Speaker: J. A. Sauls
Center for Applied Physics & Superconducting Technologies
Northwestern University and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
August 18, 2021

Video Presentation

Abstract: Under a wide range of conditions the vacuum state of liquid ³He is a condensate of chiral p-wave molecular pairs of ³He atoms which spontaneously break mirror and time-reversal symmetries. Electrons embedded in this topological superfluid form a self-trapped ion with a mass, M ≈ 100 m₃, ionic radius R ≈ 1.5 nm and an angular momentum, J ≈ 100 ħ. Under an applied electric field electron transport exhbits a zero-field (anomalous) Hall effect. The search for superconductors that are electronic analogs of the chiral phase of ³He is an active research direction. Leading candidates for chiral superconductivity include UPt₃, Sr₂RuO₄, URu₂Si₂, among others. I present the theory of anomalous Hall transport for electronic quasiparticles moving in chiral phases of ³He and theoretical models for topological superconductors.^1,2 This theory can provide critical evidence for chiral symmetry in this class of topological superconductors. Research supported by NSF grant DMR-1508730.

1. O. Shevtsov & JAS, Electrons & Weyl Fermions in Superfluid ³He-A, PRB, 94, 064511, 2016.

2. V. Ngampruetikorn & JAS, Anomalous Thermal Hall Effect in Chiral SCs, PRL, 124, 157002, 2020.

The research of JAS was supported in part by NSF Grant DMR-1508730.

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Last update: August, 2021