- Letter
Strain-induced Berry phase in chiral superconductors
Phys. Rev. B 114, L080501 – Published 5 August, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ssyn-wg3j
Abstract
We study the topology of the order parameter in the intermediate phase between the superconducting and time-reversal symmetry-breaking transitions of a superconductor under strain. The application of in-plane strain reduces the underlying crystal symmetry and lifts the degeneracy of the critical temperature between the and orbitals, resulting in a Dirac cone structure in the thermodynamic phase diagram. When the strain is varied adiabatically along a closed path enclosing the Dirac cone, the order parameter acquires a Berry phase of , which originates from a half rotation of the superconducting gap function. This half rotation leaves a topological signature in the superfluid stiffness tensor, making it directly observable through the geometry of vortices and the upper critical field.