Asymmetric Little-Parks oscillations in full shell double nanowires

Little-Parks oscillations of a hollow superconducting cylinder are of interest for flux-driven topological superconductivity in single Rashba nanowires. The oscillations are typically symmetric in the orientation of the applied magnetic flux. Using double InAs nanowires coated by an epitaxial superconducting Al shell which, despite the non-centro-symmetric geometry, behaves effectively as one hollow cylinder, we demonstrate that a small misalignment of the applied parallel field with respect to the axis of the nanowires can produce field-asymmetric Little-Parks oscillations. These are revealed by the simultaneous application of a magnetic field perpendicular to the misaligned parallel field direction. The asymmetry occurs in both the destructive regime, in which superconductivity is destroyed for half-integer quanta of flux through the shell, and in the non-destructive regime, where superconductivity is depressed but not fully destroyed at these flux values.

Automated summary

Little-Parks oscillations in a hollow superconducting cylinder are typically symmetric, but can become asymmetric when a small misalignment of the applied parallel field with respect to the axis of the nanowires occurs. This asymmetry is observed in both destructive and non-destructive regimes, with superconductivity either destroyed or depressed but not fully destroyed at certain flux values.