arXiv subjects

Panagiotis Kotetes

Publications and source records attributed to Panagiotis Kotetes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Supercritical fluid of quantum electrons in three-dimensional superconducting fullerides

The supercritical fluid (SCF) of quantum electrons at the Mott metal-insulator transition without symmetry breaking is one of the most elusive phenomena in strongly correlated electron physics. Prior studies of Cr-doped V2O3 and organic Mott systems reported discrepant critical exponents. A key limitation is that the scaling analysis relies on a single experimental observable, leaving the roles of phase coexistence, inhomogeneity, and percolation unaddressed. Here we report the first experimental identification of a thermodynamically equilibrated SCF phase and its associated Mott endpoint in the three-dimensional superconducting fullerides CsxRb3-xC60, using two independent probes of electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility, which reveal two distinct metal-insulator transition lines converging at a single Mott endpoint. A hypothesis-free two-particle analysis of magnetic susceptibilities yields a metal-insulator coexisting SCF by exhibiting the maximum two-phase mixing entropy, in agreement with a picture of a thermodynamically equilibrated Widom line. Simultaneously, conductivity scaling yields a critical exponent in the regime of quantum critical predictions. Our new dual-probe approach provides a unified microscopic picture of the Mott SCF with a characteristic length scale below current diffraction resolution, in addition to a new interpretation on the origin of superconducting Tc-dome.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Zero-field superconducting vortices and Majorana zero modes pinned by magnetic islands in correlated Rashba systems

We propose a route for pinning zero-field superconducting vortices in systems which are exchange-coupled to magnetic islands and feature Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We consider islands with sizes which greatly exceed those of the vortex cores and possess out-of-plane magnetic moments. A crucial ingredient of our approach is that it considers superconductors which are governed by magnetic correlations without, however, exhibiting long range magnetic order. The arising total magnetization is inhomogeneous and its gradients generate a nonzero vorticity in the superconducting phase. Vortices become energetically stable due to the energy reduction brought about from the generation of electronic magnetization. Using our developed framework, we make concrete predictions for the emergence of zero-field vortices and Majorana zero modes in superconducting topological insulator surfaces and planar Rashba superconductors. Our theory uncovers a nonstandard path for trapping composite vortex-Majorana excitations in systems which appear to be within experimental reach.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Green Function Invariants for Floquet Topological Superconductivity Induced by Proximity Effects

We bring forward a Green function approach for the prediction of Floquet topological phases in driven superconductor-semiconductor hybrids. Although it is common to treat the superconducting component as a mere Cooper-pair reservoir, it was recently pointed out that such an approximation breaks down in the presence of driving, due to the emergence of level broadening. Here, we go beyond these recent works and prescribe how to construct the Floquet topological invariants for such driven hybrids. Specifically, we propose to first obtain the midgap quasi-energy spectra by including the hermitian part of the semiconductor's self-energy and, subsequently, read out the respective level broadenings by projecting the anti-hermitian part of the self-energy onto the quasi-energy eigenvectors. We exemplify our approach for a Rashba nanowire coupled to a superconductor and a time-dependent Zeeman field. Using our method, we obtain the Floquet band structure, the respective level broadenings, and the topological invariants. Our analysis reinforces the need to properly account for the self-energy, and corroborates that broadening effects can hinder the observation of the Floquet topological phases and especially of those harboring Majorana $π$ modes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Survival and Detection of Symmetry-Protected Topology in Loop Quenches

We explore a class of dynamical protocols - that we term loop quenches - which are tailored for the study of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) systems. In loop quenches, SPT phases can survive even out of equilibrium, thus evading the dynamical violation of their protecting symmetry. Moreover, we demonstrate that employing loop quenches allows to detect the equilibrium topology via measurable dynamical quantities. Focusing on chiral-SPT phases, we introduce the Loschmidt chirality amplitude as a key observable that encodes the equilibrium topological invariant. We exemplify our method for chiral-symmetric one-dimensional two-band insulators and propose a pump-probe measurement scheme which allows to extract the amplitude in question. Our protocol uncovers a direct dynamical signature of SPT phases and, most importantly, paves the way for a general diagnostic framework that can be extended to other symmetry classes and dimensions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Nonreciprocal Equilibrium Josephson Effect of Arbitrary Periodicity from Poor Man's Majorana Zero Modes

