Towards a robust Majorana platform based on magnetic topological insulator nanoribbons

ORAL

Abstract

Magnetic topological insulators (MTIs) are promising materials for realizing a topological phase with Majoranas (propagating edge modes and end-localized bound states) when combining them with proximity-induced superconductivity. With detailed simulations, we investigate Majoranas in realistic MTI nanoribbons covered by a superconductor. We find that both end-localized and propagating Majoranas can be realized in such a structure, and that they give rise to distinct transport signatures in normal-superconductor (NS) or NSN junctions. We also study the impact of disorder and, while the quantum anomalous Hall edge channels of a MTI nanoribbon are quite fragile, the topological phase appears to be robust. This robustness can be confirmed by comparing the tunneling conductance at the end of a proximitized MTI nanoribbon to normal transport in a comparable MTI device without superconductor on top. Finally, we report on the latest status on our experimental platform towards MTI-based Majorana devices, based on an in situ nanofabrication process.

*The authors acknowledge financial support from the QuantERA grant MAGMA, National Research Fund Luxembourg (INTER/QUANTERA21/16447820/MAGMA), German Research Foundation (grant 491798118), MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (project PCI2022-132927), European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.

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Presenters

  • Kristof Moors

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
    • Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
    • Forschungszentrum Jülich

Authors

  • Thomas L Schmidt

    • University of Luxembourg
    • University of Luxembourg Limpertsberg

  • Declan Burke

    • Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
    • Imperial College London

  • Malcolm R Connolly

    • Imperial College London
    • Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom

  • Daniele Di Miceli

    • Institute of Interdisciplinary Physics and Complex Systems IFISC (CSIC-UIB) and Physics Department, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, E-07122, Spain

  • Detlev Grützmacher

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Dennis Heffels

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Jan Karthein

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Kristof Moors

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
    • Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
    • Forschungszentrum Jülich

  • Thomas Schäpers

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Michael Schleenvoigt

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Peter Schüffelgen

    • Forschungszentrum Jülich
    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Llorenç Serra

    • IFISC & University of the Balearic Islands
    • Institute of Interdisciplinary Physics and Complex Systems IFISC (CSIC-UIB) and Physics Department, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, E-07122, Spain

  • Justus Teller

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Julian Legendre

    • University of Luxembourg

  • Kaycee Underwood

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

  • Eduárd Zsurka

    • Institute for Semiconductor Nanoelectronics, Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany