Atomic Line Defects and Topological Superconductivity in Unconventional Superconductors

Zhang, Yi; Jiang, Kun; Zhang, Fuchun; Wang, Jian; Wang, Ziqiang

doi:10.1103/PhysRevX.11.011041

Title: Atomic Line Defects and Topological Superconductivity in Unconventional Superconductors

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2021 · Physical Review. X

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.11.011041· OSTI ID:1768655

;

; Zhang, Fuchun; Wang, Jian; Wang, Ziqiang

Topological superconductors (TSCs) are correlated quantum states with simultaneous off-diagonal longrange order and nontrivial topological invariants. They produce gapless or zero-energy boundary excitations, including Majorana zero modes and chiral Majorana edge states with topologically protected phase coherence essential for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Candidate TSCs are very rare in nature. Here, we propose a novel route toward emergent quasi-one-dimensional (1D) TSCs in naturally embedded quantum structures such as atomic line defects in unconventional spin-singlet s-wave and d-wave superconductors. We show that inversion symmetry breaking and charge transfer due to the missing atoms lead to the occupation of incipient impurity bands and mixed-parity spin-singlet and -triplet Cooper pairing of neighboring electrons traversing the line defect. Nontrivial topological invariants arise and occupy a large part of the parameter space, including the time-reversal symmetry-breaking Zeeman coupling due to applied magnetic field or defect-induced magnetism, creating TSCs in different topological classes with robust Majorana zero modes at both ends of the line defect. Beyond providing a novel mechanism for the recent discovery of zero-energy bound states at both ends of an atomic line defect in monolayer Fe(Te,Se) superconductors, the findings pave the way for new material realizations of the simplest and most robust 1D TSCs using embedded quantum structures in unconventional superconductors with large pairing energy gaps and high transition temperatures.

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Research Organization:: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-99ER45747

OSTI ID:: 1768655

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1850210

Journal Information:: Physical Review. X, Journal Name: Physical Review. X Vol. 11 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2160-3308

Publisher:: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Atomic Line Defects and Topological Superconductivity in Unconventional Superconductors

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