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Masatoshi Sato

Publications and source records attributed to Masatoshi Sato.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Topological zero modes and Dirac points protected by spatial symmetry and chiral symmetry

We explore a new class of topologically stable zero energy modes which are protected by coexisting chiral and spatial symmetries. If a chiral symmetric Hamiltonian has an additional spatial symmetry such as reflection, inversion and rotation, the Hamiltonian can be separated into independent chiral-symmetric subsystems by the eigenvalue of the space symmetry operator. Each subsystem supports chiral zero energy modes when a topological index assigned to the block is nonzero. By applying the argument to Bloch electron systems, we detect band touching at symmetric points in the Brillouin zone. In particular, we show that Dirac nodes appearing in honeycomb lattice (e.g. graphene) and in half-flux square lattice are protected by three-fold and two-fold rotation symmetry, respectively. We also present several examples of Dirac semimetal with isolated band-touching points in three-dimensional $k$-space, which are protected by combined symmetry of rotation and reflection. The zero mode protection by spatial symmetry is distinct from that by the conventional winding number. We demonstrate that symmetry-protected band touching points emerge even though the winding number is zero. Finally, we identify relevant topological charges assigned to the gapless points.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Effect of Fermi surface evolution on superconducting gap in superconducting topological insulator

We study bulk electronic states of superconducting topological insulator, which is the promising candidate for topological superconductor. Recent experiments suggest that the three-dimensional Fermi surface evolves into two-dimensional one. We show that the superconducting energy gap structure on the Fermi surface systematically changes with this evolution. It is clarified that the bulk electronic properties such as spin-lattice relaxation rate and specific heat depend on the shape of the Fermi surface and the type of the energy gap function. These results serve as a guide to determine the pairing symmetry of Cu$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Majorana Braiding Dynamics on Nanowires

Superconductors hosting long-sought excitations called Majorana fermions may be ultimately used as qubits of fault-tolerant topological quantum computers. A crucial challenge toward the topological quantum computer is to implement quantum operation of nearly degenerate quantum states as a dynamical process of Majorana fermions. In this paper, we investigate the braiding dynamics of Majorana fermions on superconducting nanowires. In a finite size system, a non- adiabatic dynamical process dominates the non-Abelian braiding that operates qubits of Majorana fermions. Our simulations clarify how qubits behave in the real-time braiding process, and elucidate the optimum condition of superconducting nanowires for efficient topological quantum operation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Quasi-classical theory of tunneling spectroscopy in superconducting topological insulator

We develop a theory of tunneling spectroscopy in superconducting topological insulator (STI), i.e. superconducting state of a carrier-doped topological insulator. Based on the quasi-classical approximation, we obtain an analytical expression of the energy dispersion of surface Andreev bound states (ABSs) and a compact formula for tunneling conductance of normal metal/STI junctions. The obtained compact formula of tunneling conductance makes the analysis of experimental data easy. As an application of our theory, we study tunneling conductance in Cu$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$. We reveal that our theory reproduces the previous results by Yamakage {\it et al} [Phys. Rev. B 85, 180509(R) (2012)]. We further study magneto-tunneling spectroscopy in the presence of external magnetic fields, where the energy of quasiparticles is shifted by the Doppler effect. By rotating magnetic fields in the basal plane, we can distinguish between two different topological superconducting states with and without point nodes, in their magneto-tunneling spectra.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Topological Blount's theorem of odd-parity superconductors

From the group theoretical ground, the Blount's theorem prohibits the existence of line nodes for odd-parity superconductors (SCs) in the presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). We study the topological stability of line nodes under inversion symmetry. From the topological point of view, we renovate the stability condition of line nodes, in which we not only generalize the original statement, but also establish the relation to zero-energy surface flat dispersions. The topological instability of line nodes in odd-parity SCs implies not the absence of bulk line nodes but the disappearance of the corresponding zero-energy surface flat dispersions due to surface Rashba SOC, which gives an experimental means to distinguish line nodes in odd-parity SCs from those in other SCs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Comment on Microscopic magnetic modeling for the S = 1/2 alternating chain compounds Na3Cu2SbO6 and Na2Cu2TeO6 (arXiv:1402.1091)

