Size Constraints on Majorana Beamsplitter Interferometer: Majorana Coupling and Surface-Bulk Scattering

Abstract

Topological insulator surfaces in proximity to superconductors have been proposed as a way to produce Majorana fermions in condensed matter physics. One of the simplest proposed experiments with such a system is Majorana interferometry. Here, we consider two possibly conflicting constraints on the size of such an interferometer. Coupling of a Majorana mode from the edge (the arms) of the interferometer to vortices in the centre of the device sets a lower bound on the size of the device. On the other hand, scattering to the usually imperfectly insulating bulk sets an upper bound. From estimates of experimental parameters, we find that typical samples may have no size window in which the Majorana interferometer can operate, implying that a new generation of more highly insulating samples must be explored.

14 pages, 6 figures

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Partial Equilibration of the Anti-Pfaffian edge due to Majorana Disorder
• Non-Abelian Braiding of Chiral Majorana Fermions by Quantum Dots
• Magnetic Flux Control of Chiral Majorana Edge Modes in Topological Superconductor
• Excess equilibrium noise in topological SNS junction between chiral Majorana liquids
• Finite temperature effects on Majorana bound states in chiral $p$-wave superconductors
• Conductance oscillations and speed of chiral Majorana mode in a quantum-anomalous-Hall 2d strip
• Non-Abelian anyon statistics through AC conductance of a Majorana interferometer
• Magnetic orbital motion and 0.5$e^2/h$ conductance of quantum-anomalous-Hall hybrid strips