Nematic Skyrmions in Odd-Parity Superconductors

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Two-component nematic superconductors exhibit complex topological excitations.
• Understanding these excitations is crucial for advancing superconductor technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate topological excitations in two-component nematic superconductors.
• Focus on copper-doped bismuth selenide (Cu_xBi_2Se_3) as a candidate material.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical study of topological excitations.
• Analysis of coreless vortices and nematic Skyrmions.

Main Results:

• Lowest-energy topological excitations are coreless vortices, a bound state of two half-quantum vortices.
• These excitations are identified as nematic Skyrmions with an additional topological charge.
• Dipolar inter-Skyrmion forces lead to the formation of multi-Skyrmion bound states.

Conclusions:

• Coreless vortices represent a novel class of topological excitations in nematic superconductors.
• The findings provide insights into the behavior of topological defects in exotic superconducting materials.
• Potential implications for future superconductor applications and fundamental physics research.