Topological gapless points in superconductors: From the viewpoint of symmetry

Abstract

Searching for topological insulators/superconductors is a central subject in recent condensed matter physics. As a theoretical aspect, various classification methods of symmetry-protected topological phases have been developed, where the topology of a gapped Hamiltonian is investigated from the viewpoint of its onsite/crystal symmetry. On the other hand, topological physics also appears in semimetals, whose gapless points can be characterized by topological invariants. Stimulated by this background, we shed light on the topology of nodal superconductors. In this paper, we review our modern topological classification theory of superconducting gap nodes in terms of symmetry. The classification method elucidates nontrivial gap structures arising from nonsymmorphic symmetry or angular momentum, which cannot be predicted by a conventional theory.