In a recent paper by Schmitt et al. (arXiv:1402.1091), signs of two exchange interactions of one-dimensional alternating chains in distorted honeycomb systems of Na3Cu2SbO6 and Na2Cu2TeO6 are argued by theoretical calculations. Although the authors report that they have clarified that the interaction J1a is ferromagnetic between the spins within a structural dimer, and J1b is antiferromagnetic between these dimers, these results have been known for a long time by our two papers, which are cited by Schmitt et al.

cond-mat.str-el↗

UPt$_3$ as a Topological Crystalline Superconductor

We investigate the topological aspect of the spin-triplet $f$-wave superconductor UPt$_3$ through microscopic calculations of edge- and vortex-bound states based on the quasiclassical Eilenberger and Bogoliubov-de Gennes theories. It is shown that a gapless and linear dispersion exists at the edge of the $ab$-plane. This forms a Majorana valley, protected by the mirror chiral symmetry. We also demonstrate that, with increasing magnetic field, vortex-bound quasiparticles undergo a topological phase transition from topologically trivial states in the double-core vortex to zero-energy states in the normal-core vortex. As long as the $d$-vector is locked into the $ab$-plane, the mirror symmetry holds the Majorana property of the zero-energy states, and thus UPt$_3$ preserves topological crystalline superconductivity that is robust against the crystal field and spin-orbit interaction.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Phonons and Spin Excitations in Fe-Based Superconductor Ca10Pt4As8(Fe1-xPtxAs)10 (x ~ 0.2)

By means of neutron inelastic scattering, magnetic excitations and phonons were measured for a single crystal of slightly overdoped superconductor Ca10Pt4As8(Fe1-xPtxAs)10 (x ~ 0.2) with the transition temperature Tc of ~33 K. Below Tc, magnetic excitation spectra \{chi}"(Q, ω) measured at Q = QM [magnetic Γ points] are gapped, and in the relatively higher ω region, the \{chi}"(QM, ω)-increase was observed with decreasing T, where the maximum of the increase was found at ~18 meV at 3 K (<< Tc). These characteristics are favorable to orbital-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity with the so-called S++symmetry of the order parameter. The energy dependence of δQ-temperature(T) curve of the magnetic excitations seems to have anomalous behavior in rather wide T region above Tc, δQ being the width of the Q scan profile. In the phonon measurements, we observed softening of the in-plane TA mode, which corresponds to the elastic constant C66. This softening seems to start at rather high temperature T, as T is lowered. Additionally, anomalous increase in spectral weights of the TO-phonons at around QM in the region 35 < ω < 40 meV was found even above Tc, as T is lowered from ambient T . Because the spectral weights in this ω region mainly correspond to the in-plane motions of Fe atoms and because orbital fluctuations are expected to be strong at around QM, the result may present clues to investigate a possible coupling between the fluctuations of the orbitals and lattice system.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Interference of Majorana fermions in NS junctions

We investigate interference of Majorana fermions (MFs) in NS junctions. A general formula of charge conductance G for NS junctions with two MFs is derived based on the low energy effective model. It is found that G for two MFs takes various values 0 \leq G \leq 4e^2/h owing to interference of the MFs, while G is quantized as G = 2e^2/h for a single MF. The value of G is determined by symmetry of the system. As an example, we investigate the complete destructive interference of two degenerate MFs reported by Ii et al. [A. Ii, A. Yamakage, K. Yada, M. Sato, and Y. Tanaka, Phys. Rev. B 86, 174512 (2012)], and identify the symmetry responsible for the destructive interference.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Symmetry-Protected Majorana Fermions in Topological Crystalline Superconductors: Theory and Application to Sr2RuO4

Crystal point group symmetry is shown to protect Majorana fermions (MFs) in spinfull superconductors (SCs). We elucidate the condition necessary to obtain MFs protected by the point group symmetry. We argue that superconductivity in Sr2RuO4 hosts a topological phase transition to a topological crystalline SC, which accompanies a d-vector rotation under a magnetic field along the c-axis. Taking all three bands and spin-orbit interactions into account, symmetry-protected MFs in the topological crystalline SC are identified. Detection of such MFs provides evidence of the d-vector rotation in Sr2RuO4 expected from Knight shift measurements but not yet verified.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Mirror Majorana zero modes in spinful superconductors/superfluids -Non-Abelian braiding of integer quantum vortices-

