Realizing Majorana Zero Modes by Proximity Effect between Topological Insulators and d-wave High-Temperature Superconductors
Abstract
We theoretically study superconducting proximity effect between a topological insulator (TI) and a high-temperature d-wave superconductor (dSC). When the TI-dSC heterostructure violates 90 degree-rotation and certain reflection symmetries, we show that a sizable s-wave pairing, coexisting with a d-wave one, emerges in the proximity-induced superconductivity in the TI's top surface states. Weak disorder further suppresses d-wave pairing but not s-wave one in the TI's surface states. More importantly, the pairing gap in surface states is found to be nodeless and nearly-isotropic when the Fermi pocket of surface states is relatively small. Our theoretical results qualitatively explain recent experimental evidences of a nearly-isotropic pairing gap on surface states of Bi_2Se_3 induced by proximity with high-T_c cuprate Bi_2Ca_2Cu_2O_{8+\delta}. We also demonstrate convincing evidences of Majorana zero modes in a magnetic hc/2e vortex core, which may be detectable in future experiments.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1402.6598,
title = {Realizing Majorana Zero Modes by Proximity Effect between Topological Insulators and d-wave High-Temperature Superconductors},
author = {Zi-Xiang Li and Cheung Chan and Hong Yao},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1402.6598},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
4.5 pages, 4 figures