Spin-orbit torques in topological superconducting hybrid structures

Dirac materials with strong spin-orbit interaction have been shown to generate large surface spin accumulations in response to applied currents. Such materials have, in addition, been demonstrated to exert spin-orbit torques on adjacent ferromagnetic structures. This magnetoelectric effect in these materials is strong due to the efficient spin-momentum locking. In heterostructures consisting of superconductors and three-dimensional superconductors, this spin-momentum locking leads to an induced unconventional superconductivity that may be useful for superconducting spintronics. Here, we investigate theoretically the quantum transport properties of a ballistic junction consisting of two topological superconductors coupled over a quantum dot that is coupled to a ferromagnet. The spin-orbit torques acting on the ferromagnet are examined and are shown to depend strongly on the magnetization direction relative to the current direction.