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arXiv:1306.5934 · Physical Review Letters

Inhomogeneous Topological Superfluidity in One-Dimensional Spin-Orbit-Coupled Fermi Gases

Chun Chen

Published Dec 4, 2013• 57 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We theoretically predict an exotic topological superfluid state with a spatially modulated pairing gap in one-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases. This inhomogeneous topological superfluidity is induced by applying simultaneously a perpendicular Zeeman magnetic field and an equally weighted Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling in one-dimensional optical lattices. Based on the self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory, we confirm that this novel topological phase is a unique condensation of Cooper pairs, which manifests the interplay between the inhomogeneity of a superfluid and its nontrivial topological structure. The properties of the emergent Majorana bound states are investigated in detail by examining the associated Z2 topological number, the eigenenergy and density of states spectra, as well as the wave functions of the localized Majorana end modes. The experimental feasibility of observing this new topological state of matter is also discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.111.235302

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We theoretically predict an exotic topological superfluid state with a spatially modulated pairing gap in one-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases. This inhomogeneous topological superfluidity is induced by applying simultaneously a perpendicular Zeeman magnetic field and an equally weighted Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling in one-dimensional optical lattices. Based on the self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory, we confirm that this novel topological phase is a unique condensation of Cooper pairs, which manifests the interplay between the inhomogeneity of a superfluid and its nontrivial topological structure. The properties of the emergent Majorana bound states are investigated in detail by examining the associated Z2 topological number, the eigenenergy and density of states spectra, as well as the wave functions of the localized Majorana end modes. The experimental feasibility of observing this new topological state of matter is also discussed.
We theoretically predict a topological matter---topological inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell superfluid---in one-dimensional atomic Fermi gases with equal Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling near sss-wave Feshbach resonances. The realization of such a spin-orbit-coupled Fermi system has already been demonstrated recently by using a two-photon Raman process and the extra one-dimensional confinement is easy to achieve using a tight two-dimensional optical lattice. The topological Fulde-Ferrell superfluid phase is characterized by a nonzero center-of-mass momentum and a nontrivial Berry phase. By tuning the Rabi frequency and the detuning of Raman laser beams, we show that such an exotic topological phase occupies a significant part of parameter space and therefore it could be easily observed experimentally, by using, for example, momentum-resolved and spatially resolved radio-frequency spectroscopy.
We theoretically study trapped one-dimensional Fermi gases in the presence of spin-orbit coupling induced by Raman lasers. The gas changes from a conventional (nontopological) superfluid to a topological superfluid as one increases the intensity of the Raman lasers above a critical chemical-potential-dependent value. Solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations self-consistently, we calculate the density of states in real and momentum space at finite temperatures. We study Majorana fermions (MFs) which appear at the boundaries between topologically trivial and topologically nontrivial regions. We linearize the trap near the location of a MF, finding an analytic expression for the localized MF wave function and the gap between the MF state and other edge states.
Topological superfluids usually refer to a superfluid state which is gapped in the bulk but metallic at the boundary. Here we report that a gapless, topologically nontrivial superfluid with an inhomogeneous Fulde-Ferrell pairing order parameter can emerge in a two-dimensional spin-orbit coupled Fermi gas, in the presence of both in-plane and out-of-plane Zeeman fields. The Fulde-Ferrell pairing-induced by the spin-orbit coupling and in-plane Zeeman field-is responsible for this gapless feature. This exotic superfluid has a significant Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature and has robust Majorana edge modes against disorder owing to its topological nature.
We theoretically investigate one-dimensional three-component spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases in the presence of the Zeeman field. By solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations, we obtain the phase diagram at a given chemical potential and order parameter. We show that, with increasing the intensity of the Zeeman field, in addition to undergoing a phase transition from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluid to topological superfluid, similar to the two-component system, the three-component system may exhibit some other interesting topological phase transitions. For example, by appropriately adjusting the chemical potential $\ensuremath{\mu}$, the system can be in a nontrivial topological superfluid in the whole region of the Zeeman field hhh. It also may initially be a topological superfluid and then translate to a topologically trivial BCS superfluid with increasing the field hhh. Even more exotically, the system may exhibit a re-entrance behavior, being a topological superfluid at small and large fields but a topologically trivial BCS superfluid in between at a mediate Zeeman field. It can therefore have two regions with zero-energy Majorana fermions. As a consequence of these interesting topological phase transitions, the system of the three-component spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gases in a certain parameter range is more optimizing for the experimental realization of the topological phase due to the smaller magnetic field needed. Thus, a promising candidate for the realization of the topological phase is proposed.
The interplay of spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman splitting in ultracold Fermi gases gives rise to a topological superfluid phase in two spatial dimensions that can host exotic Majorana excitations. Theoretical models have so far been based on a four-band Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism for the combined spin- \mathbf{1/2} 1 / 2 and particle-hole degrees of freedom. Here we present a simpler, yet accurate, two-band description based on a well-controlled projection technique that provides a new platform for exploring analogies with chiral p-wave superfluidity and detailed future studies of spatially non-uniform situations.
Topological superfluids are recently discovered quantum matter that hosts topologically protected gapless edge states known as Majorana fermions---exotic quantum particles that act as their own antiparticles and obey non-Abelian statistics. Their realizations are believed to lie at the heart of future technologies such as fault-tolerant quantum computation. To date, the most efficient scheme to create topological superfluids and Majorana fermions is based on the Sau-Lutchyn-Tewari-Das Sarma model with a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling on the x-y plane and a large out-of-plane (perpendicular) Zeeman field along the z direction. Here we propose an alternative setup, where the topological superfluid phase is driven by applying an in-plane Zeeman field. This scheme offers a number of different features, notably Cooper pairings at finite center-of-mass momentum (i.e., Fulde-Ferrell pairing) and gapless excitations in the bulk. As a result, gapless topological quantum matter with an inhomogeneous pairing order parameter appears. It features unidirectional Majorana surface states at boundaries, which propagate in the same direction and connect two Weyl nodes in the bulk. We demonstrate the emergence of such exotic topological matter and the associated Majorana fermions in spin-orbit coupled atomic Fermi gases, and we determine its parameter space. The implementation of our scheme in semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures is briefly discussed.