scholarly journals Evidence for Majorana bound states in an iron-based superconductor

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 362 (6412) ◽  
pp. 333-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongfei Wang ◽  
Lingyuan Kong ◽  
Peng Fan ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Shiyu Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bound States ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Vortex Center ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Bias ◽  
Majorana Bound States ◽  
Topological Materials ◽  
Field Temperature ◽  
Iron Based

The search for Majorana bound states (MBSs) has been fueled by the prospect of using their non-Abelian statistics for robust quantum computation. Two-dimensional superconducting topological materials have been predicted to host MBSs as zero-energy modes in vortex cores. By using scanning tunneling spectroscopy on the superconducting Dirac surface state of the iron-based superconductor FeTe0.55Se0.45, we observed a sharp zero-bias peak inside a vortex core that does not split when moving away from the vortex center. The evolution of the peak under varying magnetic field, temperature, and tunneling barrier is consistent with the tunneling to a nearly pure MBS, separated from nontopological bound states. This observation offers a potential platform for realizing and manipulating MBSs at a relatively high temperature.

scholarly journals Scalable Majorana vortex modes in iron-based superconductors

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. eaay0443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Kai Chiu ◽  
T. Machida ◽  
Yingyi Huang ◽  
T. Hanaguri ◽  
Fu-Chun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Tight Binding ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Binding Model ◽  
Zero Bias ◽  
Iron Based Superconductors ◽  
Iron Based ◽  
Important Indication

The iron-based superconductor FeTexSe1−x is one of the material candidates hosting Majorana vortex modes residing in the vortex cores. It has been observed by recent scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurement that the fraction of vortex cores having zero-bias peaks decreases with increasing magnetic field on the surface of FeTexSe1−x. The hybridization of two Majorana vortex modes cannot simply explain this phenomenon. We construct a three-dimensional tight-binding model simulating the physics of over a hundred Majorana vortex modes in FeTexSe1−x. Our simulation shows that the Majorana hybridization and disordered vortex distribution can explain the decreasing fraction of the zero-bias peaks observed in the experiment; the statistics of the energy peaks off zero energy in our Majorana simulation are in agreement with the experiment. These agreements lead to an important indication of scalable Majorana vortex modes in FeTexSe1−x. Thus, FeTexSe1−x can be one promising platform having scalable Majorana qubits for quantum computing.

scholarly journals Zero-energy bound states in the high-temperature superconductors at the two-dimensional limit

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (13) ◽  
pp. eaax7547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaofei Liu ◽  
Cheng Chen ◽  
Xiaoqiang Liu ◽  
Ziqiao Wang ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Bound States ◽  
High Temperature Superconductors ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Topological Superconductors ◽  
Topological Quantum ◽  
Energy Bound

Majorana zero modes (MZMs) that obey the non-Abelian statistics have been intensively investigated for potential applications in topological quantum computing. The prevailing signals in tunneling experiments “fingerprinting” the existence of MZMs are the zero-energy bound states (ZEBSs). However, nearly all of the previously reported ZEBSs showing signatures of the MZMs are observed in difficult-to-fabricate heterostructures at very low temperatures and additionally require applied magnetic field. Here, by using in situ scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we detect the ZEBSs upon the interstitial Fe adatoms deposited on two different high-temperature superconducting one-unit-cell iron chalcogenides on SrTiO3(001). The spectroscopic results resemble the phenomenological characteristics of the MZMs inside the vortex cores of topological superconductors. Our experimental findings may extend the MZM explorations in connate topological superconductors toward an applicable temperature regime and down to the two-dimensional (2D) limit.

scholarly journals Nearly quantized conductance plateau of vortex zero mode in an iron-based superconductor

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. eaax0274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiyu Zhu ◽  
Lingyuan Kong ◽  
Lu Cao ◽  
Hui Chen ◽  
Michał Papaj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bound States ◽  
Zero Mode ◽  
Finite Energy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Tunneling Conductance ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Tunnel Coupling ◽  
Topological Quantum ◽  
The Continuum

Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are spatially-localized zero-energy fractional quasiparticles with non-Abelian braiding statistics that hold promise for topological quantum computing. Owing to the particle-antiparticle equivalence, MZMs exhibit quantized conductance at low temperature. By utilizing variable-tunnel-coupled scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we study tunneling conductance of vortex bound states on FeTe0.55Se0.45 superconductors. We report observations of conductance plateaus as a function of tunnel coupling for zero-energy vortex bound states with values close to or even reaching the 2e2/h quantum conductance (here e is the electron charge and h is Planck’s constant). In contrast, no plateaus were observed on either finite energy vortex bound states or in the continuum of electronic states outside the superconducting gap. This behavior of the zero-mode conductance supports the existence of MZMs in FeTe0.55Se0.45.

