Topological boundaries in non-Hermitianp-wave Kitaev chains with Rashba spin-orbit coupling.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Topological Materials
• Quantum Phase Transitions

Background:

• Topological phase transitions are crucial in condensed matter physics.
• Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) influences electronic properties in low-dimensional systems.
• Non-Hermitian (NH) systems exhibit unique phenomena beyond Hermitian counterparts.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the combined effects of RSOC and non-Hermiticity on topological phase transitions.
• Explore the interplay between these mechanisms in spinful p-wave Kitaev chains.
• Analyze the influence of different complex on-site potentials (uniform and quasiperiodic).

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of spinful p-wave Kitaev chains.
• Inclusion of uniform and complex quasiperiodic on-site potentials.
• Derivation of analytical expressions for topological phase transitions.
• Numerical validation using energy spectra and real-space winding numbers.

Main Results:

• RSOC's impact on topological phase boundaries is model-dependent.
• In uniform gain/loss models, RSOC affects the NH regime but not the Hermitian limit (under certain conditions).
• In quasiperiodic models, RSOC modifies phase boundaries in both Hermitian and NH cases.
• Combined non-Hermiticity and RSOC induce topological transitions at lower potential strengths.

Conclusions:

• Non-Hermiticity and RSOC cooperatively reshape topological phase diagrams in 1D superconducting systems.
• The findings offer a deeper understanding of topological phenomena in complex quantum systems.
• This research highlights the importance of considering multiple interacting effects in topological material design.