Abstract
A chain of magnetic atoms on the surface of a superconductor provides a versatile platform for realizing a one-dimensional topological superconductivity phase with edge-bounded Majorana fermions zero modes. This platform lends itself to spatial resolved measurements with scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that enables direct visualization of the presence of a localized Majorana zero mode. Experiments on self-assembled chains of Fe atoms on the surface of Pb show that such a system can be experimentally fabricated and studied using various high-resolution STM measurement techniques. Spatial and energy resolved STM experiments provide strong evidence for Majorana bound states that emerge due to the combination of Fe's ferromagnetism and spin-orbit coupling of the superconducting Pb substrate. These studies provide a roadmap for optimizing topological superconductivity in this one-dimensional platform and its extension to realize chiral two-dimensional superconductors.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 014012 |
| Journal | Physica Scripta |
| Volume | 2015 |
| Issue number | T164 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2015 |
| Event | 156th Nobel Symposium on New Forms of Matter: Topological Insulators and Superconductors - Lidingo, Sweden Duration: Jun 12 2014 → Jun 15 2014 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- General Physics and Astronomy
- Mathematical Physics
Keywords
- Majorana fermions
- topological quantum states
- topological superconductors