April 5, 2012 | V. Mourik†, K. Zuo†, S.M. Frolov, S.R. Plissard, E.P.A.M. Bakkers, L.P. Kouwenhoven
Majorana fermions are particles identical to their antiparticles and have been predicted to exist in topological superconductors. This study reports electrical measurements on InSb nanowires contacted with a normal (Au) and a superconducting (NbTiN) electrode. Gate voltages control electron density and define a tunnel barrier between the contacts. In the presence of magnetic fields (100 mT), bound, mid-gap states appear at zero bias voltage, remaining fixed even when magnetic fields and gate voltages are varied. These observations support the existence of Majorana fermions in nanowires coupled to superconductors.
The research explores the conditions under which Majorana fermions can emerge in semiconductor nanowires. A one-dimensional nanowire with strong spin-orbit interaction is connected to an s-wave superconductor, inducing a gap and creating a topological superconductor. The condition for a topological phase is $ E_Z > (\Delta^2 + \mu^2)^{1/2} $, where $ E_Z $ is the Zeeman energy, $ \Delta $ is the induced superconducting gap, and $ \mu $ is the Fermi energy. The study finds that Majorana zero-energy states become observable below 1 K and around 0.15 T.
The experiments involve InSb nanowires with strong spin-orbit interaction and a large g-factor. The induced superconducting gap is approximately 250 μeV. The study observes zero-bias peaks that remain fixed to zero energy despite changes in magnetic fields and gate voltages. These peaks are absent when any of the necessary ingredients for Majorana fermions are removed, such as zero magnetic field, parallel magnetic field to spin-orbit field, or absence of superconductivity.
The results show that the zero-bias peak is robust and persists over a range of magnetic fields and gate voltages. The peak's behavior is consistent with Majorana fermions, as it does not split or move to finite energy when changing magnetic fields or gate voltages. The study also demonstrates that the zero-bias peak is not explained by other mechanisms such as the Kondo effect, Andreev bound states, weak antilocalization, or reflectionless tunneling.
The research confirms that superconductivity is essential for the observation of the zero-bias peak. The study uses three different devices and two setups to reproduce the observation of a rigid zero-bias peak. The findings support the existence of Majorana fermions in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowire devices. The results have implications for quantum computing, as Majorana fermions could be used to create qubits with topological protection. The study also highlights the importance of further research to understand the behavior of Majorana fermions in different conditions and to explore their potential applications in quantum technologies.Majorana fermions are particles identical to their antiparticles and have been predicted to exist in topological superconductors. This study reports electrical measurements on InSb nanowires contacted with a normal (Au) and a superconducting (NbTiN) electrode. Gate voltages control electron density and define a tunnel barrier between the contacts. In the presence of magnetic fields (100 mT), bound, mid-gap states appear at zero bias voltage, remaining fixed even when magnetic fields and gate voltages are varied. These observations support the existence of Majorana fermions in nanowires coupled to superconductors.
The research explores the conditions under which Majorana fermions can emerge in semiconductor nanowires. A one-dimensional nanowire with strong spin-orbit interaction is connected to an s-wave superconductor, inducing a gap and creating a topological superconductor. The condition for a topological phase is $ E_Z > (\Delta^2 + \mu^2)^{1/2} $, where $ E_Z $ is the Zeeman energy, $ \Delta $ is the induced superconducting gap, and $ \mu $ is the Fermi energy. The study finds that Majorana zero-energy states become observable below 1 K and around 0.15 T.
The experiments involve InSb nanowires with strong spin-orbit interaction and a large g-factor. The induced superconducting gap is approximately 250 μeV. The study observes zero-bias peaks that remain fixed to zero energy despite changes in magnetic fields and gate voltages. These peaks are absent when any of the necessary ingredients for Majorana fermions are removed, such as zero magnetic field, parallel magnetic field to spin-orbit field, or absence of superconductivity.
The results show that the zero-bias peak is robust and persists over a range of magnetic fields and gate voltages. The peak's behavior is consistent with Majorana fermions, as it does not split or move to finite energy when changing magnetic fields or gate voltages. The study also demonstrates that the zero-bias peak is not explained by other mechanisms such as the Kondo effect, Andreev bound states, weak antilocalization, or reflectionless tunneling.
The research confirms that superconductivity is essential for the observation of the zero-bias peak. The study uses three different devices and two setups to reproduce the observation of a rigid zero-bias peak. The findings support the existence of Majorana fermions in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowire devices. The results have implications for quantum computing, as Majorana fermions could be used to create qubits with topological protection. The study also highlights the importance of further research to understand the behavior of Majorana fermions in different conditions and to explore their potential applications in quantum technologies.