In a groundbreaking discovery published in Nature, a collaborative research team led by Prof. Junwei Liu from HKUST and Prof. Jinfeng Jia and Prof. Yaoyi Li from SJTU has identified the world’s first multiple Majorana zero modes (MZMs) in a single vortex of the superconducting topological crystalline insulator SnTe. This discovery not only holds immense promise for advancing fault-tolerant quantum computers but also sheds light on the potential of crystal symmetry in controlling the coupling between MZMs.
Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are zero-energy quasiparticles that exhibit topologically nontrivial characteristics in superconductors, following non-Abelian statistics. Unlike ordinary particles such as electrons or photons, MZMs display different outcomes with inequivalent braiding sequences, making them highly resilient to local perturbations. This inherent property makes MZMs an ideal candidate for robust fault-tolerant quantum computation.
While significant progress has been made in engineering artificial topological superconductors, the manipulation and braiding of MZMs have posed substantial challenges due to their spatial separation. Traditional methods involving real space movement or strong magnetic fields have proven to be complex and limiting in harnessing the full potential of MZMs for quantum computing applications.
The collaborative research team took a novel approach by leveraging the unique crystal-symmetry-protected MZMs in SnTe to overcome existing bottlenecks. Through a combination of experimental observations and theoretical simulations, they successfully demonstrated the existence and hybridization of multiple MZMs within a single vortex of SnTe without the need for real space movement or strong magnetic fields. This pioneering method opens up new possibilities for detecting and manipulating crystal-symmetry-protected MZMs.
The experimental group at SJTU conducted extensive studies on the SnTe/Pb heterostructure under tilted magnetic fields, leading to significant changes in the zero-bias peak – a key indicator of MZMs. These observations provided crucial insights into the behavior of crystal-symmetry-protected MZMs and set the stage for further exploration of their properties in vortex systems.
The theoretical team at HKUST utilized advanced numerical simulations, including the kernel polynomial method, to validate the experimental findings and showcase the anisotropic responses of crystal-symmetry-protected MZMs to tilted magnetic fields. By simulating large vortex systems with millions of orbitals, they laid the foundation for exploring novel properties beyond just MZMs in crystal-symmetry-protected systems, paving the way for future developments in quantum computing.
The discovery of multiple Majorana zero modes in a single vortex of SnTe represents a significant milestone in the field of quantum computing. By harnessing the power of crystal symmetry and eliminating traditional limitations, the research team has opened up new avenues for realizing fault-tolerant quantum computers and exploring the potential of non-Abelian statistics in quantum information processing. The findings hold promise for the development of innovative topological qubits and quantum gates, ushering in a new era of quantum technology.
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