Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen

TT 6: Topological Superconductors

TT 6.3: Talk

Monday, March 9, 2026, 10:00–10:15, CHE/0091

Topological superconductivity induced by atomic-scale skyrmion lattices — •Felix Nickel and Stefan Heinze — Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Kiel

Topological superconductivity, which can host Majorana zero modes with potential applications in topological quantum computing, relies on unconventional superconductors not known to exist in nature. However, magnet*superconductor hybrid systems (MSHs), built from ultra-thin magnetic layers on conventional superconductors, can induce such unconventional pairing [1]. While much research has focused on ferromagnetic systems with substantial spin*orbit coupling (SOC), non-collinear magnetic structures have been only sparsely investigated. Among them, atomic-scale skyrmion lattices are particularly interesting, as they lead to topological orbital moments and a topological Hall effect. They also offer a promising platform for MSHs, since their non-coplanar spin arrangement, characterized by the scalar spin chirality, induces spin mixing naturally, even in the absence of SOC.

We present a systematic study based on a tight-binding model of various collinear, non-collinear, and non-coplanar spin textures and analyze their effect on the superconducting substrate. We relate the scalar spin chirality to the topological phase of the superconductor, characterized by its Chern number. For magnetic textures with finite scalar spin chirality, we find topological superconductivity, indicating a direct link between both properties [2].
[1] R. Lo Conte et al., Riv. Nuovo Cim. 47, 453 (2024)
[2] F. Nickel et al., npj Spintronics 3, 13 (2025)

Keywords: atomic-scale skyrmion lattice; spin topology; topological superconductivity; magnet-superconductor hybrids