Two terminal charge tunneling: Disentangling Majorana zero modes from partially separated Andreev bound states in semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures

Abstract

We show that a pair of overlapping Majorana bound states (MBSs) forming a partially-separated Andreev bound state (ps-ABS) represents a generic low-energy feature in spin-orbit coupled semiconductor-superconductor (SM-SC) hybrid nanowires in the presence of a Zeeman field. In a finite nanowire the ps-ABS interpolates continuously between the "garden variety" ABS, which consists of two MBSs sitting on top of each other, and the topologically protected Majorana zero modes (MZMs), which are separated by a distance given by the length of the wire. Despite being topologically trivial, ps-ABSs can generate signatures identical to MZMs in local charge tunneling experiments. In particular, the height of the zero bias conductance peak (ZBCP) generated by ps-ABSs has the quantized value, 2e2/h, and it can remain unchanged in an extended range of experimental parameters, such as Zeeman field and the tunnel barrier height. We illustrate the formation of such low-energy robust ps-ABSs in two experimentally relevant situations: a hybrid SM-SC system consisting of a proximitized nanowire coupled to a quantum dot and the SM-SC system in the presence of a spatially varying inhomogeneous potential. We then show that, unlike local measurements, a two-terminal experiment involving charge tunneling at both ends of the wire is capable of distinguishing the non-Abelian MZMs from the generic ps-ABSs. While the MZMs localized at the opposite ends of the wire generate correlated differential conduction spectra, including correlations in energy splittings and critical Zeeman fields associated with the emergence of the ZBCPs, such correlations are absent if the ZBCPs are due to ps-ABSs emerging in the topologically trivial phase. Measuring such correlations is the clearest and most straightforward test of topological MZMs in SM-SC heterostructures that can be done in a currently accessible experimental set-up.

Version accepted in Phys. Rev. B; 15 pages, 14 figures; Contains the material presented in arXiv:1611.07058, but has substantial new results for quantum dot-nanowire-SC heterostructures

References in corpus (22)

• 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
• Evidence of Majorana fermions in an Al - InAs nanowire topological superconductor
• Observation of Majorana Fermions in a Nb-InSb Nanowire-Nb Hybrid Quantum Device
• Majorana bound states in a coupled quantum-dot hybrid-nanowire system
• Colloquium: Majorana Fermions in nuclear, particle and solid-state physics
• Anomalous modulation of a zero bias peak in a hybrid nanowire-superconductor device
• Electrically detected interferometry of Majorana fermions in a topological insulator
• Quantized Majorana conductance
• Non-Abelian quantum order in spin-orbit-coupled semiconductors: The search for topological Majorana particles in solid state systems
• Scaling of Majorana Zero-Bias Conductance Peaks
• Transport spectroscopy of NS nanowire junctions with Majorana fermions
• Towards a realistic transport modeling in a superconducting nanowire with Majorana fermions
• A Majorana smoking gun for the superconductor-semiconductor hybrid topological system
• SNS junctions in nanowires with spin-orbit coupling: role of confinement and helicity on the sub-gap spectrum
• Signatures of Majorana Zero Modes in Spin-Resolved Current Correlations
• Testable signatures of quantum non-locality in a two-dimensional chiral p-wave superconductor
• Mutation of Andreev into Majorana bound states in long NS and SNS junctions
• Fermionic and Majorana Bound States in Hybrid Nanowires with Non-Uniform Spin-Orbit Interaction
• Conductance interference in a superconducting Coulomb blockaded Majorana ring

Cited by in corpus (161)

