• Letter

Signatures of topological transitions in the spin susceptibility of Josephson junctions

Joseph D. Pakizer and Alex Matos-Abiague
Phys. Rev. B 104, L100506 – Published 27 September 2021
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Abstract

We theoretically investigate how the spin susceptibility of a planar Josephson junction is affected when the system transits into the topological superconducting state. We show that the magnetic flux and magnetic field dependence of the spin susceptibility closely maps the phase diagram of the system. In the absence of an external magnetic flux the system can self-tune into the topological superconducting state by minimizing its free energy. Self-tuned topological transitions are accompanied by sharp peaks in the spin susceptibility, which can therefore be used as measurable fingerprints for detecting the topological superconducting state. Away from the peaks, the amplitude of the spin susceptibility can provide qualitative information about the relative size of the topological gap. The signatures in the spin susceptibility are robust, even in junctions with narrow superconducting leads, where critical current minima may no longer serve as an indication of topological phase transitions. The predicted results could be particularly relevant for future experiments on realization and detection of the topological superconducting state in planar Josephson junctions.

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  • Received 22 June 2021
  • Revised 7 September 2021
  • Accepted 14 September 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.104.L100506

©2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Joseph D. Pakizer and Alex Matos-Abiague

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA

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Issue

Vol. 104, Iss. 10 — 1 September 2021

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