Spectral properties and quantum transport in hybrid Dirac systems

Dirac fermions, i.e. electrons with a linear relation between momentum and energy, are highly suitable for electronic devices due to the reduced backscattering of these particles. Possible platforms for their emergence are topological insulators and graphene, which have attracted considerable scientific interest in the last two decades. In this work, quantum transport of charge and spin of Dirac electrons is studied numerically in a variety of different setups built from these materials. By applying a broad range of theoretical approaches not only the normal state is considered, but also effects arising in the superconducting state are discussed. The obtained transport features are related to the spectral properties of the charge or spin carriers and can therefore be used in actual experiments to identify these special states.