How do chiral superconductors break time-reversal symmetry? – Kerr spectroscopy study

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.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › chemical sciences › analytical chemistry › spectroscopy
• natural sciences › physical sciences › electromagnetism and electronics › electrical conductivity › superconductor

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Topic(s)

• ERC-2019-ADG - ERC Advanced Grant

Call for proposal

ERC-2019-ADG
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

Host institution

KEEMILISE JA BIOLOOGILISE FUUSIKA INSTITUUT

Address

Akadeemia Tee 23
12618 Tallinn
Estonia

Activity type

Other

EU contribution

€ 2 489 976

Beneficiaries (1)

KEEMILISE JA BIOLOOGILISE FUUSIKA INSTITUUT

Estonia

EU contribution

€ 2 489 976

Address

Akadeemia Tee 23
12618 Tallinn

Activity type

Other