Exposing impostor Majorana zero modes through atomic-scale shot-noise
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arXiv
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866914514983714816 |
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| author | Maiti, A. Gu, G. D. Massee, F. |
| author_facet | Maiti, A. Gu, G. D. Massee, F. |
| contents | A robust zero-bias conductance peak in putative $p$-wave superconductors is often regarded as the primary signature of a Majorana zero mode. Yet similar features can also arise from trivial bound states. This ambiguity has limited the reliability of conventional spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool, raising a long-standing problem of how to detect such impostors. Here, we address this issue with an alternative approach, atomic-scale shot-noise spectroscopy, that goes beyond conductance measurements. Through a detailed investigation of multiple defect-bound zero-bias states in the widely studied superconductor Fe(Se,Te), we observe that differential conductance can exhibit an apparently `robust' zero-bias peak. However, shot-noise measurements consistently reveal the fingerprint of the individual particle- and hole character hidden in the tunnelling conductance, unambiguously exposing the trivial nature of the zero-bias peak. Our results establish shot-noise spectroscopy as a decisive diagnostic for ruling out false Majorana signatures in atomic-scale experiments. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_26002 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Exposing impostor Majorana zero modes through atomic-scale shot-noise Maiti, A. Gu, G. D. Massee, F. Superconductivity Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Strongly Correlated Electrons A robust zero-bias conductance peak in putative $p$-wave superconductors is often regarded as the primary signature of a Majorana zero mode. Yet similar features can also arise from trivial bound states. This ambiguity has limited the reliability of conventional spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool, raising a long-standing problem of how to detect such impostors. Here, we address this issue with an alternative approach, atomic-scale shot-noise spectroscopy, that goes beyond conductance measurements. Through a detailed investigation of multiple defect-bound zero-bias states in the widely studied superconductor Fe(Se,Te), we observe that differential conductance can exhibit an apparently `robust' zero-bias peak. However, shot-noise measurements consistently reveal the fingerprint of the individual particle- and hole character hidden in the tunnelling conductance, unambiguously exposing the trivial nature of the zero-bias peak. Our results establish shot-noise spectroscopy as a decisive diagnostic for ruling out false Majorana signatures in atomic-scale experiments. |
| title | Exposing impostor Majorana zero modes through atomic-scale shot-noise |
| topic | Superconductivity Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.26002 |