Mutation of Andreev into Majorana bound states in long NS and SNS junctions

Abstract

We study one-dimensional topological SN and SNS long junctions obtained by placing a topological insulating nanowire in the proximity of either one or two SC finite-size leads. Using the Majorana Polarization order parameter (MP) introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 096802 (2012)(arxiv:1109.5697) we find that the extended Andreev bound states (ABS) of the normal part of the wire acquire a finite MP: for a finite-size SN junction the ABS spectrum exhibits a zero-energy extended state which carries a full Majorana fermion, while the ABS of long SNS junctions with phase difference $\pi$ transform into two zero-energy states carrying two Majorana fermions with the same MP. Given their extended character inside the whole normal link, and not only close to an interface, these Majorana-Andreev states can be directly detected in tunneling spectroscopy experiments.

References in corpus (7)

• Non-Abelian Anyons and Topological Quantum Computation
• Superconducting proximity effect and Majorana fermions at the surface of a topological insulator
• Signatures of Majorana fermions in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowire devices
• Majorana Fermions and a Topological Phase Transition in Semiconductor-Superconductor Heterostructures
• Interaction Effects in Topological Superconducting Wires Supporting Majorana Fermions
• Transport Through Andreev Bound States in a Graphene Quantum Dot
• Fractional ac Josephson effect in unconventional superconductors

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Evidence of Majorana fermions in an Al - InAs nanowire topological superconductor
• Transport spectroscopy of NS nanowire junctions with Majorana fermions
• Towards a realistic transport modeling in a superconducting nanowire with Majorana fermions
• SNS junctions in nanowires with spin-orbit coupling: role of confinement and helicity on the sub-gap spectrum
• Transition from fractional to Majorana fermions in Rashba nanowires
• Fermionic and Majorana Bound States in Hybrid Nanowires with Non-Uniform Spin-Orbit Interaction
• Majorana Fermions in Ge/Si Hole Nanowires
• Josephson effect in superconducting wires supporting multiple Majorana edge states
• Majorana quasiparticles of inhomogeneous Rashba chain
• Effects of finite superconducting coherence lengths and of phase gradients in topological SN and SNS junctions and rings