Non-Abelian toplogical superconductors from topological semimetals and related systems under superconducting proximity effect

Non-Abelian toplogical superconductors are characterized by the existence of {zero-energy} Majorana fermions bound in the quantized vortices. This is a consequence of the nontrivial bulk topology characterized by an {\em odd} Chern number. It is found that in topological semimetals with a single two-bands crossing point all the gapped superconductors are non-Abelian ones. Such a property is generalized to related but more generic systems which will be useful in the search of non-Abelian superconductors and Majorana fermions

Superconductivity at the Border of Electron Localization and Itinerancy

The superconducting state of iron pnictides and chalcogenides exists at the border of antiferromagnetic order. Consequently, these materials could provide clues about the relationship between magnetism and unconventional superconductivity. One explanation, motivated by the so-called bad-metal behaviour of these materials, proposes that magnetism and superconductivity develop out of quasi-localized magnetic moments which are generated by strong electron-electron correlations. Another suggests that these phenomena are the result of weakly interacting electron states that lie on nested Fermi surfaces. Here we address the issue by comparing the newly discovered alkaline iron selenide superconductors, which exhibit no Fermi-surface nesting, to their iron pnictide counterparts. We show that the strong-coupling approach leads to similar pairing amplitudes in these materials, despite their different Fermi surfaces. We also find that the pairing amplitudes are largest at the boundary between electronic localization and itinerancy, suggesting that new superconductors might be found in materials with similar characteristics.Comment: Version of the published manuscript prior to final journal-editting. Main text (23 pages, 4 figures) + Supplementary Information (14 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables). Calculation on the single-layer FeSe is added. Enhancement of the pairing amplitude in the vicinity of the Mott transition is highlighted. Published version is at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/131115/ncomms3783/full/ncomms3783.htm

Non-Abelian anyonic interferometry with a multi-photon spin lattice simulator

Recently a pair of experiments demonstrated a simulation of Abelian anyons in a spin network of single photons. The experiments were based on an Abelian discrete gauge theory spin lattice model of Kitaev. Here we describe how to use linear optics and single photons to simulate non-Abelian anyons. The scheme makes use of joint qutrit-qubit encoding of the spins and the resources required are three pairs of parametric down converted photons and 14 beam splitters.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Several references added in v

Thermally driven spin injection from a ferromagnet into a non-magnetic metal

Creating, manipulating and detecting spin polarized carriers are the key elements of spin based electronics. Most practical devices use a perpendicular geometry in which the spin currents, describing the transport of spin angular momentum, are accompanied by charge currents. In recent years, new sources of pure spin currents, i.e., without charge currents, have been demonstrated and applied. In this paper, we demonstrate a conceptually new source of pure spin current driven by the flow of heat across a ferromagnetic/non-magnetic metal (FM/NM) interface. This spin current is generated because the Seebeck coefficient, which describes the generation of a voltage as a result of a temperature gradient, is spin dependent in a ferromagnet. For a detailed study of this new source of spins, it is measured in a non-local lateral geometry. We developed a 3D model that describes the heat, charge and spin transport in this geometry which allows us to quantify this process. We obtain a spin Seebeck coefficient for Permalloy of -3.8 microvolt/Kelvin demonstrating that thermally driven spin injection is a feasible alternative for electrical spin injection in, for example, spin transfer torque experiments

Kaleidoscope of topological phases with multiple Majorana species

Exactly solvable lattice models for spins and non-interacting fermions provide fascinating examples of topological phases, some of them exhibiting the localized Majorana fermions that feature in proposals for topological quantum computing. The Chern invariant $\nu$ is one important characterization of such phases. Here we look at the square-octagon variant of Kitaev's honeycomb model. It maps to spinful paired fermions and enjoys a rich phase diagram featuring distinct abelian and nonabelian phases with $\nu= 0,\pm1,\pm2,\pm3$ and $\pm4$. The $\nu=\pm1$ and $\nu=\pm3$ phases all support localized Majorana modes and are examples of Ising and $SU(2)_2$ anyon theories respectively.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. The second version has a new title, reflecting a change of focus of the presentation in this version. The third version contains minor changes and is essentially the one published in New Journal of Physic

Weak magnetism and non-Fermi liquids near heavy-fermion critical points

This paper is concerned with the weak-moment magnetism in heavy-fermion materials and its relation to the non-Fermi liquid physics observed near the transition to the Fermi liquid. We explore the hypothesis that the primary fluctuations responsible for the non-Fermi liquid physics are those associated with the destruction of the large Fermi surface of the Fermi liquid. Magnetism is suggested to be a low-energy instability of the resulting small Fermi surface state. A concrete realization of this picture is provided by a fractionalized Fermi liquid state which has a small Fermi surface of conduction electrons, but also has other exotic excitations with interactions described by a gauge theory in its deconfined phase. Of particular interest is a three-dimensional fractionalized Fermi liquid with a spinon Fermi surface and a U(1) gauge structure. A direct second-order transition from this state to the conventional Fermi liquid is possible and involves a jump in the electron Fermi surface volume. The critical point displays non-Fermi liquid behavior. A magnetic phase may develop from a spin density wave instability of the spinon Fermi surface. This exotic magnetic metal may have a weak ordered moment although the local moments do not participate in the Fermi surface. Experimental signatures of this phase and implications for heavy-fermion systems are discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures; (v2) includes expanded discussion and solution of quantum Boltzmann equatio