We show that the Josephson diode effect becomes possible when two coupled antiferromagnetic dimers of point-like magnetic adatoms are deposited on top of a Rashba superconductor. The degree of nonreciprocity is substantial when the arising Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states approach zero energy. In this limit, these states behave as weakly coupled poor man's Majorana (PMM) excitations. This PMM regime is accompanied by highly dispersive and phase-bias asymmetric Andreev bound state dispersions. In turn, these result in a nonreciprocal Josephson current, whose diode efficiency can be controlled by varying the geometric details of the adatom's spatial configuration. In addition, thanks to spin-triplet pairing terms mixing different YSR states, the Josephson current can possess any periodicity in equilibrium, including $4\pi$. Our work opens the door to observing and harnessing Majorana behavior in currently experimentally accessible topologically trivial systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Superfluid Stiffness and Josephson Quantum Capacitance: Adiabatic Approach and Topological Effects

We bring forward a unified framework for the study of the superfluid stiffness and the quantum capacitance of superconducting platforms exhibiting conventional spin-singlet pairing. We focus on systems which in their normal phase contain topological band touching points or crossings, while in their superconducting regime feature a fully gapped energy spectrum. Our unified description relies on viewing these two types of physical quantities as the charge current and density response coefficients obtained for ``slow" spatiotemporal variations of the superconducting phase. Within our adiabatic formalism, the two coefficients are given in terms of Berry curvatures defined in synthetic spaces. Our work lays the foundations for the systematic description of topological diagonal superfluid responses induced by singularities dictating the synthetic Berry curvatures. We exemplify our approach for concrete one- and two-dimensional models of superconducting topological (semi)metals. We discuss topological phenomena which arise in the superfluid stiffness of bulk systems and the quantum capacitance of Josephson junctions. We show that both coefficients become proportional to a topological invariant which counts the number of topological touchings/crossings of the normal phase band structure. These topological effects can be equivalently viewed as manifestations of chiral anomaly. Our predictions appear experimentally testable in topological semimetals with proximity-induced pairing, such as in graphene-superconductor hybrids at charge neutrality.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Topological Superfluid Responses of Superconducting Dirac Semimetals

We demonstrate that topological constraints do not only dictate the geometric part of the superfluid stiffness, but can also govern the total superfluid stiffness. By introducing a general adiabatic approach for superfluid responses, we showcase such a possibility by proving that the stiffness of a superconducting Dirac cone in two dimensions (2D) is proportional to its topological charge. By relying on the emergent Lorentz invariance of Dirac electrons, we unify the superfluid stiffness and quantum capacitance in these systems. Based on this connection, we further predict a topological origin for the quantum capacitance of a Josephson junction where 2D massless Dirac electrons are sandwiched between two conventional superconductors. We show that the topological responses persist upon effecting strain, are resilient against weak disorder, and can be experimentally controlled via a Zeeman field. Remarkably, the nonuniversal topological quantization of the two superfluid responses, yet implies the universal topological quantization of the admittance modulus of the superconducting Dirac system in units of conductance. The quantum admittance effect arises when embedding the superconducting Dirac system in an ac electrical circuit with a frequency tuned at the absorption edge. These findings are in principle experimentally observable in graphene-superconductor hybrids.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Imprinting Ground State Chirality on Adatom Spins

