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Higher-order topological superconductors from Weyl semimetals

by Ammar Jahin , Apoorv Tiwari , Yuxuan Wang

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Submission summary

Authors (as registered SciPost users): Ammar Jahin · Apoorv Tiwari · Yuxuan Wang
Submission information
Preprint Link: scipost_202103_00032v4  (pdf)
Date accepted: 2021-12-23
Date submitted: 2021-12-07 23:58
Submitted by: Jahin, Ammar
Submitted to: SciPost Physics
Ontological classification
Academic field: Physics
Specialties:
  • Condensed Matter Physics - Theory
Approach: Theoretical

Abstract

We propose that doped Weyl semimetals with {time-reversal and certain crystalline symmetries} are natural candidates to realize higher-order topological superconductors, which exhibit a fully gapped bulk while the surface hosts robust gapless chiral hinge states. We show that in such a doped Weyl semimetal, a featureless finite-range attractive interaction favors a $p+ip$ pairing symmetry. By analyzing its topological properties, we identify such a chiral pairing state as a higher-order topological superconductor, which depending on the existence of a four-fold rotoinversion symmetry, is either intrinsic, {meaning that the corresponding hinge states can only be removed by closing the bulk gap, rather than modifying the surface states}, or extrinsic. We achieve this understanding via various methods recently developed for higher-order topology, including Wannier representability, Wannier spectrum, and defect classification approaches. For the four-fold rotoinversion symmetric case, we provide a complete classification of the higher-order topological superconductors. We show that such second-order topological superconductors exhibit chiral hinge modes that are robust in the absence of interaction effects but can be eliminated at the cost of introducing surface topological order.

List of changes

* Change notation for the four-fold rotoinversion operator on the BdG level, to avoid confusion as explained in our reply on version 3 of the paper.
* Include a physical interpretation in terms of band orbitals for the symmetry representation of the normal state given in Eq. (8).

Published as SciPost Phys. 12, 053 (2022)


Reports on this Submission

Report 2 by Titus Neupert on 2021-12-15 (Invited Report)

Report

I am very happy to read the clarifying reply of the authors to my report. I have not further objections and recommend publication of the article as is.

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Report 1 by Frank Schindler on 2021-12-13 (Invited Report)

Report

With their most recent reply and changes to the manuscript, the authors have resolved my remaining concern. The manuscript is now ready for publication.

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