Unconventional Pairings and Radial Line Nodes in Inversion Symmetry Broken Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates the unique nodal structures, including radial line nodes, in noncentrosymmetric superconductors with broken inversion symmetry, revealing their topological properties and potential for external manipulation.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of radial line nodes in NCSs with $C_{ fty v}$ symmetry and explores their topological distinctions and implications for exciton condensates and Majorana modes.

Findings

Radial line nodes (RLNs) can occur due to nonlinear momentum dependence in OPs.

Topologically distinct regimes exist in pure triplet condensates separated by a QSHI-like state.

RLNs and point nodes can be externally manipulated to control topology.

Abstract

Noncentrosymmetric superconductors (NCSs) with broken inversion symmetry can have spin-dependent order parameters (OPs) with mixed parity which can also have nodes in the pair potential as well as the energy spectra. These nodes are distinct features that are not present in conventional superconductors. They appear as points or lines in the momentum space where the latter can have angular or radial geometries dictated by the dimensionality, the lattice structure and the pairing interaction. In this work we study the nodes in time reversal symmetry (TRS) preserving NCSs at the OP, the pair potential, and the energy spectrum levels. Nodes are examined by using spin independent pairing interactions respecting the rotational $C_{\infty v}$ symmetry in the presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The pairing symmetries and the nodal topology are affected by the relative strength of the pairing channels which is studied for the mixed singlet-triplet, pure singlet, and pure triplet. Complementary to the angular line nodes widely present in the literature, the $C_{\infty v}$ symmetry here allows radial line nodes (RLNs) due to the nonlinear momentum dependence in the OPs. The topology of the RLNs in the mixed case shows a distinctly different characterization than the half-spin quantum vortex at the Dirac point. We apply this NCS physics to the inversion symmetry broken exciton condensates (ECs) in double quantum wells where the point and the RLNs can be found. On the other hand, for a pure triplet condensate, two fully gapped and topologically distinct regimes exist, separated by a QSHI-like zero energy superconducting state with even number of Majorana modes. We also remark on how the point and the RLNs can be manipulated, enabling an external control on the topology.tions.