• From Andreev to Majorana bound states in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowires
• Nearly quantized conductance plateau of vortex zero mode in an iron-based superconductor
• Nonlocality of Majorana Modes in Hybrid Nanowires
• Reproducing topological properties with quasi-Majorana states
• Physical mechanisms for zero-bias conductance peaks in Majorana nanowires
• Quantized zero bias conductance plateau in semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures without non-Abelian Majorana zero modes
• Zero-energy Andreev bound states from quantum dots in proximitized Rashba nanowires
• Disorder-induced zero-bias peaks in Majorana nanowires
• Non-Hermitian topology: a unifying framework for the Andreev versus Majorana states controversy
• Ubiquitous non-Majorana Zero-Bias Conductance Peaks in Nanowire Devices
• Nontopological zero-bias peaks in full-shell nanowires induced by flux tunable Andreev states
• Decaying spectral oscillations in a Majorana wire with finite coherence length
• Majorana nanowires for topological quantum computation
• On controlling the bound states in quantum-dot hybrid-nanowire
• Effective theory approach to the Schrodinger-Poisson problem in semiconductor Majorana devices
• Quantifying wave-function overlaps in inhomogeneous Majorana nanowires
• Quantum anomaly, non-Hermitian skin effects, and entanglement entropy in open systems
• Effective g-factor in Majorana Wires
• Three-terminal nonlocal conductance in Majorana nanowires: Distinguishing topological and trivial in realistic systems with disorder and inhomogeneous potential
• Zero-energy pinning of topologically-trivial bound states in multi-band semiconductor-superconductor nanowires
• Shadow-wall lithography of ballistic superconductor-semiconductor quantum devices
• Robust low-energy Andreev bound states in semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures: Importance of partial separation of component Majorana bound states
• Spin-dependent zero-bias peak in a hybrid nanowire-quantum dot system: Distinguishing isolated Majorana fermions from Andreev bound states
• Local and non-local quantum transport due to Andreev bound states in finite Rashba nanowires with superconducting and normal sections
• Weak measurement protocols for Majorana bound state identification
• Quantized and unquantized zero-bias tunneling conductance peaks in Majorana nanowires: Conductance below and above $2e^2/h$
• Charge impurity effects in hybrid Majorana nanowires
• Coherent transport through a Majorana island in an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer
• Majorana Fermions in Magnetic Chains
• Fractional Josephson Effect with and without Majorana Zero Modes
• Majorana bound states in semiconducting nanostructures
• Distinguishing trivial and topological zero energy states in long nanowire junctions
• Trivial Andreev band mimicking topological bulk gap reopening in the non-local conductance of long Rashba nanowires
• Braiding Majorana zero modes using quantum dots
• Presence versus absence of end-to-end nonlocal conductance correlations in Majorana nanowires: Majorana bound states versus Andreev bound states
• Decays of Majorana or Andreev oscillations induced by steplike spin-orbit coupling
• Dephasing and leakage dynamics of noisy Majorana-based qubits: Topological versus Andreev
• Giant shot noise from Majorana zero modes in topological trijunctions
• Strong Coulomb interactions in the problem of Majorana modes in a wire of the nontrivial topological class BDI
• In Situ Epitaxy of Pure Phase Ultra-Thin InAs-Al Nanowires for Quantum Devices
• Metamorphosis of Andreev bound states into Majorana bound states in pristine nanowires
• Boundary spin polarization as robust signature of topological phase transition in Majorana nanowires
• Interaction-induced zero-energy pinning and quantum dot formation in Majorana nanowires
• Partially-separated Majorana modes in a disordered medium
• Majorana Braiding in Realistic Nanowire Y-Junctions and Tuning Forks
• Subband occupation in semiconductor-superconductor nanowires
• Enhanced topological superconductivity in spatially modulated planar Josephson junctions
• Topological superconductivity and Majorana states in low-dimensional systems
• From fractional solitons to Majorana fermions in a paradigmatic model of topological superconductivity
• Electronic structure of full-shell InAs/Al hybrid semiconductor-superconductor nanowires: Spin-orbit coupling and topological phase space
• Aspects of topological superconductivity in 2D systems: noncollinear magnetism, skyrmions, and higher-order topology
