General framework for transport in spin-orbit-coupled superconducting heterostructures: Nonuniform spin-orbit coupling and spin-orbit-active interfaces
arXiv:1501.05699 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.91.144508
Abstract
Electronic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is essential for various newly discovered phenomena in condensed-matter systems. In particular, one-dimensional topological heterostructures with SOC have been widely investigated in both theory and experiment for their distinct transport signatures indicating the presence of emergent Majorana fermions. However, a general framework for the SOC-affected transport in superconducting heterostructures, especially with the consideration of interfacial effects, has not been developed even regardless of the topological aspects. We hereby provide one for an effectively one-dimensional superconductor-normal heterostructure with nonuniform magnitude and direction of both Rashba and Dresselhaus SOC as well as a spin-orbit-active interface. We extend the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk treatment to analyze the current-voltage relation and obtain a rich range of transport behaviors. Our work provides a basis for characterizing fundamental physics arising from spin-orbit interactions in heterostructures and its implications for topological systems, spintronic applications, and a whole variety of experimental setups.
8 pages, 4 figures
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Cited by in corpus (3)
- Long-Range Spin-Triplet Correlations and Edge Spin Currents in Diffusive Spin-Orbit Coupled SNS Hybrids with a Single Spin-Active Interface
- Magnetoanisotropic Josephson effect due to interfacial spin-orbit fields in superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor junctions
- Spin-dependent thermoelectric effects in graphene based superconductor junctions