We propose an alternative experimental protocol for the detection of doped Chern insulators and chiral superconductors. Our approach relies on coupling the target chiral system to adatom spins. Due to the substrate chirality, the adatom spins are expected to order in a noncoplanar configuration with a nonzero spin chirality. Here, we obtain concrete results for chiral substrates which are invariant under arbitrary spin rotations, and are coupled to three adatoms carrying classical moments. By exploring all the accessible magnetic ground states, we identify the regimes in which nonzero spin chirality is induced on the adatom complex. We apply our method to valley-polarized bilayer graphene and $d+id$ superconductors, and find qualitatively different ground state diagrams. Our analysis shows that the adatom spin chirality fully encodes the properties of the substrate chirality.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Dynamical Chiral Symmetry and Symmetry-Class Conversion in Floquet Topological Insulators

In this work, we discuss properties with no static counterpart arising in Floquet topological insulators with a dynamical chiral symmetry (DCS), i.e., a chiral symmetry which is present while driving. We explore the topological properties of Floquet insulators possessing a DCS which either does or does not survive upon taking the static limit. We consider the case of harmonic drives and employ a general framework using the quasi-energy operator in frequency space. We find that for a DCS with no static analog, the presence of driving has a negligible impact on the topological phases associated with zero quasi-energy. In stark contrast, topological gaps can open at $π$ quasi-energy and mainly occur at momenta where the driving perturbation vanishes. We confirm the above general predictions for an extended Kitaev chain model in the BDI symmetry class. Another possibility that opens up when adding the drive, while preserving chiral symmetry, is symmetry-class conversion. We demonstrate such an effect for a static CI class Hamiltonian which is topologically trivial in 1D. By considering a suitable driving, we obtain a CI$\rightarrow$AIII transition, which now enables the system to harbor topological $π$-modes. Notably, the arising topological phases strongly depend on whether the DCS has a static analog or not. Our results bring Floquet insulators with nonstandard DCS forward as ideal candidate platforms for engineering and manipulating topological $π$-modes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Superconducting diodes from magnetization gradients

The superconducting diode effect may exist in bulk systems as well as in junctions when time-reversal and inversion symmetries are simultaneously broken. Magnetization gradients and textures satisfy both requirements and therefore also allow for superconducting diodes. We concretely demonstrate such possibilities in two-dimensional superconductors. We first consider superconducting Rashba metals in the presence of an inhomogeneous out-of-plane exchange field. Using analytical arguments, we reveal that such magnetization gradients stabilize a helical superconducting ground state, similar to homogeneous in-plane magnetic fields. Our predictions are confirmed by employing self-consistent real-space numerical lattice simulations exemplified through the cases of a uniform magnetization gradient or a ferromagnetic domain wall. Furthermore, by considering a phase difference, we determine the nonreciprocal current-phase relations and explore their parameter dependence. Our calculations show that planar devices with out-of-plane magnetization gradients may be as efficient supercurrent rectifiers as their analogs induced by uniform in-plane fields. In addition, they feature the advantage that by means of tailoring the spatial profile of the out-of-plane magnetization, one may optimize and spatially control the diode effect. Finally, we show that superconducting diodes may become also accessible even in the absence of spin-orbit coupling by means of suitable spatially-varying magnetization fields.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Anatomy of Spin and Current Generation from Magnetization Gradients in Topological Insulators and Rashba Metals

We explore the spin density and charge currents arising on the surface of a topological insulator and in a 2D Rashba metal due to magnetization gradients. For topological insulators a single interconversion coefficient controls the generation of both quantities. This coefficient is quantized to a value proportional to the vorticity of the Dirac point which constitutes a hallmark of parity anomaly at finite density. As such, it also unveils a robust route to disentangle and detect the protected states of a topological insulator on a given surface. In stark contrast, Rashba metals do not exhibit such anomalies since they contain an even number of helical branches. Nonetheless, also these are governed by quantized responses which, however, are not protected against weak disorder. Furthermore, we find that for Rashba metals the interconversion coefficients demonstrate discontinuities and a nontrivial interplay upon varying the chemical potential, the strength of the spin-orbit coupling, and a pairing gap. Our results have implications for the binding between magnetic skyrmions and superconducting vortices, the emergence of Majorana zero modes, and pave the way for superconducting diode effects mediated by out-of-plane magnetization gradients.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

