Creation and annihilation of mobile fractional solitons in atomic chains

Abstract

Localized modes in one dimensional topological systems, such as Majonara modes in topological superconductors, are promising platforms for robust information processing. In one dimensional topological insulators, mobile topological solitons are expected but have not been fully realized yet. We discover fractionalized phase defects moving along trimer silicon atomic chains formed along step edges of a vicinal silicon surface. Tunneling microscopy identifies local defects with phase shifts of 2π/3 and 4π/3 with their electronic states within the band gap and with their motions activated above 100 K. Theoretical calculations reveal the topological soliton origin of the phase defects with fractional charges of {\pm}2e/3 and {\pm}4e/3. An individual soliton can be created and annihilated at a desired location by current pulse from the probe tip. Mobile and manipulatable topological solitons discovered here provide a new platform of robustly-protected informatics with extraordinary functionalities.

18 pages, 4 figures

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Cited by in corpus (8)

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• Topological edge states in a Rydberg composite
• Stability of moving solitons in trans-polyacetylene in an electric field
• States decoupled from the surface in short Si atomic chains
• Towards electrical domain-wall control in polyacetylene-based electronic nanodevices
• Electrostatically-induced topological phase transitions in polyacetylene molecules
• Charge waves and dynamical signatures of topological phases in Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chains