Journal
PHYSICAL REVIEW B
Volume 90, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
AMER PHYSICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.060401
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Funding
- Microsoft Q
- JQI-NSF-PFC
- Division Of Physics
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [822671] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Physics
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1430094] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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We theoretically obtain the phase diagram of localized magnetic impurity spins arranged in a one-dimensional chain on top of a one- or two-dimensional electron gas. The interactions between the spins are mediated by the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida mechanism through the electron gas. Recent work predicts that such a system may intrinsically support topological superconductivity without spin-orbit coupling when a helical spin-density wave is spontaneously formed in the spins, and superconductivity is induced in the electron gas. We analyze, using both analytical and numerical techniques, the conditions under which such a helical spin state is stable in a realistic situation in the presence of disorder. We show that (i) it appears only when the spins are coupled to a (quasi-) one-dimensional electron gas, and (ii) it becomes unstable towards the formation of (anti) ferromagnetic domains if the disorder in the impurity spin positions delta R becomes comparable with the Fermi wavelength. We also examine the stability of the helical state against Gaussian potential disorder in the electronic system using a diagrammatic approach. Our results suggest that in order to stabilize the helical spin state and thus the emergent topological superconductivity under realistic experimental conditions, a sufficiently strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling, giving rise to Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, is required.
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