No-go theorem for a time-reversal invariant topological phase in noninteracting systems coupled to conventional superconductors

Abstract

We prove that a system of non-interacting electrons proximity coupled to a conventional s-wave superconductor cannot realize a time reversal invariant topological phase. This is done by showing that for such a system, in either one or two dimensions, the topological invariant of the corresponding symmetry class (DIII) is always trivial. Our results suggest that the pursuit of Majorana bound states in time-reversal invariant systems should be aimed at interacting systems or at proximity to unconventional superconductors.

Published version, 5 pages, 2 figures

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• Interaction-induced strong zero modes in short quantum dot chains with time-reversal symmetry
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• High critical temperature nodal superconductors as building block for time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity
• Noncentrosymmetric superconductors in one dimension
• Robust semi-Dirac points and unconventional topological phase transitions in doped superconducting Sr2IrO4 tunnel coupled to t2g electron systems
• Stability of the boundary zero modes in one-dimensional topological superconductors
• Time-reversal symmetric topological superconductivity in Machida-Shibata lattices