No Arabic abstract
We provide a current perspective on the rapidly developing field of Majorana zero modes in solid state systems. We emphasize the theoretical prediction, experimental realization, and potential use of Majorana zero modes in future information processing devices through braiding-based topological quantum computation. Well-separated Majorana zero modes should manifest non-Abelian braiding statistics suitable for unitary gate operations for topological quantum computation. Recent experimental work, following earlier theoretical predictions, has shown specific signatures consistent with the existence of Majorana modes localized at the ends of semiconductor nanowires in the presence of superconducting proximity effect. We discuss the experimental findings and their theoretical analyses, and provide a perspective on the extent to which the observations indicate the existence of anyonic Majorana zero modes in solid state systems. We also discuss fractional quantum Hall systems (the 5/2 state) in this context. We describe proposed schemes for carrying out braiding with Majorana zero modes as well as the necessary steps for implementing topological quantum computation.
We introduce a second-quantized representation of the ring of symmetric functions to further develop a purely second-quantized -- or lattice -- approach to the study of zero modes of frustration free Haldane-pseudo-potential-type Hamiltonians, which in particular stabilize Laughlin ground states. We present three applications of this formalism. We start demonstrating how to systematically construct all zero-modes of Laughlin-type parent Hamiltonians in a framework that is free of first-quantized polynomial wave functions, and show that they are in one-to-one correspondence with dominance patterns. The starting point here is the pseudo-potential Hamiltonian in lattice form, stripped of all information about the analytic structure of Landau levels (dynamical momenta). Secondly, as a by-product, we make contact with the bosonization method, and obtain an alternative proof for the equivalence between bosonic and fermionic Fock spaces. Finally, we explicitly derive the second-quantized version of Reads non-local (string) order parameter for the Laughlin state, extending an earlier description by Stone. Commutation relations between the local quasi-hole operator and the local electron operator are generalized to various geometries.
We discuss the emergence of zero-energy Majorana modes in a disordered finite-length p-wave one-dimensional superconducting ring, pierced by a magnetic flux $Phi$ tuned at an appropriate value $Phi=Phi_*$. In the absence of fermion parity conservation, we evidence the emergence of the Majorana modes by looking at the discontinuities in the persistent current $I[Phi]$ at $Phi=Phi_*$. By monitoring the discontinuities in $I[Phi]$, we map out the region in parameter space characterized by the emergence of Majorana modes in the disordered ring.
We propose to use residual parafermions of the overscreened Kondo effect for topological quantum computation. A superconducting proximity gap of $Delta<T_K$ can be utilized to isolate the parafermion from the continuum of excitations and stabilize the non-trivial fixed point. We use weak-coupling renormalization group, dynamical large-N technique and bosonization to show that the residual entropy of multichannel Kondo impurities survives in a superconductor. We find that while (in agreement with recent numerical studies) the non-trivial fixed point is unstable against intra-channel pairing, it is robust in presence of a finite inter-channel pairing. Based on this observation, we suggest a superconducting charge Kondo setup for isolating and detecting the Majorana fermion in the two-channel Kondo system.
One of the main challenges for quantum computation is that while the number of gates required to perform a non-trivial quantum computation may be very large, decoherence and errors in realistic quantum architectures limit the number of physical gate operations that can be performed coherently. Therefore, an optimal mapping of the quantum algorithm into the physically available set of operations is of crucial importance. We examine this problem for a measurement-only topological quantum computer based on Majorana zero modes, where gates are performed through sequences of measurements. Such a scheme has been proposed as a practical, scalable approach to process quantum information in an array of topological qubits built using Majorana zero modes. Building on previous work that has shown that multi-qubit Clifford gates can be enacted in a topologically protected fashion in such qubit networks, we discuss methods to obtain the optimal measurement sequence for a given Clifford gate under the constraints imposed by the physical architecture, such as layout and the relative difficulty of implementing different types of measurements. Our methods also provide tools for comparative analysis of different architectures and strategies, given experimental characterizations of particular aspects of the systems under consideration. As a further non-trivial demonstration, we discuss an implementation of the surface code in Majorana-based topological qubits. We use the techniques developed here to obtain an optimized measurement sequence that implements the stabilizer measurements using only fermionic parity measurements on nearest-neighbor topological qubit islands.
Among the major approaches that are being pursued for realizing quantum bits, the Majorana-based platform has been the most recent to be launched. It attempts to realize qubits which store quantum information in a topologically-protected manner. The quantum information is protected by its nonlocal storage in localized and well-separated Majorana zero modes, and manipulated by exploiting their nonabelian quantum exchange properties. Realizing these topological qubits is experimentally challenging, requiring superconductivity, helical electrons (created by spin-orbit coupling) and breaking of time reversal symmetry to all cooperate in an uncomfortable alliance. Over the past decade, several candidate material systems for realizing Majorana-based topological qubits have been explored, and there is accumulating, though still debated, evidence that zero modes are indeed being realized. This paper reviews the basic physical principles on which these approaches are based, the material systems that are being developed, and the current state of the field. We highlight both the progress made and the challenges that still need to be overcome.