Physics (Internal)

Spin-gapped phases in nanowires

This event is part of the Condensed Matter Theory Seminar Series.

One dimensional fermionic models with gapped collective spin modes have been studied theoretically for decades, but their physical realization in semiconductor systems has remained elusive. These phases exhibit intriguing physical properties more reminiscent of superconductors than ordinary metals. I will propose some simple physical setups in semiconductor nanowires in which spin-gapped phases appear naturally due to the interplay between the orbital physics of the wire and the three-dimensional Coulomb interaction, and are protected by the spatial symmetries of the wire. I will also discuss phases occurring in multiband systems which exhibit topological properties and host Majorana edge modes.