Critical supercurrent and φ0 state for probing a persistent spin helix

Abstract

We theoretically study the profile of a supercurrent in two-dimensional Josephson junctions with Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction (RDSOI) in the presence of a Zeeman field. Through investigating self-biased supercurrent (so called $\varphi_0$-Josephson state), we obtain explicit expressions for the functionality of the $\varphi_0$ state with respect to RDSOI parameters ($\alpha,\beta$) and in-plane Zeeman field components ($h_x,h_y$). Our findings reveal that, when the chemical potential ($\mu$) is high enough compared to the energy gap ($\Delta$) in superconducting electrodes, i.e., $\mu \gg \Delta$, RSOI and DSOI with equal strengths ($|\alpha|=|\beta|$) cause vanishing $\varphi_0$ state independent of magnetization and the type of RDSOI. A Zeeman field with unequal components, i.e., $|h_x|\neq |h_y|$, however, can counteract and nullify the destructive impact of equal-strength RDSOIs (for one type only), where $\mu\sim\Delta$, although $|h_x|= |h_y|$ can still eliminate the $\varphi_0$ state. Remarkably, in the $\mu\sim\Delta$ limit, the $\varphi_0$ state is proportional to the multiplication of both components of an in-plane Zeeman field, i.e., $h_xh_y$, which is absent in the $\mu \gg \Delta$ limit. Furthermore, our results of critical supercurrents demonstrate that the persistent spin helices can be revealed in a high enough chemical potential regime $\mu\gg \Delta$, while an opposite regime, i.e., $\mu\sim\Delta$, introduces an adverse effect. In the ballistic regime, the "maximum" of the critical supercurrent occurs at $|\alpha|=|\beta|$ and the Zeeman field can boost this feature. The presence of disorder and nonmagnetic impurities change this picture drastically so the "minimum" of the critical supercurrent occurs at and around the symmetry lines $|\alpha|=|\beta|$.