Microscopic simulation of superconductor-topological insulator proximity structures

Abstract

We present microscopic, self-consistent calculations of the superconducting order parameter and pairing correlations near the interface of an $s$-wave superconductor and a three-dimensional topological insulator with spin-orbit coupling. We discuss the suppression of the order parameter by the topological insulator and show that the equal-time pair correlation functions in the triplet channel, induced by spin-flip scattering at the interface, are of $p_x\pm i{p}_y$ symmetry. We verify that the spectrum at sub-gap energies is well described by the Fu-Kane model. The sub-gap modes are viewed as interface states with spectral weight penetrating well into the superconductor. We extract the phenomenological parameters of the Fu-Kane model from microscopic calculations, and find they are strongly renormalized from the bulk material parameters. This is consistent with previous results of Stanescu et al for a lattice model using perturbation theory in the tunneling limit.

8 pages, 10 figures; references added in v2

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• Proximity-induced unconventional superconductivity in topological insulators
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• Helical Andreev bound states and superconducting Klein tunneling in topological insulator Josephson junctions
• Josephson and proximity effects on the surface of a topological insulator
• Current-phase relation for Josephson effect through helical metal
• Suppression of surface p-wave superconductivity in disordered topological insulators
• Unconventional proximity-induced superconductivity in bilayer systems
• Conservation of spin supercurrents in superconductors
• Interface Metallic States between a Topological Insulator and a Ferromagnetic Insulator
• Majorana zero modes in spintronics devices
• Proximity effect in a superconductor-topological insulator heterostructure based on first principles
• Nearly flat Andreev bound states in superconductor-topological insulator hybrid structures
• Scanning tunneling microscopy of superconducting topological surface states in Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Interaction proximity effect at the interface between a superconductor and a topological insulator quantum well
• A Numerical Study of the Superconducting Proximity Effect in Topological Surface States
• Hybridization mechanism of the dual proximity effect in superconductor-topological insulator interfaces
• Proximity induced ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and finite-size effects on the surface and edge states of topological insulator nanostructures
• Majorana modes in striped two-dimensional inhomogeneous topological superconductors
• Emergence of Surface Superconductivity through Interference in Superconducting-proximity Topological Insulators
• Effects of spin orbit coupling on proximity induced superconductivity
• Boundary-induced Majorana coupling in a planar topological Josephson junction
• The evaluation of non-topological components in Berry phase and momentum relaxation time in a gapped 3D topological insulator
• Weyl nodes in periodic structures of superconductors and spin active materials