Topological insulator in the core of the superconducting vortex in graphene.
The core of the vortex in a general superconducting order parameter in graphene is argued to be ordered, with the possible local order parameters forming the algebra U(1) x Cl(3). A sufficiently strong Zeeman coupling of the magnetic field of the vortex to the electron spin breaks the degeneracy in the core in favor of the anomalous quantum Hall state. I consider a variety of superconducting condensates on the honeycomb lattice and demonstrate the surprising universality of this result. A way to experimentally determine the outcome of the possible competition between different types of orders in the core is proposed.
Herbut
Igor F
IF
Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6.