Pairing instabilities in topological insulator quantum wells

Abstract

Topological insulator quantum wells with induced attractive interactions\nbetween electrons are candidate systems for the realization of novel vortex\nlattice states with time-reversal symmetry, and incompressible quantum vortex\nliquids with fractional excitations. We analyze the competition between\ndifferent pairing channels stimulated by the superconducting proximity effect\nin these quantum wells, and calculate the helical triplet pairing instability\nthat can produce the mentioned phases using perturbation theory. We discuss the\nphase diagram tunable by gate voltage.\n