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Experimental probes and modeling of Majorana bound states parity transitions in S-TI-S lateral Josephson junctions

ORAL

Abstract

It is predicted that S-TI-S lateral Josephson junctions, fabricated by depositing electrodes of a conventional superconductor (S) on the surface of a topological insulator (TI), exhibit Majorana bound states (MBS) at locations in the junction where the phase difference is an odd-multiple of π, i.e. at the cores of the Josephson vortices. There is evidence for this from the lifting of odd nodes in the critical current diffraction patterns and the observation of supercurrent features at magnetic fields where the MBS enter the junction. In this talk, we report progress on experiments on Nb-Bi2Se3-Nb junctions designed to probe the parity states of MBS pairs and the transitions between them via measurements of the critical current distribution and supercurrent fluctuations. These experiments, in conjunction with modeling of the critical current transitions, give information about parity lifetimes and open the door to understand the factors such as quasiparticle poisoning that limit them.

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Presenters

  • Guang Yue

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Authors

  • Guang Yue

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Xiong Yao

    Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  • Deepti Jain

    Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  • Jisoo Moon

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  • Seongshik Oh

    Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  • Alexey Bezryadin

    Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Dale J Van Harlingen

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign