Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors
Topological properties of a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) proximity-coupled by an s -wave superconductor are investigated, in which the energy spectra and the differential conductance are calculated within the framework of tight-binding approximation. Our results indicate that this dsDNA-superconducto...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ac2711 |
| _version_ | 1827872713367093248 |
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| author | Qiao Chen Ai-Min Guo Jie Liu F M Peeters Qing-Feng Sun |
| author_facet | Qiao Chen Ai-Min Guo Jie Liu F M Peeters Qing-Feng Sun |
| author_sort | Qiao Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Topological properties of a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) proximity-coupled by an s -wave superconductor are investigated, in which the energy spectra and the differential conductance are calculated within the framework of tight-binding approximation. Our results indicate that this dsDNA-superconductor system hosts Majorana zero modes (MZMs) when the Zeeman field is perpendicular to the helix axis, whereas no MZM could be observed when the Zeeman field is parallel to the helix axis, in sharp contrast to previous studies on nanowires including single-stranded DNA. In particular, two topological phase transitions could take place in the dsDNA-superconductor system by changing the Zeeman field, one from a topological trivial phase to a topological nontrivial phase with one pair of MZMs in small Zeeman field regime, and the other from a phase with one pair of MZMs to a phase with two pairs of MZMs by further increasing the Zeeman field. In the presence of a gate field normal to the helix axis, the topological nontrivial phase with two pairs of MZMs can transform into the phase with one pair of MZMs. The topological phase with one pair of MZMs is more stable and robust against Anderson disorder. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:27:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aed7b09c74f1496392d7a28fa54dfa7d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1367-2630 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:27:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Journal of Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-aed7b09c74f1496392d7a28fa54dfa7d2023-08-08T15:39:26ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302021-01-0123909304710.1088/1367-2630/ac2711Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductorsQiao Chen0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9108-8516Ai-Min Guo1Jie Liu2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0140-5176F M Peeters3Qing-Feng Sun4Department of Maths and Physics, Hunan Institute of Engineering , Xiangtan 411104, People’s Republic of ChinaHunan Key Laboratory for Super-microstructure and Ultrafast Process, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University , Changsha 410083, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Applied Physics, School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University , Xi’an 710049, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Physics, University of Antwerp , Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium; School of Physics and Astronomy and Yunnan Key Laboratory for Quantum Information, Yunnan University , Kunming 650091, People’s Republic of ChinaInternational Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China; CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, People’s Republic of ChinaTopological properties of a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) proximity-coupled by an s -wave superconductor are investigated, in which the energy spectra and the differential conductance are calculated within the framework of tight-binding approximation. Our results indicate that this dsDNA-superconductor system hosts Majorana zero modes (MZMs) when the Zeeman field is perpendicular to the helix axis, whereas no MZM could be observed when the Zeeman field is parallel to the helix axis, in sharp contrast to previous studies on nanowires including single-stranded DNA. In particular, two topological phase transitions could take place in the dsDNA-superconductor system by changing the Zeeman field, one from a topological trivial phase to a topological nontrivial phase with one pair of MZMs in small Zeeman field regime, and the other from a phase with one pair of MZMs to a phase with two pairs of MZMs by further increasing the Zeeman field. In the presence of a gate field normal to the helix axis, the topological nontrivial phase with two pairs of MZMs can transform into the phase with one pair of MZMs. The topological phase with one pair of MZMs is more stable and robust against Anderson disorder.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ac2711topological phase transitionsMajorana zero modesdouble-stranded DNA |
| spellingShingle | Qiao Chen Ai-Min Guo Jie Liu F M Peeters Qing-Feng Sun Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors New Journal of Physics topological phase transitions Majorana zero modes double-stranded DNA |
| title | Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors |
| title_full | Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors |
| title_fullStr | Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors |
| title_short | Topological phase transitions and Majorana zero modes in DNA double helix coupled to s-wave superconductors |
| title_sort | topological phase transitions and majorana zero modes in dna double helix coupled to s wave superconductors |
| topic | topological phase transitions Majorana zero modes double-stranded DNA |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ac2711 |
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