Project description
Uncovering the origin of superconductivity in chiral materials
Chiral superconductors are unconventional superconducting materials with distinctive topological properties, in which time-reversal symmetry is broken. This class of superconductors are predicted to be ideal for building quantum computers. What causes the asymmetric electric transport in chiral superconducting nanotubes is currently unknown. The EU-funded Kerr project plans to further investigate the microscopic mechanism that links superconductivity and chirality. Researchers plan to develop a new generation of instruments that measure the polar Kerr effect in the sub-terahertz frequency range. Measurements in this energy scale will enable researchers to study the broken symmetries, the origin of unconventional pairing, the in-gap collective modes and the structures of the superconducting order parameters.
Objective
Unconventional superconductivity is extensively sought for in contemporary research. Of particular interest are chiral superconductors which possess non-trivial topological properties resulting in superconducting (SC) order parameters (OPs) that may break time-reversal symmetry (TRS). The possibility of applications to topological quantum computation have placed such materials at the forefront of condensed matter research. Recent measurements of the polar Kerr effect (PKE), in which a rotation of polarization is detected for a beam of light reflected from the surface of a superconductor, have emerged as a key experimental probe of TRS breaking. Here we propose the development of a new generation of spectroscopic instrumentation for the PKE spectroscopy in the sub-THz frequency range, the energy scale that is comparable with the SC gap magnitude of unconventional superconductors. The THz range PKE spectroscopy will enable to study the broken symmetries, the origin of unconventional pairing, the in-gap collective modes, and the structures of the SC OPs. We plan to measure the PKE at sub-THz frequencies and with sub-milli-radian angular resolution from a variety of unconventional superconductors that are cooled to 100 mK, deep into SC state. The aim is to understand the basic mechanisms leading to unconventional superconductivity in these systems in order to find answers to the fundamental questions, such as: What is the structure of the SC gap in Sr2RuO4, URu2Si2, and UPt3? Is the TRS broken in (a) the Hidden Order state and in (b) SC state of URu2Si2? Which symmetries are broken at the transition from the HO state into the unconventional SC state? and to elucidate the microscopic origin of superconductivity in the new families of unconventional superconductors. In a broader view, the project will keep Estonian physics on the forefront of science through new scientific contacts and will promote physics education by engaging students and postdocs in the research.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics superconductivity
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-ADG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
12618 Tallinn
Estonia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.