Inflated nodes and surface states of topological superconductors
CFEL Theory Seminar
- Datum: 05.10.2016
- Uhrzeit: 14:00 - 15:00
- Vortragende(r): Carsten Timm
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, TU Dresden
- Ort: CFEL (Bldg. 99)
- Raum: Seminar Room IV, O1.111
- Gastgeber: Angel Rubio
The new paradigm of topology in condensed matter physics does not only pertain to insulators and semimetals but also to superconductors. Topological superconductors are predicted to show many novel physical properties.
In the talk, I will consider two examples. First, noncentrosymmetric
superconductors with spin-orbit coupling generically show mixing of
singlet and triplet Cooper pairs and have energy gaps with line nodes in
momentum space. These are associated with flat zero-energy bands of
Majorana surface states with interesting magnetic properties. Second,
centrosymmetric materials in which superconductivity breaks
time-reversal invariance are even more exotic. I will argue that they
generically show extended, two-dimensional Fermi surfaces (see figure).
Such Fermi surfaces are of course the hallmark of normal metals but here
they are both topologically protected and energetically stable
in superconductors.