Surface-acoustic-wave-induced unconventional superconducting pairing

TL;DR

This paper explores how surface acoustic waves can induce unconventional superconducting pairing symmetries, such as odd-parity spin-triplet states, by breaking symmetries in solid-state systems.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of surface acoustic waves to engineer and control unconventional superconducting order parameters in solid-state materials.

Findings

SAWs can induce odd-parity spin-triplet pairing

Symmetry breaking by SAWs enables new superconducting states

Methods to engineer order parameter symmetries using SAWs

Abstract

Unconventional superconductivity is usually associated with symmetry breaking in the system. Here we consider a simple setup consisting of a solid state material with conduction electrons and an applied surface acoustic wave (SAW), that can break time and spatial translation symmetries. We study the symmetries of the possible SAW-induced order parameters, showing that even-frequency spin-triplet odd-parity order parameter can occur. We suggest different methods of how to engineer the symmetries of the order parameters using SAWs and the applications of such setups.