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Nearly quantized conductance plateau of vortex zero mode in an iron-based superconductor

ORAL

Abstract

Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are spatially localized, zero-energy fractional quasiparticle with non-Abelian braiding statistics that hold promise for topological quantum computing. Owing to the particle-antiparticle equivalence, MZMs exhibit quantized conductance at low temperature. By using variable-tunnel-coupled scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we studied tunneling conductance of vortex bound states on FeTe0.55Se0.45 superconductors. We report observations of conductance plateaus as a function of tunnel coupling for zero-energy vortex bound states with values close to or even reaching the 2e2/h quantum conductance (where e is the electron charge and h is Plank’s constant). By contrast, no plateaus were observed on either finite energy vortex bound states or in the continuum of electronic states outside the superconducting gap. This behavior of the zero-mode conductance supports the existence of MZMs in FeTe0.55Se0.45.

Ref: Science 2020, 367, 189-192.

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Presenters

  • Lu Cao

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Authors

  • Shiyu Zhu

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Lingyuan Kong

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Lu Cao

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Hui Chen

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics

  • Michal Papaj

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT

  • Shixuan Du

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China, School of physical sciences, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Yuqing Xing

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics

  • Wenyao Liu

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Dongfei Wang

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Chengmin Shen

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Fazhi Yang

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • John Schneeloch

    Univ of Virginia, Physics, University of Virginia, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, University of Virginia, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Ruidan Zhong

    Princeton University, Brookhaven National Labs, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Genda Gu

    Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratories, Brookhaven national lab, Brookhaven National Labs, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, CMPMS, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Lab, COndensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Liang Fu

    Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Yu-Yang Zhang

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China, School of physical sciences, Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Hong Ding

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • Hongjun Gao

    Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics