Long range p-wave proximity effect into a disordered metal

ORAL

Abstract

We use quasiclassical methods of superconductivity to study the superconducting proximity effect from a topological $p$-wave superconductor into a disordered one-dimensional metallic wire. We demonstrate that the corresponding Eilenberger equations with disorder reduce to a closed non-linear equation for the superconducting component of the matrix Green's function. Remarkably, this equation is formally equivalent to a classical mechanical system (i.e., Newton's equations), with the Green function corresponding to a coordinate of a fictitious particle and the coordinate along the wire corresponding to time. This mapping allows to obtain exact solutions in the disordered nanowire in terms of elliptic functions. A surprising result that comes out of this solution is that the $p$-wave superconductivity proximity-induced into the disordered metal remains long-range, decaying as slowly as the conventional $s$-wave superconductivity. It is also shown that impurity scattering leads to the appearance of a zero-energy peak.

*This research was supported by DOE-BES DESC0001911 (VG \& VS), NSF-CAREER DMR- 0847224 (ACK), and Simons Foundation.

Authors

  • Aydin Cem Keser

    • CMTC, Univ. of MD
  • Valentin Stanev

    • Univ of Maryland-College Park
    • CMTC, Univ.of MD
  • Victor Galitski

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland
    • Univ of Maryland-College Park
    • Condensed Matter Theory Center, University of Maryland College Park
    • University of Maryland, College park
    • CMTC and JQI, Uni. of MD \& School of Physics, Monash Uni.