New mechanisms to engineer magnetic skyrmions and topological superconductors

We propose an alternative route to stabilize magnetic skyrmions which does not require Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya interactions, magnetic anisotropy, or an external Zeeman field. Our so-called magnetic skyrmion catalysis (MSC) solely relies on the emergence of flux in the system's ground state. We review scenarios that allow for a nonzero flux and summarize the magnetic skyrmion phases that it induces. Among these, we focus on the so-called skyrmionic spin-whirl crystal (Sk-SWC$_4$) phase. We discuss aspects of MSC using a concrete model for topological superconductivity, which describes the surface states of a topological crystalline insulator in the presence of proximity induced pairing. By assuming that the surface states can exhibit the Sk-SWC$_4$ phase, we detail how the addition of a pairing gap generates a chiral superconductor. For this purpose, we construct a low-energy model which renders the mechanism for topological superconductivity transparent. Moreover, by employing this model, we perform a self-consistent investigation of the appearance of the Sk-SWC$_4$ phase for different values of the pairing gap and the ground state's flux. Our analysis verifies the catalytic nature of our mechanism in stabilizing the Sk-SWC$_4$ phase, since the magnetization modulus becomes enhanced upon ramping up the flux. The involvement of MSC further shields magnetism against the suppression induced by the pairing gap. Remarkably, even if the pairing gap fully suppresses the Sk-SWC$_4$ phase for a given value of flux, this skyrmion phase can be restored by further increasing the flux. Our findings demonstrate that MSC enables topological superconductivity in a minimal and robust fashion.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Mechanisms for Magnetic Skyrmion Catalysis and Topological Superconductivity

We propose an alternative route to stabilize magnetic skyrmion textures which does not require Dzyaloshinkii-Moriya interaction, magnetic anisotropy, or an external Zeeman field. Instead, it solely relies on the emergence of flux in the system's ground state. We discuss scenarios that lead to a nonzero flux, and identify the magnetic skyrmion ground states which become accessible in its presence. Moreover, we explore the chiral superconductors obtained for the surface states of a topological crystalline insulator when two types of magnetic skyrmion crystals coexist with a pairing gap. Our work opens perspectives for engineering topological superconductivity in a minimal fashion, and promises to unearth functional topological materials and devices which may be more compatible with electrostatic control than the currently explored skyrmion-Majorana platforms.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Topological Superconductivity Induced by Magnetic Texture Crystals

We present a detailed investigation of the topological phases and Majorana fermion (MF) excitations that arise from the bulk interplay between (un)conventional one/two-band spin-singlet superconductivity and a number of magnetic texture crystals. The latter define inhomogeneous magnetization profiles which consist of a periodically-repeating primitive cell. Here we focus on magnetic texture crystals with a primitive cell of the helix, whirl, and skyrmion types, which feature distinct symmetry properties. We identify a multitude of accessible topological phases which harbor flat, uni- or bi-directional, (quasi-)helical, or chiral MF edge modes. This rich variety originates from the interplay between topological phases with gapped and nodal bulk energy spectra. The types of the emerging topological superconducting phases and the features of the arising MFs are solely determined by the properties and compatibility of the so-called magnetic and pairing point/space groups. Our analysis is general and does not rely on specific parameters of the models employed here to exemplify the topological scenarios which become accessible. Therefore, our results can be extended to systems with multiple bands, are relevant for a wide range of layered materials and hybrid devices, and provide predictions for strong, weak and crystalline topological phases.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Diagnosing Topological Phase Transitions in 1D Superconductors using Berry Singularity Markers

