Probing Majorana edge states with a qubit

ORAL

Abstract

A pair of counter-propagating Majorana edge modes can be described by an Ising conformal field theory. These modes appear in a chiral p-wave superconductor or in some superconducting system belonging to the same universality class. We show how a superconducting flux qubit attached to a such system couples to the two chiral edge modes via the disorder field of the Ising model. Thus, measuring the back-action of the edge states on the qubit allows to probe the properties of Majorana edge modes.

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Authors

  • Chang-Yu Hou

    • Institute Lorentz, Leiden University
    • Universiteit Leiden

  • Fabian Hassler

    • Institute Lorentz, Leiden University

  • Johan Nilsson

    • Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg
    • University of Gothenburg

  • Anton Akhmerov

    • Institute Lorentz, Leiden University