Nearly quantized conductance plateau of vortex zero mode in an iron-based superconductor

ORAL

Abstract

Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are spatially localized, zero-energy fractional quasiparticle with non-Abelian braiding statistics that hold promise for topological quantum computing. Owing to the particle-antiparticle equivalence, MZMs exhibit quantized conductance at low temperature. By using variable-tunnel-coupled scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we studied tunneling conductance of vortex bound states on FeTe0.55Se0.45 superconductors. We report observations of conductance plateaus as a function of tunnel coupling for zero-energy vortex bound states with values close to or even reaching the 2e2/h quantum conductance (where e is the electron charge and h is Plank’s constant). By contrast, no plateaus were observed on either finite energy vortex bound states or in the continuum of electronic states outside the superconducting gap. This behavior of the zero-mode conductance supports the existence of MZMs in FeTe0.55Se0.45.

Ref: Science 2020, 367, 189-192.

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Presenters

  • Lu Cao

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Authors

  • Shiyu Zhu

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Lingyuan Kong

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Lu Cao

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Hui Chen

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics

  • Michal Papaj

    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT

  • Shixuan Du

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    • School of physical sciences, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Chinese Academy of Science
    • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Yuqing Xing

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics

  • Wenyao Liu

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Dongfei Wang

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Chengmin Shen

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Fazhi Yang

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • John Schneeloch

    • Univ of Virginia
    • Physics, University of Virginia
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • University of Virginia
    • Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Ruidan Zhong

    • Princeton University
    • Brookhaven National Labs
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Genda Gu

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Brookhaven National Laboratories
    • Brookhaven national lab
    • Brookhaven National Labs
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • CMPMS, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Brookhaven National Lab
    • COndensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Liang Fu

    • Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT
    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Yu-Yang Zhang

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    • School of physical sciences, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Hong Ding

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Hongjun Gao

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics
    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics