结果包括：实验数据是完全符合的2D绝缘体到超导体（ISQ）的过渡在欠掺杂的限制。量子临界性质似乎是相当于那些肮脏的2D玻色子系统与长程库仑相互作用。与以前的证据一起，这种转变似乎是铜酸盐超导体的一般特征。3D超导体到正常态的量子跃迁（SNQ）被证明不那么独特。需要更多的实验数据来明确地解决这种转变的性质。
A zero-temperature magnetic-field-driven superconductor to insulator transition (SIT) in quasi-two-dimensional superconductors is expected to occur when the applied magnetic-field crosses a certain critical value. A fundamental question is whether this transition is due to the localization of Cooper pairs or due to the destruction of them. Here we address this question by studying the SIT in amorphous WSi. Transport measurements reveal the localization of Cooper pairs at a quantum critical field B_c^1 (Bose-insulator), with a product of the correlation length and dynamical exponents zv~4/3 nea…
Vortex-mediated spin current injection into two-dimensional superconductor NbSe2
Southern University of Science and Technology（南方科技大学）；Quantum Science Center of Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong)（粤港澳大湾区量子科学中心）；Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Device Physics（广东省先进热电材料与器件物理重点实验室）
We consider the interface between a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor and non-superconducting band insulator. We show that under certain conditions, such interfaces can have an elevated superconducting critical temperature, without increasing the strength of the pairing interaction at the interface. We identify the regimes where the interface critical temperature exceeds the critical temperature associated with a superconductor-vacuum interface.
Current-Induced Superconductor-Insulator Transition in Granular High-T_c Superconductors
在这项工作中，我们报告了一个系统的研究电流对颗粒Y $_{1-x}$ Pr $_{x}$ Ba $_{2}$ Cu $_{3}$ O $_{7-δ}$样品的超导性能的影响，x接近临界Pr浓度以上的超导性消失。结果表明，在外加电流的驱动下，超导体-绝缘体发生了量子相变（SIT），电流诱导的SIT可以看作是磁场调谐的SIT的动力学对应物.
We investigate Josephson junctions among conventional superconducting wires, in the presence of externally applied Zeeman fields and supercurrents. We demonstrate that the critical Josephson current and the current-phase relation of the junction depends on the relative orientation of the applied Zeeman fields and supercurrents. The controllability of the Josephson current relies on the stabilization of conventional superconductivity in high magnetic fields, due to the restoration of the opposite momentum opposite spin projection resonance at the Fermi level. We assert that our results can lead…
Superconductor-Ferromagnet (SF) heterostructures are of interest due to numerous phenomena related to the spin-dependent interaction of Cooper pairs with the magnetization. Here we address the effects of a magnetic insulator on the density of states of a superconductor based on a recently developed boundary condition for strongly spin-dependent interfaces. We show that the boundary to a magnetic insulator has a similar effect like the presence of magnetic impurities. In particular we find that the impurity effects of strongly scattering localized spins leading to the formation of Shiba bands c…
The antiferromagnetic(AFM) insulator-superconductor transition has been always a center of interest in the underlying physics of unconventional superconductors. The quantum phase transition between Mott insulator with AFM and superconductor can be induced by doping charge carriers in high-Tc cuprate superconductors. For the best characterized organic superconductors of k-(BEDT-TTF)2X (X=anion), a first order transition between AFM insulator and superconductor can be tuned by applied external pressure or chemical pressure. Also, the superconducting state can be directly developed from AFM insul…
