No Arabic abstract
We propose a scheme to detect the Majorana bound states (MBSs) by a thermodynamically stable D.C. Josephson current with $4pi$-periodicity in the superconducting phase difference, which is distinct from the previous A.C. $4pi$-periodicity found in topological superconducting Josephson junctions. The scheme, consisting of a quantum dot coupled to two s-wave superconducting leads and a floating topological superconductor supporting two MBSs at its ends, only exploits the interplay of a local Zeeman field and the exotic helical and self-Hermitian properties of MBSs, without requiring the conservation of fermion parity and not relying on the zero-energy property of MBSs. Our D.C. $4pi$-periodicity is thus robust against the overlap between the two MBSs and various system parameters, including the local Coulomb interaction, the tunneling asymmetry, and the width of superconducting gap, which facilitates experimentally detection of the MBSs.
Electrons in a Dirac semimetals possess linear dispersion in all three spatial dimensions, and form part of a developing platform of novel quantum materials. Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$ supports a three-dimensional Dirac cone at the Sb-induced band inversion point. Nanoscale phase-sensitive junction technology is used to induce superconductivity in this Dirac semimetal. Radio frequency irradiation experiments reveal a significant contribution of 4$pi$-periodic Andreev bound states to the supercurrent in Nb-Bi$_{0.97}$Sb$_{0.03}$-Nb Josephson junctions. The conditions for a substantial $4pi$ contribution to the supercurrent are favourable because of the Dirac cones topological protection against backscattering, providing very broad transmission resonances. The large g-factor of the Zeeman effect from a magnetic field applied in the plane of the junction, allows tuning of the Josephson junctions from 0 to $pi$ regimes.
Second-order topological superconductors (SOTSs) host localized Majorana fermions and provide a new platform for topological quantum computation. We propose a remarkable and feasible way to realize networks based on SOTSs which allow to nucleate and braid Majorana bound states (MBSs) in an all-electrical manner without fine-tuning. The proposed setups are scalable in a straightforward way and can accommodate any even number of MBSs. Moreover, the MBSs in the networks allow defining qubits whose states can be initialized and read out by measuring Josephson currents flowing between SOTS islands. Our proposal can be implemented in monolayers of $text{FeTe}{}_{1-x}text{Se}_{x}$, monolayers of 1T-WTe$_2$, and inverted Hg(Cd)Te quantum wells in proximity to conventional superconductors.
Due to their nonlocality, Majorana bound states have been proposed to induce current-current correlations (CCCs) that are completely different from those induced by low-energy fermionic Andreev bound states. Such characteristics can be used as a signature to detect Majorana bound states. Herein, we studied the Majorana and fermionic Andreev bound states in a two-dimensional topological insulator system. We found that nonlocality occurs for both types of bound states and that their coupling strengths depend on system parameters in the same pattern. Majorana and fermionic Andreev bound states show the same differential CCCs characteristics, thereby indicating a universal behavior for both types of bound states. The maximal cross differential CCCs are robust to the structural asymmetry of the system.
The Josephson energy of two superconducting islands containing Majorana fermions is a 4pi-periodic function of the superconducting phase difference. If the islands have a small capacitance, their ground state energy is governed by the competition of Josephson and charging energies. We calculate this ground state energy in a ring geometry, as a function of the flux -Phi- enclosed by the ring, and show that the dependence on the Aharonov-Bohm phase 2ePhi/hbar remains 4pi-periodic regardless of the ratio of charging and Josephson energies - provided that the entire ring is in a topologically nontrivial state. If part of the ring is topologically trivial, then the charging energy induces quantum phase slips that restore the usual 2pi-periodicity.
We consider a Josephson junction where the weak-link is formed by a non-centrosymmetric ferromagnet. In such a junction, the superconducting current acts as a direct driving force on the magnetic moment. We show that the a.c. Josephson effect generates a magnetic precession providing then a feedback to the current. Magnetic dynamics result in several anomalies of current-phase relations (second harmonic, dissipative current) which are strongly enhanced near the ferromagnetic resonance frequency.