Proximity induced superconductivity by Bi in topological $Bi_2Te_2Se$ and $Bi_2Se_3$ films: Evidence for a robust zero energy bound state possibly due to Majorana Fermions
G. Koren, T. Kirzhner, E. Lahoud, K. B. Chashka, A. Kanigel
备注：
Accepted for publication in Physical Review B (Dec. 20, 2011), 15 figures. Version V1: arXiv:1111.3445v1 [cond-mat.supr-con] 15 Nov 2011
Point contact conductance measurements on topological $Bi_2Te_2Se$ and $Bi_2Se_3$ films reveal a signature of superconductivity below 2-3 K. In particular, critical current dips and a robust zero bias conductance peak are observed. The latter suggests the presence of zero energy bound states which could be assigned to Majorana Fermions in an unconventional topological superconductor. We attribute these novel observations to proximity induced local superconductivity in the films by small amounts of superconducting Bi inclusions or segregation to the surface, and provide supportive evidence for these effects.
We show that the presence of Majorana zero modes (2D), and chiral-dispersing Majorana modes (3D), in the vortex cores of superconductors are neither sufficient nor necessary conditions for one to conclude the superconductivity is topologically non-trivial. We discuss the relevance of this result to the proximity-induced superconductivity, in the presence of magnetic field, on the surface of topological insulators.
It has been shown previously that a finite-length topological insulator nanowire, proximity-coupled to an ordinary bulk s-wave superconductor and subject to a longitudinal applied magnetic field, realizes a one-dimensional topological superconductor with an unpaired Majorana fermion (MF) localized at each end of the nanowire. Here, we study the stability of these MFs with respect to various perturbations that are likely to occur in a physical realization of the proposed device. We show that the unpaired Majorana fermions persist in this system for any value of the chemical potential inside the…
A topological insulator nanowire, proximity-coupled to an ordinary bulk s-wave superconductor and subject to a longitudinal applied magnetic field, is shown to realize a one-dimensional topological superconductor with unpaired Majorana fermions localized at both ends. This situation occurs under a wide range of conditions and constitutes what is possibly the most easily accessible physical realization of the elusive Majorana particles in a solid-state system.
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Mixing of topological states with superconductivity could result in topological superconductivity with the elusive Majorana fermions potentially applicable in fault-tolerant quantum computing. One possible candidate considered for realization of topological superconductivity is thin bismuth films on Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi2212). Here, we present angle-resolved and core-level photoemission spectroscopy studies of thin Bi films grown {\it in-situ} on as-grown Bi2212 that show the absence of proximity effect. We find that the electron transfer from the film to the substrate and the resu…
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Higher-Order Topological Superconductivity and Electrically Tunable Majorana Corner Modes in Monolayer MnXPb$_2$ (X=Se, Te)-Pb Heterostructure
Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics（应用物理与计算数学研究所）；Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Low-Energy Quantum Materials and Devices, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院强磁场科学中心安徽低能量子材料与器件重点实验室）；Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China（中国科学技术大学研究生院合肥科学岛分院）；National Key Laboratory of Computational Physics（计算物理学国家重点实验室）；School of Physics and Physical Engineering, Qufu Normal University（曲阜师范大学物理工程学院）
The structural evolution and superconductivity of a 122-type solid solution Sr1-xBaxNi2P2 were studied. We found that an orthorhombic-tetragonal structural phase transition takes place at x = 0.5, and is characterized by the P-P dimers breaking. The superconducting transition temperature exhibited its highest value of 2.85 K at x = 0.4.
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Using Ginzburg-Landau approach we show that the strain of the nematic superconductor can generate a specific (nematic) vorticity. In the case of doped topological insulators that vorticity forms a spin vortex. We find two types of topologically different spin vortices that either enhance (type I) or suppress (type II) superconductivity far from the vortex core. We apply Bogoliubov-de Geunnes equations to study electronic states in the nematic superconductor with spin vortices. We find that in the case of the vortex of type I, zero-energy states are localized near the vortex core. These states …
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A time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity is suggested to be realized in a quasi-one dimensional structure on a plane, which is fabricated by filling the superconducting materials into the periodic channel of dielectric matrices like zeolite and asbestos under high pressure. The topological superconducting phase sets up in the presence of large spin-orbit interactions when intra-wire s-wave and inter-wire d-wave pairings take place. Kramers pairs of Majorana bound states emerge at the edges of each wire. We analyze effects of Zeeman magnetic field on Majorana zero-energy states. …
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Thin film junctions and bilayers of the doped topological insulator $\rm Bi_2Se_3$ and the s-wave superconductor NbN were found to exhibit conductance spectra with prominent zero bias and coherence peaks. Various tunneling models with different pair potentials have failed to fit our data, except for the triplet $p_x+ip_y$ pair potential, which breaks time reversal symmetry, but yielded reasonably good fits. This provides evidence for proximity induced triplet superconductivity in the $\rm Bi_2Se_3$ layer near the interface with the NbN film.
Intensive studies for more than three decades have elucidated multiple superconducting phases and odd-parity Cooper pairs in a heavy fermion superconductor UPt$_3$. We identify a time-reversal invariant superconducting phase of UPt$_3$ as a recently proposed topological nonsymmorphic superconductivity. Combining the band structure of UPt$_3$, order parameter of $E_{\rm 2u}$ representation allowed by $P6_3/mmc$ space group symmetry, and topological classification by $K$-theory, we demonstrate the nontrivial $Z_2$-invariant of three-dimensional DIII class enriched by glide symmetry. Correspondin…
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Floquet Majorana Fermions appear as steady states at the boundary of time-periodic topological phases of matter. In this work, we theoretically study the main features of these exotic topological phases in the periodically driven one-dimensional Kitaev model. By controlling the ac fields, we can predict new topological phase transitions that should give rise to signatures of Majorana states in experiments. Moreover, the knowledge of the time-dependence of these Majorana states allows one to manipulate them. Our work contains a complete analysis of the monochromatic driving in different frequen…
The Adriatico Research Conference on Superconductivity, Andreev Reflection, and Proximity Effect in Mesoscopic Structures took place at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, July 8-11, 1997. The organizers were Elias Burstein, Leonid Glazman, Teun Klapwijk, and Subodh R. Shenoy. We describe some of the central issues discussed at the conference, along with more personal reflections prompted by new developments.
We present a novel controllable platform for engineering Majorana zero modes. The platform consists of a ferromagnetic metallic wire placed among conventional superconductors, which are in proximity to ferromagnetic insulators. We demonstrate that Majorana zero modes emerge localised at the edges of the ferromagnetic wire, due to the interplay of the applied supercurrents and the induced by proximity exchange fields with conventional superconductivity. Our mechanism does not rely on the pairing of helical fermions by combining conventional superconductivity with spin-orbit coupling, but rather…
