Time-resolved electrical detection of chiral edge vortex braiding

Abstract

A $2\pi$ phase shift across a Josephson junction in a topological superconductor injects vortices into the chiral edge modes at opposite ends of the junction. When two vortices are fused they transfer charge into a metal contact. We calculate the time dependent current profile for the fusion process, which consists of $\pm e/2$ charge pulses that flip sign if the world lines of the vortices are braided prior to the fusion. This is an electrical signature of the non-Abelian exchange of Majorana zero-modes.

21 pages, 8 figures; V2: expanded section 8 to include the braiding of counter-propagating edge vortices