Theory of zero-field superconducting diode effect in twisted trilayer graphene

Abstract

In a recent experiment (Lin et al 2021 arXiv:2112.07841 [cond-mat.str-el]), the superconducting phase hosted by a heterostructure of mirror-symmetric twisted trilayer graphene and WSe2 was shown to exhibit significantly different critical currents in opposite directions in the absence of external magnetic fields. We here develop a microscopic theory and analyze necessary conditions for this zero-field superconducting diode effect. Taking into account the spin–orbit coupling induced in trilayer graphene via the proximity effect, we classify the pairing instabilities and normal-state orders and derive which combinations are consistent with the observed diode effect, in particular, its field trainability. We perform explicit calculations of the diode effect in several different models, including the full continuum model for the system, and illuminate the relation between the diode effect and finite-momentum pairing. Our theory also provides a natural explanation of the observed sign change of the current asymmetry with doping, which can be related to an approximate chiral symmetry of the system, and of the enhanced transverse resistance above the superconducting transition. Our findings not only elucidate the rich physics of trilayer graphene on WSe2, but also establish a means to distinguish between various candidate interaction-induced orders in spin-orbit-coupled graphene moiré systems, and could therefore serve as a guide for future experiments as well.