• Majorana/Andreev crossover and the fate of the topological phase transition in inhomogeneous nanowires
• Recent progress on Majorana in semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures--Engineering and detection
• Entangling Spins in Double Quantum Dots and Majorana Bound States
• Topologically nontrivial Andreev bound states
• Gate-Defined Topological Josephson Junctions in Bernal Bilayer Graphene
• Dynamic Majorana resonances and universal symmetry of nonequilibrium thermoelectric quantum noise
• Crossover between trivial zero modes in Majorana nanowires
• Nodal Andreev Spectra in Multi-Majorana Three-Terminal Josephson Junctions
• Planar Josephson junctions in germanium: Effect of cubic spin-orbit interaction
• Majorana Bound States in Double Nanowires with Reduced Zeeman Thresholds due to Supercurrents
• Pinning of Andreev bound states to zero energy in two-dimensional superconductor-semiconductor Rashba heterostructures
• Formation and detection of Majorana modes in quantum spin Hall trenches
• Majorana oscillations and parity crossings in semiconductor-nanowire-based transmon qubits
• Conductance feature smearing and anisotropic suppression of induced superconductivity in a Majorana nanowire
• Quadrupole spin polarization as signature of second-order topological superconductors
• Prevalence of trivial zero-energy sub-gap states in non-uniform helical spin chains on the surface of superconductors
• Progress in superconductor-semiconductor topological Josephson junctions
• Kitaev chain in an alternating quantum dot-Andreev bound state array
• Emergent vortex Majorana zero mode in iron-based superconductors
• From perfect to imperfect poor man's Majoranas in minimal Kitaev chains
• Majorana bound states in a superconducting Rashba nanowire in the presence of antiferromagnetic order
• Universal conductance scaling of Andreev reflections using a dissipative probe
• Control and detection of Majorana bound states in quantum dot arrays
• Transport signatures of Majorana bound states in superconducting hybrid structures
• Feasibility of measurement-based braiding in the quasi-Majorana regime of semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures
• Quasiparticle gaps in multiprobe Majorana nanowires
• Topological Kondo Device for distinguishing Quasi-Majorana and Majorana signatures
• Majorana bound states in germanium Josephson junctions via phase control
• Enhanced topological protection in planar quasi-one-dimensional channels with periodically-modulated width
• Phenomenology of Majorana zero modes in full-shell hybrid nanowires
• Experimental review on Majorana zero-modes in hybrid nanowires
• Quality factor for zero-bias conductance peaks in Majorana nanowire
• Manipulation of Majorana Kramers Qubit and its Tolerance in Time-Reversal-Invariant Topological Superconductor
• Thermal signature of Majorana fermions in Josephson junction
• Role of dephasing on the conductance signatures of Majorana zero modes
• Kitaev chain with a quantum dot
• Fate of poor man's Majoranas in the long Kitaev chain limit
• Dual Majorana universality in thermally induced nonequilibrium
• Topological isoconductance signatures in Majorana nanowires
• Majorana bound state engineering via efficient real-space parameter optimization
• Accessing the degree of Majorana nonlocality in a quantum dot-optical microcavity system
• Theory of Coulomb blockaded transport in realistic Majorana nanowires
• Differential current noise as an identifier of Andreev bound states that induce nearly quantized conductance plateaus
• Electrostatical formation of the Majorana quasiparticles in the quantum dot--nanoring structure
• Curvature of gap closing features and the extraction of Majorana nanowire parameters
• Aharonov-Bohm interference as a probe of Majorana fermions
• Non-Abelian Anyons and Non-Abelian Vortices in Topological Superconductors
• Trapping Majorana Zero Modes in Vortices of Magnetic Texture Crystals Coupled to Nodal Superconductors
• Non-Hermiticity stabilized Majorana zero modes in semiconductor-superconductor nanowires
• Effect of topological length on Bound states signatures in a Topological nanowire
• Quantized spin pumping in topological ferromagnetic-superconducting nanowires
• Probing electron-hole weights of an Andreev bound state by transient currents
• Random matrix theory for the robustness, quantization, and end-to-end correlation of zero-bias conductance peaks in a class D ensemble
• Majorana versus Andreev bound state energy oscillations in a 1D semiconductor-superconductor heterostructure
• Reveal the non-local coherent nature from a dissipative Majorana teleportation
