Superconducting order parameter $\pi$-phase shift in magnetic impurity wires

Abstract

It has previously been found that a magnetic impurity in a conventional $s$-wave superconductor can give rise to a local $\pi$-phase shift of the superconducting order parameter. By studying a finite wire of ferromagnetic impurities, we are able to trace the origin of the $\pi$-phase shift to a resonance condition for the Bogoliubov-de Gennes quasiparticle states. When non-resonating states localized at the impurity sites are pulled into the condensate for increasing magnetic strength, the superconducting order parameter is reduced in discrete steps, eventually resulting in a $\pi$-phase shift. We also show that for a finite spin-orbit coupling, the $\pi$-phase shift is preserved and occurs in a large portion of the topologically non-trivial phase.