Nonmetallic thermal transport in low-dimensional proximity structures with partially preserved time-reversal symmetry in a magnetic field

Abstract

Gapped excitation spectra of Andreev states are studied in one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) normal systems in superconducting contacts subject to a parallel magnetic field. In the ballistic regime, a specific interplay between magnetic field spin splitting and the effect of a screening supercurrent is found to preserve time-reversal symmetry for certain groups of Andreev states remaining gapped despite the presense of the magnetic field. In 1D wires such states can lead to a fractional thermal magnetoconductance equal to half of the thermal conductance quantum. In 2D systems the thermal magnetoconductance is also predicted to remain suppressed well below the normal-state value in a wide range of magnetic fields.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure