In the realm of energy research, a trio of scientists from the University of Central Florida have been delving into the intriguing world of topological phase transitions, a concept that could have significant implications for the development of robust and efficient energy technologies. Shahroze Shahab, Aditi Chakrabarty, and Sanjoy Datta have been exploring the combined effects of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) and non-Hermiticity on topological phase transitions in spinful p-wave Kitaev chains, a topic that has remained largely unexplored until now.
The researchers’ work, published in the journal Physical Review B, focuses on two distinct types of complex on-site potentials: a uniform gain/loss term and a complex quasiperiodic potential. Their findings reveal that the impact of RSOC is highly dependent on the model in question. In the Hermitian limit of the uniform gain/loss model, RSOC does not affect the topological phase boundary, provided that the spin-flip hopping is weaker than the pairing strength. However, in the non-Hermitian (NH) regime, RSOC significantly alters the topological landscape. This is in contrast to the quasiperiodic model, where RSOC modifies the phase boundaries in both the Hermitian and non-Hermitian cases.
One of the most notable findings of this research is that the combined interplay of non-Hermiticity and RSOC drives topological transitions at significantly lower potential strengths compared to the Hermitian limit. This discovery could have practical applications in the energy sector, particularly in the development of topological insulators and superconductors, which are materials that could potentially revolutionize energy transmission and storage due to their unique properties.
The researchers derived analytical expressions for the topological phase transitions in both cases and validated their predictions through numerical calculations of energy spectra and real-space winding numbers. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of how non-Hermiticity and RSOC cooperatively reshape topological phase diagrams in one-dimensional superconducting systems, paving the way for future advancements in energy technologies.
In summary, the research conducted by Shahab, Chakrabarty, and Datta sheds light on the complex interplay between non-Hermiticity and RSOC in topological phase transitions. Their findings could have significant implications for the development of new energy technologies, particularly in the realm of topological insulators and superconductors. As the energy sector continues to evolve, understanding and harnessing these phenomena could be crucial in creating more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.