Spin-polarized edge modes between different magnet-superconductor-hybrids

The interplay of magnetism and superconductivity can lead to intriguing emergent phenomena. Here we combine two different two-dimensional antiferromagnetic magnet-superconductor hybrids (MSH) and study their properties using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Both MSHs show the characteristics of a topological nodal point superconducting phase with edge modes to the trivial substrate superconductor. At the boundary between the two MSHs we find low-energy modes which are spin-polarized. Based on a tight-binding model we can explain the experimental observations by considering two different topological nodal point superconductors. At their boundary spin-polarized chiral edge modes emerge that connect topological nodal points of the two different MSH. We demonstrate via the complex band structure that due to an asymmetric lateral decay these edge modes are spin-polarized, regardless of the details of the spin structure at the boundary. This work shows how interfaces between two distinct topological nodal point superconductors can serve as a platform to engineer spin-polarized edge modes.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-04-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71687-3
Primary Topic
Topological Materials and Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Spin-polarized edge modes between different magnet-superconductor-hybrids

Nature Communications
Topological Materials and Phenomena
article

Spin-polarized edge modes between different magnet-superconductor-hybrids

article en

Abstract

The interplay of magnetism and superconductivity can lead to intriguing emergent phenomena. Here we combine two different two-dimensional antiferromagnetic magnet-superconductor hybrids (MSH) and study their properties using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Both MSHs show the characteristics of a topological nodal point superconducting phase with edge modes to the trivial substrate superconductor. At the boundary between the two MSHs we find low-energy modes which are spin-polarized. Based on a tight-binding model we can explain the experimental observations by considering two different topological nodal point superconductors. At their boundary spin-polarized chiral edge modes emerge that connect topological nodal points of the two different MSH. We demonstrate via the complex band structure that due to an asymmetric lateral decay these edge modes are spin-polarized, regardless of the details of the spin structure at the boundary. This work shows how interfaces between two distinct topological nodal point superconductors can serve as a platform to engineer spin-polarized edge modes.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
Universität Hamburg (DE), University of Groningen (NL), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE), Hamburg Institut (Germany) (DE), HAW Hamburg (DE)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Openalex Percentile: Top 97%
Topological Materials and Phenomena
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Spin-polarized edge modes between different magnet-superconductor-hybrids · Nature Communications (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS