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Bielectron vortices in two-dimensional Dirac semimetals

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  • C. A. Downing

    (Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg
    University of Exeter)

  • M. E. Portnoi

    (University of Exeter
    Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte)

Abstract

Searching for new states of matter and unusual quasi-particles in emerging materials and especially low-dimensional systems is one of the major trends in contemporary condensed matter physics. Dirac materials, which host quasi-particles which are described by ultrarelativistic Dirac-like equations, are of a significant current interest from both a fundamental and applied physics perspective. Here we show that a pair of two-dimensional massless Dirac–Weyl fermions can form a bound state independently of the sign of the inter-particle interaction potential, as long as this potential decays at large distances faster than Kepler’s inverse distance law. This leads to the emergence of a new type of energetically favorable quasiparticle: bielectron vortices, which are double-charged and reside at zero-energy. Their bosonic nature allows for condensation and may give rise to Majorana physics without invoking a superconductor. These novel quasi-particles arguably explain a range of poorly understood experiments in gated graphene structures at low doping.

Suggested Citation

  • C. A. Downing & M. E. Portnoi, 2017. "Bielectron vortices in two-dimensional Dirac semimetals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-00949-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00949-y
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