Fractional magnetoresistance oscillations in spin-triplet superconducting rings

Halász, Gábor B.

doi:10.1038/s42005-023-01246-5

Title: Fractional magnetoresistance oscillations in spin-triplet superconducting rings

Journal Article · Fri Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Communications Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01246-5· OSTI ID:2325057

Abstract Half-quantum vortices in spin-triplet superconductors are predicted to host Majorana zero modes and may provide a viable platform for topological quantum computation. Recent works also suggested that, in thin mesoscopic rings, the superconducting pairing symmetry can be probed via Little-Parks-like magnetoresistance oscillations of periodicity Φ ₀ = h /2 e that persist below the critical temperature. Here we use the London limit of Ginzburg-Landau theory to study these magnetoresistance oscillations resulting from thermal vortex tunneling in spin-triplet superconducting rings. For a range of temperatures in the presence of disorder, we find magnetoresistance oscillations with an emergent fractional periodicity Φ ₀ / n , where the integer n ≥ 3 is entirely determined by the ratio of the spin and charge superfluid densities. These fractional oscillations can unambiguously confirm the spin-triplet nature of superconductivity and directly reveal the tunneling of half-quantum vortices in real-world candidate materials.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2325057

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1996734

Journal Information:: Communications Physics, Journal Name: Communications Physics Vol. 6 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2399-3650

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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