{
  "id": "1206.3079",
  "version": "v3",
  "published": "2012-06-14T12:10:39.000Z",
  "updated": "2014-02-17T10:50:59.000Z",
  "title": "Andreev reflection from a topological superconductor with chiral symmetry",
  "authors": [
    "M. Diez",
    "J. P. Dahlhaus",
    "M. Wimmer",
    "C. W. J. Beenakker"
  ],
  "comment": "10 pages, 5 figures. Corrected typo (missing square root) in equations A13 and A14",
  "journal": "Phys. Rev. B 86, 094501 (2012)",
  "doi": "10.1103/PhysRevB.86.094501",
  "categories": [
    "cond-mat.mes-hall",
    "cond-mat.supr-con"
  ],
  "abstract": "It was pointed out by Tewari and Sau that chiral symmetry (H -> -H if e <-> h) of the Hamiltonian of electron-hole (e-h) excitations in an N-mode superconducting wire is associated with a topological quantum number Q\\in\\mathbb{Z} (symmetry class BDI). Here we show that Q=Tr(r_{he}) equals the trace of the matrix of Andreev reflection amplitudes, providing a link with the electrical conductance G. We derive G=(2e^2/h)|Q| for |Q|=N,N-1, and more generally provide a Q-dependent upper and lower bound on G. We calculate the probability distribution P(G) for chaotic scattering, in the circular ensemble of random-matrix theory, to obtain the Q-dependence of weak localization and mesoscopic conductance fluctuations. We investigate the effects of chiral symmetry breaking by spin-orbit coupling of the transverse momentum (causing a class BDI-to-D crossover), in a model of a disordered semiconductor nanowire with induced superconductivity. For wire widths less than the spin-orbit coupling length, the conductance as a function of chemical potential can show a sequence of 2e^2/h steps - insensitive to disorder.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v3",
      "updated": "2014-02-17T10:50:59.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "subjects": [
      "73.23.-b",
      "74.45.+c",
      "03.65.Vf",
      "74.25.fc"
    ],
    "keywords": [
      "chiral symmetry",
      "topological superconductor",
      "class bdi-to-d crossover",
      "symmetry class bdi",
      "mesoscopic conductance fluctuations"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "publication": {
      "publisher": "APS",
      "journal": "Physical Review B",
      "year": 2012,
      "month": "Sep",
      "volume": 86,
      "number": 9,
      "pages": "094501"
    },
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 10,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "inspire": 1118357,
      "adsabs": "2012PhRvB..86i4501D"
    }
  }
}