• Delocalisation of Majorana quasiparticles in plaquette--nanowire hybrid system
• Majorana-mediated thermoelectric transport in multiterminal junctions
• Transport features of a topological superconducting nanowire with a quantum dot: conductance and noise
• Topologically nontrivial and trivial zero modes in chiral molecules
• Master equation approach for transport through Majorana zero modes
• Transport signatures of topological phases in double nanowires probed by spin-polarized STM
• Statistical Majorana Bound State Spectroscopy
• Waiting time distributions in Quantum spin hall based heterostructures
• Majorana zero modes by engineering topological kink states in two dimensional electron gas
• Symmetry-breaking signatures of multiple Majorana zero modes in one-dimensional spin-triplet superconductors
• Protected Solid-State Qubits
• Diagnosing Topological Phase Transitions in 1D Superconductors using Berry Singularity Markers
• Probing Majorana bound states through an inhomogeneous Andreev double dot interferometer
• Anomalous photon-assisted tunneling in periodically driven Majorana nanowires and BCS Charge Measurement
• Nonequilibrium Fractional Josephson Effect
• Delocalized states in three-terminal superconductor-semiconductor nanowire devices
• Dynamical approach to improving Majorana qubits and distinguishing them from trivial bound states
• Magnetically stable zero-bias anomaly in Andreev contact to the magnetic Weyl semimetal Co${}_3$Sn${}_2$S${}_2$
• Fermion-parity switches of the ground state of Majorana billiards
• Two types of dark solitons in a spin-orbit-coupled Fermi gas
• Josephson current via an isolated Majorana zero mode
• Transient effects in quantum dots contacted via topological superconductor
• Topological phase transition driven by magnetic field in one-dimensional topological superconductor rings
• Enhanced $2\pi$-periodic Aharonov-Bohm Effect as a Signature of Majorana Zero Modes Probed by Nonlocal Measurements
• Double Fu-teleportation and anomalous Coulomb blockade in a Majorana-hosted superconducting island
• Disorder effects in planar semiconductor-superconductor structures: Majorana wires versus Josephson junctions
• Stabilizing topological superconductivity in disordered spin-orbit coupled semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures
• All-electrical spectroscopy of topological phases in semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures
• Proximity-induced zero-energy states indistinguishable from topological edge states
• Quantum transport theory of hybrid superconducting systems
• Realization of the Non-endpoint Majorana Bound States in an Extended Kitaev Chain
• Emergence of $X$ states in a quantum impurity model
• Distinguishing Majorana bound states from Andreev bound states through differential conductance and current noise spectrum
• Spin-resolved nonlocal transport in proximitized Rashba nanowires
• The differential conductance tunnel spectroscopy in an analytical solvable two-terminal Majorana device
• Transport signatures of inverted Andreev bands in topological Josephson junctions
• Phase-controlled quantum transport signatures in a quantum dot-Majorana hybrid ring system
• Assessing bound states in a one-dimensional topological superconductor: Majorana versus Tamm
• Honing in on a topological zero-bias conductance peak
• Noise-Tolerance of Majorana Teleportation in Mesoscopic Topological Superconductors
• Identifying biases of the Majorana scattering invariant
• Non-Abelian operation through scattering between chiral Dirac edge modes
• Quantifying the non-Abelian property of Andreev bound states in inhomogeneous Majorana nanowires
• Properties of dissipative Floquet Majorana modes using a quantum dot
• Majorana polarization in disordered heterostructures
• Properties and prevalence of false poor man's Majoranas in two- and three-site artificial Kitaev chains
• Confinement-induced zero-bias peaks in conventional superconductor hybrids
• Majorana bound states with chiral magnetic textures
• Majorana bound states in the presence of the half-smeared potential
• Signatures of Majorana bound states in scanning gate microscopy of hybrid nanowires
• Zero and Nonzero Energy Majorana Modes in an Extended Kitaev Chain
• Majorana modes in graphene strips: polarization, wavefunctions, disorder, and Andreev states
• Excess photon-assisted noise of Majorana and Andreev bound states
• Edge States Effects in Quantum Work Statistics
• Proximity-induced superconductivity generated by thin films: Effects of Fermi surface mismatch and disorder in the superconductor