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arXiv · 2102.02820

Charge-$4e$ superconductivity from nematic superconductors in 2D and 3D

Shao-Kai Jian·Yingyi Huang·Hong Yao
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Abstract

Charge-$4e$ superconductivity as a novel phase of matter remains elusive so far. Here we show that charge-$4e$ phase can arise as a vestigial order above the nematic superconducting transition temperature in time-reversal-invariant nematic superconductors. On the one hand, the nontrivial topological defect -- nematic vortex -- is energetically favored over the superconducting phase vortex when the nematic stiffness is less than the superfluid stiffness; consequently the charge-$4e$ phase emerges by proliferation of nematic vortices upon increasing temperatures. On the other hand, the Ginzburg-Landau theory of the nematic superconductors has two distinct decoupling channels to either charge-$4e$ orders or nematic orders; by analyzing the competition between the effective mass of the charge-$4e$ order and the cubic potential of the nematic order, we find a sizable regime where the charge-$4e$ order is favored. These two analysis consistently show that nematic superconductors can provide a promising route to realize charge-$4e$ phases, which may apply to candidate nematic superconductors such as PbTaSe$_2$ and twisted bilayer graphene.

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Shao-Kai Jian, Yingyi Huang, Hong Yao. 2021-11-23. Charge-$4e$ superconductivity from nematic superconductors in 2D and 3D. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.127.227001

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