English

Phase-controlled minimal Kitaev chain in multiterminal Josephson junctions

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2025-06-03 v2

Abstract

We propose a nanodevice based on multi-terminal Josephson junctions for the creation and detection of poor man's Majorana (PMM) modes. The device consists of a double three-terminal Josephson junction (3TJJ) embedded in a planar semiconductor that engineers a two-site Kitaev chain. We identify the conditions necessary for the emergence of PMM modes by precisely tuning the superconducting phases of the terminals and the inter-junction coupling between the 3TJJs. To validate our findings, we perform numerical simulations that account for disorder in a more general geometry and test experimentally feasible protocols based on conductance measurements to reliably detect these modes. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on magnetic fields, our design eliminates the need for such fields, potentially increasing the energy-level resolution and significantly expanding the range of compatible semiconductor materials, such as Ge-based heterostructures.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2501.14597,
  title  = {Phase-controlled minimal Kitaev chain in multiterminal Josephson junctions},
  author = {Samuel D. Escribano and Anders Enevold Dahl and Karsten Flensberg and Yuval Oreg},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.14597},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

19 pages, 9 figures. Final version

R2 v1 2026-06-28T21:16:26.759Z