Majorana edge and zero modes at topological insulator/superconductor heterojunctions in the quantum Hall regime.

ORAL

Abstract

One promising proposal to realize Majorana quasiparticles relies on the electronic structure of topological insulator (TI) surface states that are proximity coupled to an $s$-wave superconductor, as described in the Fu-Kane model, combined with broken time-reversal symmetry.
However, the coupling between the two surfaces of TI thin films and the corresponding Hilbert space doubling can lead to trivial superconducting states unless time-reversal symmetry is strongly broken. In this work we study a realistic TI thin film/s-wave superconductor heterojunction model with time-reversal broken by an external magnetic field that drives the system toward quantum Hall states containing vortex lattices inherited from the parent s-wave superconductor. We will discuss practical strategies for engineering isolated Majorana zero modes, and chiral Majorana edge modes in such a system.

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Presenters

  • Gaurav Chaudhary

    Physics, University of Texas, Austin

Authors

  • Gaurav Chaudhary

    Physics, University of Texas, Austin

  • Allan MacDonald

    Physics department, University of Texas at Austin, Physics, University of Texas, Austin, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Physics , Univ of Texas, Austin, Univ of Texas at Austin, Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Physics, Univerisity of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas