Andreev-like reflections with cold atoms

We propose a setup in which Andreev-like reflections predicted for 1D transport systems could be observed time dependently using cold atoms in a 1D optical lattice. Using time-dependent density matrix renormalization group methods we analyze the wave packet dynamics as a density excitation propagates across a boundary in the interaction strength. These phenomena exhibit good correspondence with predictions from Luttinger liquid models and could be observed in current experiments in the context of the Bose-Hubbard model

Creation of spin-triplet Cooper pairs in the absence of magnetic ordering

In superconducting spintronics, it is essential to generate spin-triplet Cooper pairs on demand. Up to now, proposals to do so concentrate on hybrid structures in which a superconductor (SC) is combined with a magnetically ordered material (or an external magnetic field). We, instead, identify a novel way to create and isolate spin-triplet Cooper pairs in the absence of any magnetic ordering. This achievement is only possible because we drive a system with strong spin-orbit interaction--the Dirac surface states of a strong topological insulator (TI)--out of equilibrium. In particular, we consider a bipolar TI-SC-TI junction, where the electrochemical potentials in the outer leads differ in their overall sign. As a result, we find that nonlocal singlet pairing across the junction is completely suppressed for any excitation energy. Hence, this junction acts as a perfect spin triplet filter across the SC generating equal-spin Cooper pairs via crossed Andreev reflection.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Collective Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states in magnetic clusters at superconducting surfaces

We study the properties of collective Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states generated by multiple magnetic adatoms (clusters) placed on the surface of a superconductor. For magnetic clusters with equal distances between their constituents, we demonstrate the formation of effectively spin-unpolarized YSR states with subgap energies independent of the spin configuration of the magnetic impurities. We solve the problem analytically for arbitrary spin structure and analyze both spin-polarized (dispersive energy levels) and spin-unpolarized (pinned energy levels) solutions. While the energies of the spin-polarized solutions can be characterized solely by the net magnetic moment of the cluster, the wave functions of the spin-unpolarized solutions effectively decouple from it. This decoupling makes them stable against thermal fluctuation and detectable in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments.Comment: 7 pages 3 figure

Tunable hybridization of Majorana bound states at the quantum spin Hall edge

Confinement at the helical edge of a topological insulator is possible in the presence of proximity-induced magnetic (F) or superconducting (S) order. The interplay of both phenomena leads to the formation of localized Majorana bound states (MBS) or likewise (under certain resonance conditions) the formation of ordinary Andreev bound states (ABS). We investigate the properties of bound states in junctions composed of alternating regions of F or S barriers. Interestingly, the direction of magnetization in F regions and the relative superconducting phase between S regions can be exploited to hybridize MBS or ABS at will. We show that the local properties of MBS translate into a particular nonlocal superconducting pairing amplitude. Remarkably, the symmetry of the pairing amplitude contains information about the nature of the bound state that it stems from. Hence, this symmetry can in principle be used to distinguish MBS from ABS, owing to the strong connection between local density of states and nonlocal pairing in our setup.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Screening properties and plasmons of Hg(Cd)Te quantum wells

Under certain conditions, Hg(Cd)Te quantum wells (QWs) are known to realize a time-reversal symmetric, two-dimensional topological insulator phase. Its low-energy excitations are well-described by the phenomenological Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang (BHZ) model that interpolates between Schr\"odinger and Dirac fermion physics. We study the polarization function of this model in random phase approximation (RPA) in the intrinsic limit and at finite doping. While the polarization properties in RPA of Dirac and Schr\"odinger particles are two comprehensively studied problems, our analysis of the BHZ model bridges the gap between these two limits, shedding light on systems with intermediate properties. We gain insight into the screening properties of the system and on its characteristic plasma oscillations. Interestingly, we discover two different kinds of plasmons that are related to the presence of intra- and interband excitations. Observable signatures of these plasmons are carefully analyzed in a variety of distinct parameter regimes, including the experimentally relevant ones for Hg(Cd)Te QWs. We conclude that the discovered plasmons are observable by Raman or electron loss spectroscopy

Ultra long spin decoherence times in graphene quantum dots with a small number of nuclear spins

We study the dynamics of an electron spin in a graphene quantum dot, which is interacting with a bath of less than ten nuclear spins via the anisotropic hyperfine interaction. Due to substantial progress in the fabrication of graphene quantum dots, the consideration of such a small number of nuclear spins is experimentally relevant. This choice allows us to use exact diagonalization to calculate the longtime average of the electron spin as well as its decoherence time. We investigate the dependence of spin observables on the initial states of nuclear spins and on the position of nuclear spins in the quantum dot. Moreover, we analyze the effects of the anisotropy of the hyperfine interaction for different orientations of the spin quantization axis with respect to the graphene plane. Interestingly, we then predict remarkable long decoherence times of more than 10ms in the limit of few nuclear spins.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, corrected typos, clarified estimation of decoherence times (results unchanged), extended discussion of spin preparation schem

Failure of protection of Majorana based qubits against decoherence

Qubit realizations based on Majorana bound states have been considered promising candidates for quantum information processing which is inherently inert to decoherence. We put the underlying general arguments leading to this conjecture to the test from an open quantum system perspective. It turns out that, from a fundamental point of view, the Majorana qubit is as susceptible to decoherence as any local paradigm of a qubit.Comment: Published versio