Tuning topological superconductivity in helical Shiba chains by supercurrent

Abstract

Recent experimental investigations of arrays of magnetic atoms deposited on top of a superconductor have opened a new chapter in the search of topological superconductivity. We generalize the microscopic model derived by Pientka et al. [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{88}, 155420 (2013)] to accommodate the effects of finite supercurrent in the host material. Previously it was discovered that helical chains with nonplanar textures are plagued by a gapless phase. We show that by employing supercurrent it is possible to tune the chain from the gapless phase to the topological gapped phase. It is also possible to tune the chain between the trivial and the topological gapped phase, the size of which may be dramatically increased due to supercurrent. For planar textures supercurrent mainly contributes to proliferation of the gapless phase. Our predictions, which can be probed in STM experiments, are encouraging for observation and manipulation of Majorana states.

4.5 pages, 4 figures+2 pages appendix

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Topological Yu-Shiba-Rusinov chain from spin-orbit coupling
• Correlation Length, Universality Classes, and Scaling Laws Associated with Topological Phase Transitions
• Interplay of topological phases in magnetic adatom-chains on top of a Rashba superconducting surface
• Topological properties of helical Shiba chains with general impurity strength and hybridization
• Majorana Bound States in Double Nanowires with Reduced Zeeman Thresholds due to Supercurrents
• Supercurrent effect in a charge density wave intertwined superconductor