Searching for Majorana Fermions in 2D Spin-orbit Coupled Fermi Superfluids at Finite Temperature

ORAL

Abstract

Recent experimental breakthrough in realizing spin-orbit (SO) coupling for cold atoms has spurred considerable interest in the physics of 2D SO coupled Fermi superfluids, especially topological Majorana fermions (MFs) which were predicted to exist at zero temperature. However, it is well known that long-range superfluid order is destroyed in 2D by the phase fluctuation at finite temperature and the relevant physics is the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition. In this Letter, we examine finite temperature effects on SO coupled Fermi gases and show that finite temperature is indeed necessary for the observation of MFs. MFs are topologically protected by a quasiparticle energy gap which is found to be much larger than the temperature. The restricted region for the observation of MFs have been obtained. Phys. Rev. Lett. In Press.

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Authors

  • Ming Gong

    Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, 75080 USA, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at Dallas

  • Iman Rezanejad

    TAMU, TTU, TCU, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Waterloo, Canada, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, Education City, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar, TTU Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Texas A\&M University - Commerce, Meyer Observatory, Clifton TX, CASPER, Baylor University, Waco TX, CASPER NSF-REU, Baylor University, Waco TX, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Dallas, Oklahoma University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Lamar University, Department of Physics \& Geosciences, Angelo State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Physics Dept, Texas State University, San Marcos, Istanbul University, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, V. N. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials, University of North Texas, Department of Physics, TCU, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Computer Science, Texas State University at San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State University at San Marcos, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, The National Center for Mathematics and Physics, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia, Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China, Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080 USA, State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164 USA, University of Guelph, Guelph Canada, Department of Physics, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan, University of Houston Clear Lake, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Angelo State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Campus de la DOUA, Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 France, Department of Engineering, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, BAE Systems, Advanced Systems and Technology, Nashua, NH, Istanbul University, Beyazit 3449 Istanbul, Turkey, Texas Tech University, Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AK, Abilene Christian University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634 USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Department of Physics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A\&M University

  • Iman Rezanejad

    TAMU, TTU, TCU, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Waterloo, Canada, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, Education City, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar, TTU Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Texas A\&M University - Commerce, Meyer Observatory, Clifton TX, CASPER, Baylor University, Waco TX, CASPER NSF-REU, Baylor University, Waco TX, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Dallas, Oklahoma University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Lamar University, Department of Physics \& Geosciences, Angelo State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Physics Dept, Texas State University, San Marcos, Istanbul University, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, V. N. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials, University of North Texas, Department of Physics, TCU, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Computer Science, Texas State University at San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State University at San Marcos, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, The National Center for Mathematics and Physics, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia, Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China, Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080 USA, State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164 USA, University of Guelph, Guelph Canada, Department of Physics, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan, University of Houston Clear Lake, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Angelo State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Campus de la DOUA, Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 France, Department of Engineering, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, BAE Systems, Advanced Systems and Technology, Nashua, NH, Istanbul University, Beyazit 3449 Istanbul, Turkey, Texas Tech University, Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AK, Abilene Christian University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634 USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Department of Physics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A\&M University

  • Chuanwei Zhang

    Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080 USA, Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, 75080 USA, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Dallas