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Volkov-Pankratov states and topological superconductivity in Pb monolayers

ORAL

Abstract

We study the in-gap states that appear at the boundaries of both one- and two-dimensional topological superconductors. While the massless Majorana quasiparticles are guaranteed to arise by the bulk-edge correspondence we find that they could be accompanied by massive Volkov-Pankratov (VP) states which are present only when the interface is sufficiently smooth. These predictions can be tested in an s-wave superconductor with Rashba spin-orbit coupling placed on top of a magnetic domain wall. We calculate the spin-resolved local density of states of the VP states about the band inversion generated by a magnetic domain wall and find that they are oppositely spin polarized on either side of the topological phase boundary. We also demonstrate that the spatial position energy-level spacing and spin polarization of the VP states can be modified by the introduction of in-plane electric fields.

Presenters

  • David Alspaugh

    Louisiana State University

Authors

  • David Alspaugh

    Louisiana State University

  • Daniel E Sheehy

    Louisiana State University, Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

  • Mark Oliver Goerbig

    Laboratoire de Physique des Solides CNRS - Université Paris-Saclay, University of Paris-Saclay, Paris-Saclay University

  • Pascal Simon

    University of Paris-Saclay, Universite Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Laboratoire de Physiques des Solides, Universite Paris-Saclay, CNRS