Detecting and Distinguishing Majorana Zero Modes with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Jäck, Berthold, Xie, Yonglong, Yazdani, Ali
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2021
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author Jäck, Berthold
Xie, Yonglong
Yazdani, Ali
author_facet Jäck, Berthold
Xie, Yonglong
Yazdani, Ali
contents The goal of creating topologically protected qubits using non-Abelian anyons is currently one of the most exciting areas of research in quantum condensed matter physics. Majorana zero modes (MZM), which are non-Abelian anyons predicted to emerge as localized zero energy states at the ends of one-dimensional topological superconductors, have been the focus of these efforts. In the search for experimental signatures of these novel quasi-particles in different material platforms, the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) has played a key role. The power of high-resolution STM techniques is perhaps best illustrated by their application in identifying MZM in one-dimensional chains of magnetic atoms on the surface of a superconductor. In this platform, STM spectroscopic mapping has demonstrated the localized nature of MZM zero-energy excitations at the ends of such chains, while experiments with superconducting and magnetic STM tips have been used to uniquely distinguish them from trivial edge modes. Beyond the atomic chains, STM has also uncovered signatures of MZM in two-dimensional materials and topological surface and boundary states, when they are subjected to the superconducting proximity effect. Looking ahead, future STM experiments can advance our understanding of MZM and their potential for creating topological qubits, by exploring avenues to demonstrate their non-Abelian statistics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2103_13210
institution arXiv
publishDate 2021
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Detecting and Distinguishing Majorana Zero Modes with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Jäck, Berthold
Xie, Yonglong
Yazdani, Ali
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Superconductivity
Quantum Physics
The goal of creating topologically protected qubits using non-Abelian anyons is currently one of the most exciting areas of research in quantum condensed matter physics. Majorana zero modes (MZM), which are non-Abelian anyons predicted to emerge as localized zero energy states at the ends of one-dimensional topological superconductors, have been the focus of these efforts. In the search for experimental signatures of these novel quasi-particles in different material platforms, the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) has played a key role. The power of high-resolution STM techniques is perhaps best illustrated by their application in identifying MZM in one-dimensional chains of magnetic atoms on the surface of a superconductor. In this platform, STM spectroscopic mapping has demonstrated the localized nature of MZM zero-energy excitations at the ends of such chains, while experiments with superconducting and magnetic STM tips have been used to uniquely distinguish them from trivial edge modes. Beyond the atomic chains, STM has also uncovered signatures of MZM in two-dimensional materials and topological surface and boundary states, when they are subjected to the superconducting proximity effect. Looking ahead, future STM experiments can advance our understanding of MZM and their potential for creating topological qubits, by exploring avenues to demonstrate their non-Abelian statistics.
title Detecting and Distinguishing Majorana Zero Modes with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Superconductivity
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.13210