On magnetic-field-induced dissipationless electric current in nanowires

TL;DR

This paper proposes a metallic double-nanowire design that can support equilibrium dissipationless electric currents under magnetic fields, leveraging topological and geometric properties to break inversion symmetry.

Contribution

It introduces a novel nanowire structure supporting dissipationless currents in magnetic fields, combining topological and geometric considerations for the first time.

Findings

Supports equilibrium dissipationless current in nanowire structures.

Breaks spatial inversion symmetry to enable nonzero current.

Applicable to planar chiral nanoribbons under magnetic fields.

Abstract

We propose a general design of a metallic double-nanowire structure which may support an equilibrium dissipationless electric current in the presence of magnetic field. The structure consists of a compact wire element of a specific shape, which is periodically extended in one spatial dimension. Topologically, each wire element is equivalent to a ring, which supports a dissipationless current in the presence of magnetic flux similarly to the persistent electric current in a normal metal nanoring. Geometrically, each wire element breaks spatial inversion symmetry so that the equilibrium electric current through the device becomes nonzero. We also argue that the same effect should exist in long planar chiral nanoribbons subjected to external magnetic field.