Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems
Abstract Magnet-superconductor hybrid (MSH) systems represent promising platforms to host Majorana zero modes (MZMs), the elemental building blocks for fault-tolerant quantum computers. Theoretical description of such MSH structures is mostly based on simplified models, not accounting for the comple...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-12-01
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| Series: | npj Quantum Materials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-022-00530-x |
| _version_ | 1797977598349803520 |
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| author | Daniel Crawford Eric Mascot Makoto Shimizu Philip Beck Jens Wiebe Roland Wiesendanger Harald O. Jeschke Dirk K. Morr Stephan Rachel |
| author_facet | Daniel Crawford Eric Mascot Makoto Shimizu Philip Beck Jens Wiebe Roland Wiesendanger Harald O. Jeschke Dirk K. Morr Stephan Rachel |
| author_sort | Daniel Crawford |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Magnet-superconductor hybrid (MSH) systems represent promising platforms to host Majorana zero modes (MZMs), the elemental building blocks for fault-tolerant quantum computers. Theoretical description of such MSH structures is mostly based on simplified models, not accounting for the complexity of real materials. Here, based on density functional theory, we derive a superconducting 80-band model to study an MSH system consisting of a magnetic manganese chain on the s wave superconductor niobium. For a wide range of values of the superconducting order parameter, the system is a topological superconductor, with MZMs exhibiting non-universal spatial patterns and a drastic accumulation of spectral weight on both sides along the magnetic chain. These side feature states can be explained by an effective model which is guided by the ab initio results. Performing scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments on the same system, we observe a spatial structure in the low-energy local density of states that is consistent with the theoretical findings. Our results open a first-principle approach to the discovery of topological superconductors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:09:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74a9026db8614598ba3b33b971a97a1a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-4648 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:09:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Quantum Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-74a9026db8614598ba3b33b971a97a1a2022-12-25T12:04:24ZengNature Portfolionpj Quantum Materials2397-46482022-12-01711710.1038/s41535-022-00530-xMajorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systemsDaniel Crawford0Eric Mascot1Makoto Shimizu2Philip Beck3Jens Wiebe4Roland Wiesendanger5Harald O. Jeschke6Dirk K. Morr7Stephan Rachel8School of Physics, University of MelbourneSchool of Physics, University of MelbourneDepartment of Physics, Okayama UniversityDepartment of Physics, University of HamburgDepartment of Physics, University of HamburgDepartment of Physics, University of HamburgResearch Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama UniversityDepartment of Physics, University of Illinois at ChicagoSchool of Physics, University of MelbourneAbstract Magnet-superconductor hybrid (MSH) systems represent promising platforms to host Majorana zero modes (MZMs), the elemental building blocks for fault-tolerant quantum computers. Theoretical description of such MSH structures is mostly based on simplified models, not accounting for the complexity of real materials. Here, based on density functional theory, we derive a superconducting 80-band model to study an MSH system consisting of a magnetic manganese chain on the s wave superconductor niobium. For a wide range of values of the superconducting order parameter, the system is a topological superconductor, with MZMs exhibiting non-universal spatial patterns and a drastic accumulation of spectral weight on both sides along the magnetic chain. These side feature states can be explained by an effective model which is guided by the ab initio results. Performing scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments on the same system, we observe a spatial structure in the low-energy local density of states that is consistent with the theoretical findings. Our results open a first-principle approach to the discovery of topological superconductors.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-022-00530-x |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Crawford Eric Mascot Makoto Shimizu Philip Beck Jens Wiebe Roland Wiesendanger Harald O. Jeschke Dirk K. Morr Stephan Rachel Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems npj Quantum Materials |
| title | Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems |
| title_full | Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems |
| title_fullStr | Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems |
| title_short | Majorana modes with side features in magnet-superconductor hybrid systems |
| title_sort | majorana modes with side features in magnet superconductor hybrid systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-022-00530-x |
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