A1 Journal article (refereed)
Distinguishing Majorana zero modes from impurity states through time-resolved transport (2019)

Tuovinen, R., Perfetto, E., van Leeuwen, R., Stefanucci, G., & Sentef, M. A. (2019). Distinguishing Majorana zero modes from impurity states through time-resolved transport. New Journal of Physics, 21, Article 103038. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab4ab7

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Tuovinen, Riku; Perfetto, Enrico; van Leeuwen, Robert; Stefanucci, Gianluca; Sentef, Michael A.

Journal or series: New Journal of Physics

eISSN: 1367-2630

Publication year: 2019

Volume: 21

Article number: 103038

Publisher: Institute of Physics

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab4ab7

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/67106

Web address of parallel published publication (pre-print): https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.05821

Abstract

We study time-resolved charge transport in a superconducting nanowire using time-dependent Landauer–Büttiker theory. We find that the steady-state Majorana zero-bias conductance peak emerges transiently accompanied by characteristic oscillations after a bias-voltage quench. These oscillations are suppressed for trivial impurity states (IS) that otherwise show a similar steady-state signal as the Majorana zero mode (MZM). In addition, we find that Andreev bound states or quasi-Majorana states (QMS) in the topologically trivial bulk phase can give rise to a zero-bias conductance peak, also retaining the transient properties of the MZM. Our results imply that (1) time-resolved transport may be used as a probe to distinguish between the topological MZM and trivial IS; and (2) the QMS mimic the transient signatures of the topological MZMs.

Keywords: superconductivity; nanostructures; quantum physics

Contributing organizations

Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2019

JUFO rating: 2