Related papers: How to realize a robust practical Majorana chain i…
We consider theoretically the physics of bulk topological superconductivity accompanied by boundary non-Abelian Majorana zero modes in semiconductor-superconductor (SM-SC) hybrid systems consisting of finite wires in the presence of…
Topological superconductors, which support Majorana fermion excitations, have been the subject of intense studies due to their novel transport properties and their potential applications in fault-tolerant quantum computations. Here we…
We consider Ge/Si core/shell nanowires with hole states coupled to an $s$-wave superconductor in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. We employ a microscopic model that takes into account material-specific details of the band…
Engineering effective p-wave superconductors hosting Majorana quasiparticles (MQPs) is nowadays of particular interest, also in view of the possible utilization of MQPs in fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. In quasi…
Majorana modes offer great potential for fault-tolerant quantum computation due to their topological protection. However, for superconductor-semiconductor nanowire hybrids, intrinsic disorder makes the unambiguous detection of Majorana…
Topological superconductors are an intriguing and elusive quantum phase, characterized by topologically protected gapless surface/edge states residing in a bulk superconducting gap, which hosts Majorana fermions. Unfortunately, all…
Under appropriate external conditions a semiconductor nanowire in proximity to an s-wave superconductor can be in a topological superconducting (TS) phase. This phase supports localized zero-energy Majorana fermions at the ends of the wire.…
Robust zero bias transport anomalies in semiconducting nanowires with proximity-induced superconductivity have been convincingly demonstrated in various experiments. While these are compatible with the existence of Majorana zero modes at…
In proximity to an s-wave superconductor, a one- or two-dimensional, electron- or hole-doped semiconductor with a sizable spin-orbit coupling and a Zeeman splitting can support a topological superconducting (TS) state. The semiconductor TS…
Zeeman fields can drive semiconductor quantum wires with strong spin-orbit coupling and in proximity to s-wave superconductors into a topological phase which supports end Majorana fermions and offers an attractive platform for realizing…
Majorana fermions (MFs) are predicted to occur as zero-energy bound states in semiconductor nanowire-superconductor structures. However, in the presence of disorder or smooth confining potentials, these structures can also host…
We study Majorana bound states in a disordered chain of semiconductor quantum dots proximity-coupled to an s-wave superconductor. By calculating its topological quantum number, based on the scattering-matrix method and a tight-binding…
It is shown that Majorana fermions trapped in three vortices in a p-wave superfluid form a qubit in a topological quantum computing (TQC). Several similar ideas have already been proposed: Ivanov [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86}, 268 (2001)] and…
In a hybrid system consisting of two quantum dots (QDs) coupled to a superconductor (SC), zero-bias peaks in the differential conductance spectrum have been reported as potential signatures of Majorana fermions (MFs). However, such…
To observe Majorana bound states, and especially to use them as a qubit, requires careful optimization of competing quality metrics. We systematically compare Majorana quality in proximitized semiconductor nanowires and quantum dot chains.…
We present designs for scalable quantum computers composed of qubits encoded in aggregates of four or more Majorana zero modes, realized at the ends of topological superconducting wire segments that are assembled into superconducting…
Coupling Majorana fermion excitations to coherent external fields is an important stage towards their manipulation and detection. We analyse the charge and transmon regimes of a topological nano-wire embedded within a Cooper-Pair-Box, where…
We study a realization of a 1d chain of Majorana bound states at the interfaces between alternating ferromagnetic and superconducting regions at a quantum spin Hall insulator edge. In the limit of well separated Majoranas, the system can be…
Majorana zero modes have gained significant interest due to their potential applications in topological quantum computing and in the realization of exotic quantum phases. These zero-energy quasiparticle excitations localize at the vortex…
Topological phases which host Majorana fermions can not be identified via local order parameters. We give simple nonlocal order parameters to distinguish quasi-one-dimensional (1D) topological superconductors of spinless fermions, for any…