scholarly journals Topological isoconductance signatures in Majorana nanowires

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. Ricco ◽  
J. E. Sanches ◽  
Y. Marques ◽  
M. de Souza ◽  
M. S. Figueira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Dot ◽  
Transport Properties ◽  
Spin Polarization ◽  
Bound States ◽  
Spin Asymmetry ◽  
Experimental Protocol ◽  
Zero Bias ◽  
Topological Superconductor ◽  
Hybrid Device ◽  
Majorana Bound States

AbstractWe consider transport properties of a hybrid device composed by a quantum dot placed between normal and superconducting reservoirs, and coupled to a Majorana nanowire: a topological superconducting segment hosting Majorana bound states (MBSs) at the opposite ends. It is demonstrated that if highly nonlocal and nonoverlapping MBSs are formed in the system, the zero-bias Andreev conductance through the dot exhibits characteristic isoconductance profiles with the shape depending on the spin asymmetry of the coupling between the dot and the topological superconductor. Otherwise, for overlapping MBSs with less degree of nonlocality, the conductance is insensitive to the spin polarization and the isoconductance signatures disappear. This allows to propose an alternative experimental protocol for probing the nonlocality of the MBSs in Majorana nanowires.

scholarly journals Studies of scanning tunneling spectroscopy on iron-based superconductors

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (20) ◽  
pp. 207401
Author(s):  
Gu Qiang-Qiang ◽  
Wan Si-Yuan ◽  
Yang Huan ◽  
Wen Hai-Hu
Keyword(s):  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Iron Based Superconductors ◽  
Iron Based

scholarly journals Recent progresses of quantum confinement in graphene quantum dots

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Si-Yu Li ◽  
Lin He
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Dots ◽  
Quantum Confinement ◽  
Bound States ◽  
Berry Phase ◽  
Graphene Quantum Dots ◽  
Bound State ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Dirac Fermions ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy

AbstractGraphene quantum dots (GQDs) not only have potential applications on spin qubit, but also serve as essential platforms to study the fundamental properties of Dirac fermions, such as Klein tunneling and Berry phase. By now, the study of quantum confinement in GQDs still attract much attention in condensed matter physics. In this article, we review the experimental progresses on quantum confinement in GQDs mainly by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). Here, the GQDs are divided into Klein GQDs, bound-state GQDs and edge-terminated GQDs according to their different confinement strength. Based on the realization of quasi-bound states in Klein GQDs, external perpendicular magnetic field is utilized as a manipulation approach to trigger and control the novel properties by tuning Berry phase and electron-electron (e-e) interaction. The tip-induced edge-free GQDs can serve as an intuitive mean to explore the broken symmetry states at nanoscale and single-electron accuracy, which are expected to be used in studying physical properties of different two-dimensional materials. Moreover, high-spin magnetic ground states are successfully introduced in edge-terminated GQDs by designing and synthesizing triangulene zigzag nanographenes.

scholarly journals A new view on the origin of zero-bias anomalies of Co atoms atop noble metal surfaces

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juba Bouaziz ◽  
Filipe Souza Mendes Guimarães ◽  
Samir Lounis
Keyword(s):  
Density Functional ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Many Body ◽  
Magnetic Anisotropy Energy ◽  
Zero Bias ◽  
Relativistic Time ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Spin Excitations

AbstractMany-body phenomena are paramount in physics. In condensed matter, their hallmark is considerable on a wide range of material characteristics spanning electronic, magnetic, thermodynamic and transport properties. They potentially imprint non-trivial signatures in spectroscopic measurements, such as those assigned to Kondo, excitonic and polaronic features, whose emergence depends on the involved degrees of freedom. Here, we address systematically zero-bias anomalies detected by scanning tunneling spectroscopy on Co atoms deposited on Cu, Ag and Au(111) substrates, which remarkably are almost identical to those obtained from first-principles. These features originate from gaped spin-excitations induced by a finite magnetic anisotropy energy, in contrast to the usual widespread interpretation relating them to Kondo resonances. Resting on relativistic time-dependent density functional and many-body perturbation theories, we furthermore unveil a new many-body feature, the spinaron, resulting from the interaction of electrons and spin-excitations localizing electronic states in a well defined energy.

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