Physics – Condensed Matter – Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Scientific paper
2011-06-30
Phys. Rev. B 84, 075141 (2011)
Physics
Condensed Matter
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
9 pages, 2 eps figures, new references are added, several typos are corrected
Scientific paper
10.1103/PhysRevB.84.075141
Exploiting the peculiar properties of proximity-induced superconductivity on the surface of a topological insulator, we propose a device which allows the creation of a Majorana fermion inside the core of a pinned Abrikosov vortex. The relevant Bogolyubov-de Gennes equations are studied analytically. We demonstrate that in this system the zero-energy Majorana fermion state is separated by a large energy gap, of the order of the zero-temperature superconducting gap $\Delta$, from a band of single-particle non-topological excitations. In other words, the Majorana fermion remains robust against thermal fluctuations, as long as the temperature remains substantially lower than the critical superconducting temperature. Experimentally, the Majorana state may be detected by measuring the tunneling differential conductance at the center of the Abrikosov vortex. In such an experiment, the Majorana state manifests itself as a zero-bias anomaly separated by a gap, of the order of $\Delta$, from the contributions of the nontopological excitations.
Nori Franco
Rakhmanov A. L.
Rozhkov A. V.
No associations
LandOfFree
Majorana fermions in pinned vortices does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Majorana fermions in pinned vortices, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Majorana fermions in pinned vortices will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-34723