Science· 2014Q1
Observation of Majorana fermions in ferromagnetic atomic chains on a superconductor
- 2,022citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2014year
Short summary
Researchers observed zero-energy end-states in ferromagnetic iron (Fe) atomic chains on a superconducting lead (Pb) surface, providing strong evidence for topological phase formation and edge-bound Majorana fermions.
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Key points
- Ferromagnetic iron (Fe) atomic chains were fabricated on a superconducting lead (Pb) surface.
- Spectroscopic imaging revealed zero-energy end-states in the Fe chains.
- These end-states appeared concurrently with the bulk superconductivity gap.
- The observations provide strong evidence for a topological phase and edge-bound Majorana fermions.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Majorana fermions are predicted to localize at the edge of a topological superconductor, a state of matter that can form when a ferromagnetic system is placed in proximity to a conventional superconductor with strong spin-orbit interaction. With the goal of realizing a one-dimensional topological superconductor, we have fabricated ferromagnetic iron (Fe) atomic chains on the surface of superconducting lead (Pb). Using high-resolution spectroscopic imaging techniques, we show that the onset of superconductivity, which gaps the electronic density of states in the bulk of the Fe chains, is accompanied by the appearance of zero-energy end-states. This spatially resolved signature provides strong evidence, corroborated by other observations, for the formation of a topological phase and edge-bound Majorana fermions in our atomic chains.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Science, 2014 · DOI ↗
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Field: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and OpticsPhysics and Astronomy