In this work I demonstrate how to characterize topological phase transitions in BDI symmetry class superconductors (SCs) in 1D, using the recently introduced approach of Berry singularity markers (BSMs). In particular, I apply the BSM method to the celebrated Kitaev chain model, as well as to a variant of it, which contains both nearest and next nearest neighbor equal spin pairings. Depending on the situation, I identify pairs of external fields which can detect the topological charges of the Berry singularities which are responsible for the various topological phase transitions. These pairs of fields consist of either a flux knob which controls the supercurrent flow through the SC, or, strain, combined with a field which can tune the chemical potential of the system. Employing the present BSM approach appears to be within experimental reach for topological nanowire hybrids.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Majorana Braiding Racetracks from Charge Chern Insulator - Superconductor Hybrids

Recent experiments have provided evidence for chiral charge order in Kagome superconductors (SCs). This intriguing possibility motivates us to unveil the first pathway to engineer topological superconductivity by harnessing the interplay of charge Chern insulators (CIs) and conventional SCs. We here identify under which conditions a pyramidal SC/CI/SC heterostructure induces an effective 1D spinless p-wave SC that allows pinning Majorana zero modes (MZMs) at termination edges and domain walls. As we reveal, such a MZM track is controlled by the phase difference of the two SCs involved and additional magnetic fields which are required for generating Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling. Further, we show that a SC/CI/SC/CI/SC double-pyramidal hybrid defines a double MZM track, in which braiding occurs by varying the two superconducting phase differences in space and adiabatically in time. Given the geometry of the MZM racetrack, we propose to employ the time-averaged quadrupolar differential conductance to confirm the here-termed MZM track exchange process which is pivotal for braiding. In addition, we identify experimental knobs which enable the fusion of MZM pairs, and the detection of the underlying non-Abelian topological order and twofold many-body ground state degeneracy by encoding it in a topological invariant.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Theory of Berry Singularity Markers: Diagnosing Topological Phase Transitions via Lock-In Tomography

This work brings forward an alternative experimental approach to infer the topological character of phase transitions in insulators. This method relies on subjecting the target system to a set of external fields, each of which consists of two parts, i.e., a weak spatiotemporally slowly-varying component on top of a constant offset. The fields are chosen in such a way, so that they respectively induce slow variations in the wave vector describing the bulk band structure, as well as a parameter which allows tuning the bulk gap. Such a process maps the Berry singularities of the base space to a synthetic space spanned by the parameters related to the external fields. By measuring the response of the system to the weak part of the perturbations, when these are additionally chosen to form spacetime textures, one can construct a quantity that is here-termed Berry singularity marker (BSM). The BSM enables the Berry singularity detection as it becomes nonzero only in the close vicinity of a Berry singularity and is equal to its charge. The calculation of the BSM requires the measurement of the susceptibility tensor for the applied external fields. Near the Berry singularities, the BSM is dominated by a universal value, which is determined by the quantum metric tensor of the system. While in this work I restrict to 1D AIII insulators, the proposed approach is general. Notably, a key feature of the present method is that it can be implemented in a lock-in fashion, that is, one can "filter out" from the BSM any possible contribution from disorder by performing more measurements. Hence, the present construction paves the way for a disorder resilient diagnosis of topological phase transitions, that appears particularly relevant for disordered topological insulator and hybrid Majorana platforms, while it can be readily implemented using topo-electric circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Trapping Majorana Zero Modes in Vortices of Magnetic Texture Crystals Coupled to Nodal Superconductors

We propose a mechanism for opening a full bulk energy gap and inducing vortex Majorana zero modes (MZMs) in nodal superconductors (SCs). We show that this becomes possible by coupling the nodal SC of interest to a magnetic texture crystal. The latter consists of superpositions of magnetic textures which repeat periodically in space according to suitable wave vectors that enable spin-flip scattering between all pairs of nodes of the SC, and thus open a full gap in its bulk energy spectrum. In this event, MZMs can be trapped in spin or shift vortices introduced in the magnetic texture crystal. Our approach is generic and applies to nodal SCs of spin-singlet, -triplet, or -mixed type of pairing. Therefore, it promises to find application in a variety of nodal SCs, where the magnetic textures appear either spontaneously due to electron-electron interactions, or are imposed by nanomagnets, or become induced by coupling to a lattice of localized magnetic moments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