Superconductivity switch from spin-singlet to -triplet pairing in a topological superconducting junction

Abstract

The interedge coupling is the cardinal characteristic of the narrow quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator, and thus could bring about exotic transport phenomena. Herein, we present a theoretical investigation of the spin-resolved Andreev reflection (AR) in a QSH insulator strip touching on two neighbouring ferromagnetic insulators and one s-wave superconductor. It is demonstrated that, due to the interplay of the interedge coupling and ferromagnetic configuration, there could be not only usual local ARs leading to the spin-singlet pairing with the incident electron and Andreev-reflected hole from different spin subbands, but also novel local ARs giving rise to the spin-triplet pairing from the same spin subband. However, only the latter exists in the absence of the interedge coupling, and therefore the two pairings in turn testify the helical spin texture of the edge states. By proper tuning of the band structures of the ferromagnetic layers, under the resonance bias voltage, the usual and novel local ARs of can be all exhibited, resulting in fully spin-polarized pure spin-singlet superconductivity and pure spin-triplet superconductivity, respectively, which suggests a superconductivity switch from spin-singlet to -triplet pairing by electrical control. The results can be experimentally confirmed by the tunneling conductance and the noise power.