Multiple Andreev reflection and critical current in topological superconducting nanowire junctions
Abstract
We study transport in a voltage biased superconductor-normal-superconductor (SNS) junction made of semiconducting nanowires with strong spin-orbit coupling, as it transitions into a topological superconducting phase for increasing Zeeman field. Despite the absence of a fractional steady-state ac Josephson current in the topological phase, the dissipative multiple Andreev reflection (MAR) current I_dc at different junction transparencies is particularly revealing. It exhibits unique features related to topology, such as the gap inversion, the formation of Majorana bound states, and fermion-parity conservation. Moreover, the critical current I_c, which remarkably does not vanish at the critical point where the system becomes gapless, provides direct evidence of the topological transition.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1301.4408,
title = {Multiple Andreev reflection and critical current in topological superconducting nanowire junctions},
author = {Pablo San-Jose and Jorge Cayao and Elsa Prada and Ramón Aguado},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1301.4408},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
Published version, 21 pages, 7 figures, 3 appendices