Exploring the manipulation of Majorana zero modes in iron-based nanowires

(Nanowerk News) Recently, National Science Review ("Controllable Majorana vortex states in iron-based superconducting nanowires") has published collaborative research results of Prof. Xin Liu's research team at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Prof. Dong Liu at Tsinghua University, and Prof. Fu-Chun Zhang at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Sciences in the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The paper proposed a scheme for manipulating Majorana vortex states using iron-based superconductors as a platform.
Majorana vortex states in iron-based superconducting nanowires
(a) Schematic diagram of iron-based superconducting nanowires; (b) topological phase transition in thin nanowires; (c~d) energy spectrum and wave function variations of the lowest energy state near the topological phase transition; (e) Majorana vortex states distributed at the edges in thin nanowires. (© Science China Press)
Current experimental studies of Majorana zero modes in iron-based superconductors mainly focus on zero-bias conductance peak signals in the vortices.
Designing tunable Majorana platforms will be an essential step in exploring their non-Abelian statistical properties and potential applications in the direction of fault-tolerant topological quantum computing.
One of the significant challenges we encounter is the location of the Majorana zero mode. It is usually located at the vortex center, hence is difficult to implement braiding operations.
Coupling of Majorana zero modes
(a) Schematic diagram of the connection of the two nanowires; (b~c) Energy spectrum and wave function changes before and after controlling the coupling of Majorana vortex states; (d~e) Energy spectrum and wave function changes before and after controlling the coupling of Zeeman field induced Majorana edge states. (© Science China Press)
The research team proposes a modified platform based on the iron-based superconducting nanowire, in which Majorana wavefunction distributes in both the center and at the edge of the vortex for thin nanowires.
The finite distribution of Majorana zero modes at the edges in nanowires allows us to connect them by tunable semiconductor structures, thus enabling the controllable coupling between different Majoranas and manipulable Majorana braiding operations.
Source: Science China Press
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