| Title | Odd-parity ground state in dilute Yu-Shiba-Rusinov dimers and chains |
| Authors | Lisa M. Ruetten, Harald Schmid, Werner M. J. van Weerdenburg, Eva Liebhaber, Kai Rossnagel, Katharina J. Franke |
| Journal | Phys. Rev. B |
| Vol. 111, 2025, pg. 205424 |
| Abstract | Magnetic adatoms on superconductors induce Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states, which are key to the design of low-dimensional correlated systems and topological superconductivity. Competing magnetic interactions and superconducting pairing lead to a rich phase diagram. Using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), we position Fe atoms on 2H-NbSe$_2$ to build a dimer with an odd-parity ground state, i.e., a partially screened YSR channel with the hybridized states spanning the Fermi level. This ground state makes the dimer a promising precursor for a topological YSR chain. By adding one atom at a time, we track the formation of YSR bands. The lowest-energy band crosses the Fermi level and we find strong site-dependent spectral variations especially at the chain''''''''s terminations. We attribute these features to quantum spin effects and ferromagnetic coupling influenced by the local chemical environment. |
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