Anisotropic non-split zero-energy vortex bound states in a conventional superconductor

Abstract

Vortices in topological superconductors are predicted to host Majorana bound states (MBSs) as exotic quasiparticles. In recent experiments, the spatially non-split zero-energy vortex bound state in topological superconductors has been regarded as an essential spectroscopic signature for the observation of MBSs. Here, we report the observation of anisotropic non-split zero-energy vortex bound states in a conventional elemental superconductor with a topologically trivial band structure using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The experimental results, corroborated by quasi-classical theoretical calculations, indicate that the non-split states directly reflect the quasiparticle trajectories governed by the surface electronic structure. Our study implies that non-split zero-energy states are not a conclusive signature of MBSs in vortex cores, stimulating a revision of the current understanding of such states.

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• Single-electron charge transfer into putative Majorana and trivial modes in individual vortices
• Coreless vortices as direct signature of chiral $d$-wave superconductivity
• Exactly solving the Kitaev chain and generating Majorana-zero-modes out of noisy qubits
• Tunable vortex bound states in multiband CsV3Sb5-derived kagome superconductors
• Identification of multiple-flux-quanta vortices by core states in the two-band superconductor Pb
• SuperConga: an open-source framework for mesoscopic superconductivity
• Identifying Majorana vortex modes via non-local transport
• Observation of Persistent Zero Modes and Superconducting Vortex Doublets in UTe${}_2$
• Tuning Bound States of Symmetry-Breaking Vortices via Unidirectional Charge Density Wave in a Transition-Metal Dichalcogenide Superconductor