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Chiral Nonlinear sigma models as models for topological superconductivity
1Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Abstract:
We study the mechanism of topological superconductivity in a hierarchical chain of chiral nonlinear sigma models (models of current algebra) in one, two, and three spatial dimensions. The models illustrate how the 1D Fröhlich's ideal conductivity extends to a genuine superconductivity in dimensions higher than one. The mechanism is based on the fact that a pointlike topological soliton carries an electric charge. We discuss a flux quantization mechanism and show that it is essentially a generalization of the persistent current phenomenon, known in quantum wires. We also discuss why the superconducting state is stable in the presence of a weak disorder.