On magnetic-field-induced dissipationless electric current in nanowires

Abstract

We propose a general design of a metallic double-nanowire structure which may support an equilibrium dissipationless electric current in the presence of magnetic field. The structure consists of a compact wire element of a specific shape, which is periodically extended in one spatial dimension. Topologically, each wire element is equivalent to a ring, which supports a dissipationless current in the presence of magnetic flux similarly to the persistent electric current in a normal metal nanoring. Geometrically, each wire element breaks spatial inversion symmetry so that the equilibrium electric current through the device becomes nonzero. We also argue that the same effect should exist in long planar chiral nanoribbons subjected to external magnetic field.