Work

Interplay between Classical Magnetic Moments and Superconductivity in Quantum One-Dimensional Conductors: Toward a Self-Sustained Topological Majorana Phase

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: We study a one-dimensional interacting electronic liquid coupled to a 1D array of classical magnetic moments and to a superconductor. We show that at low energy and temperature the magnetic moments and the electrons become strongly entangled and that a magnetic spiral structure emerges. For strong enough coupling between the electrons and magnetic moments, the 1D electronic liquid is driven into a topological superconducting phase supporting Majorana fermions without any fine-tuning of external parameters. Our analysis applies at low enough temperature to a quantum wire in proximity to a superconductor when the hyperfine interaction between electrons and nuclear spins is taken into account, or to a chain of magnetic adatoms adsorbed on a superconducting surface.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.147202

Authors: Bernd Braunecker, Pascal Simon

Institutions: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Université Paris-Sud, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de physique des Solides

Language: English

Topic: Topological Materials and Phenomena

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: European Commission

Award: Source of Electron Entanglement in Nano Devices