Josephson effect in excitonic chiral double layers

TL;DR

This paper explores the Josephson effect in excitonic chiral double layers with domain walls, revealing zero-energy modes and supercurrent behaviors that could be realized in topological insulator surfaces.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of Josephson effects caused by domain walls in chiral double layers, highlighting the role of zero-energy modes and supercurrent phase relations.

Findings

Zero-energy modes appear at domain walls in chiral double layers.

Supercurrents are linked to the phases of zero-energy mode superpositions.

The system can be realized on topological insulator surfaces.

Abstract

Considering s-wave pairing in an electron-hole double layer of two chiral metals, we study the Josephson effect generated by a domain wall. The latter, which is caused by a jump of the order parameter phase, creates two independent evanescent zero-energy modes at an exceptional point. A unique solution is found by coupling the quasiparticle currents to the supercurrents via the continuity equation. This leads to a superposition of the zero-energy modes, where the relative phases of the coefficients are linked to the direction of the macroscopic supercurrents. Assuming a toroidal geometry, the effective Josephson current winds around the domain walls. Such a system can be realized as the surface of a ring-shaped topological insulator.