Majorana STM as a perfect detector of odd-frequency superconductivity

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Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2017-05-24

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Mcode

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Language

en

Pages

9

Series

Physical Review B, Volume 95, issue 17, pp. 1-9

Abstract

We propose a novel scanning tunneling microscope (STM) device in which the tunneling tip is formed by a Majorana bound state (MBS). This peculiar bound state emerges at the boundary of a one-dimensional topological superconductor. Since the MBS has to be effectively spinless and local, we argue that it is the smallest unit that shows itself the properties of odd-frequency superconducting pairing. Odd-frequency superconductivity is characterized by an anomalous Green's function, which is an odd function of the time arguments of the two electrons building the Cooper pair. Interestingly, our Majorana STM can be used as the perfect detector of odd-frequency superconductivity. The reason is that a supercurrent between the Majorana STM and any other superconductor can only flow if the latter system exhibits itself odd-frequency pairing. To illustrate our general idea, we consider the tunneling problem of the Majorana STM coupled to a quantum dot placed on a surface of a conventional superconductor.

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| openaire: EC/H2020/743884/EU//DiracEntangler

Keywords

FERROMAGNET STRUCTURES, TIME-REVERSAL, FERMIONS, PHYSICS, PARITY, MODEL

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Citation

Kashuba, O, Sothmann, B, Burset Atienza, P & Trauzettel, B 2017, ' Majorana STM as a perfect detector of odd-frequency superconductivity ', Physical Review B, vol. 95, no. 17, 174516, pp. 1-9 . https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.174516