It has been widely believed that half quantum vortices are indispensable to realize topological stable Majorana zero modes and non-Abelian anyons in spinful superconductors/superfluids. Contrary to this wisdom, we here demonstrate that integer quantum vortices in spinful superconductors can host topologically stable Majorana zero modes because of the mirror symmetry. The symmetry protected Majorana fermions may exhibit non-Abelian anyon braiding.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Topological phases of quasi-one-dimensional fermionic atoms with a synthetic gauge field

We theoretically investigate the effect of intertube tunneling in topological superfluid phases of a quasi-one-dimensional Fermi gas with a Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction. It is shown that the effective Hamiltonian is analogous to that of a nanowire topological superconductor with multibands. Using a hidden mirror symmetry in the system, we introduce a new topological number that ensures the existence of non-Abelian Majorana zero modes even in the presence of intertube tunneling. It is demonstrated from the full numerical calculation of self-consistent equations that some of Majorana modes survive against the intertube tunneling, when the number of one-dimensional tubes is odd in the $y$-direction. We also discuss a generalization of our consideration to nanowire topological superconductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

Theory of tunneling spectroscopy in a superconducting topological insulator

We calculate tunneling conductance of normal metal and superconducting topological insulator CuxBi2Se3 junctions for the possible pairing symmetries. In the presence of gapless Andreev bound states (ABSs), the tunneling conductance shows a zero-bias peak even for the three-dimensional full-gap superconducting state. This zero-bias conductance peak stems from the enhancement of the surface density of states induced by the surface-state transition in momentum space.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Bulk electronic state of superconducting topological insulator

We study electronic properties of a superconducting topological insulator whose parent material is a topological insulator. We calculate the temperature dependence of the specific heat and spin susceptibility for four promising superconducting pairings proposed by L. Fu and E. Berg (Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 097001). Since the line shapes of temperature dependence of specific heat are almost identical among three of the four pairings, it is difficult to identify them simply from the specific heat. On the other hand, we obtain wide varieties of the temperature dependence of spin susceptibility for each pairing reflecting the spin structure of Cooper pair. We propose that the pairing symmetry of superconducting topological insulator can be determined from measurement of Knight shift by changing the direction of applied magnetic field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Anomalous Josephson current in superconducting topological insulator

We investigate the effect of helical Majorana fermions at the surface of superconducting topological insulators (STI) on the Josephson current by referring to possible pairing states of Cu-doped Bi2Se3. The surface state in the present STI has a spin helicity because the directions of spin and momentum are locked to each other. The Josephson current-phase relation in an STI/s-wave superconductor junction shows robust sin(2ϕ) owing to mirror symmetry, where ϕdenotes the macroscopic phase difference between the two superconductors. In contrast, the maximum Josephson current in an STI/STI junction exhibits a nonmonotonic temperature dependence depending on the relative spin helicity of the two surface states. Detecting these features qualifies as distinct experimental evidence for the identification of the helical Majorana fermion in STIs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

On stable commutator length in hyperelliptic mapping class groups

We give a new upper bound on the stable commutator length of Dehn twists in hyperelliptic mapping class groups, and determine the stable commutator length of some elements. We also calculate values and the defects of homogeneous quasimorphisms derived from ω-signatures, and show that they are linearly independent in the mapping class groups of pointed 2-spheres when the number of points is small.

math.GT↗

Symmetry Protected Topological Order and Spin Susceptibility in Superfluid 3He-B

We here demonstrate that the superfluid 3He-B under a magnetic field in a particular direction stays topological due to a discrete symmetry, that is, in a symmetry protected topological order. Due to the symmetry protected topological order, helical surface Majorana fermions in the B phase remain gapless and their Ising spin character persists. We unveil that the competition between the Zeeman magnetic field and dipole interaction involves anomalous quantum phase transition where topological phase transition takes place together with spontaneous breaking of symmetry. Based on the quasiclassical theory, we illustrate that the phase transition is accompanied by anisotropic quantum criticality of spin susceptibilities on the surface, which is detectable in NMR experiments.

cond-mat.supr-con↗