Giant Kerr effect of a p x + ip y superconductor engineered by semiconductor nanowires

Abstract

Twisted array of proximitized quantum wires is recently proposed as a promising platform to host Majorana zero modes and superconducting phases with broken time reversal symmetry. Thus, this device is expected to have a nonzero polar Kerr effect. We study this signal and the corresponding Hall conductivity for the variety of topological phases in the presence and absence of bulk free carriers. The calculated Kerr angles can easily be measured because of the high characteristic energy scales using existent experimental techniques. Then, the unique optical results of each topological phase may be used as fingerprints of these interesting phases.