Double-Helix Nodal Line Superconductors

ORAL

Abstract

Time-reversal invariant superconductors in three dimensions may contain nodal lines in the Brillouin zone, which behave as Wilson loops of 3d momentum-space Chern-Simons theory of the Berry connection. Here we study the conditions of realizing linked nodal lines (Wilson loops), which yield a topological contribution to the thermal magnetoelectric coefficient that is given by the Chern-Simons action. We find the essential conditions are the existence of torus or higher genus fermi surfaces and spiral spin textures. We construct such a model with two torus fermi surfaces, where a generic spin-dependent interaction leads to double-helix-like linked nodal lines as the superconductivity is developed.

*This work is supported by the NSF grant DMR-1305677

Presenters

  • Xiao-Qi Sun

    • Stanford Univ

Authors

  • Xiao-Qi Sun

    • Stanford Univ
  • Biao Lian

    • Princeton Univ
    • Princeton
    • Center for Theoretical Science, Princeton University
  • Shoucheng Zhang

    • Stanford University
    • Department of Physics, Stanford University
    • Stanford Univ
    • Physics, Stanford University