Abstract
We demonstrate that a thermal metal of Majorana fermions forms in a two-dimensional system of interacting non-Abelian (Ising) anyons in the presence of moderate disorder. This bulk metallic phase arises in the ν=5/2 quantum Hall state when disorder pins the anyonic quasiparticles. More generally, it naturally occurs for various proposed systems supporting Majorana fermion zero modes when disorder induces the random pinning of a finite density of vortices. This includes all two-dimensional topological superconductors in so-called symmetry class D. A distinct experimental signature of the thermal metal phase is the presence of bulk heat transport down to zero temperature.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 161301 |
Journal | Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics |
Volume | 85 |
Issue number | 16 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 11 2012 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics