Berlin 2012 – scientific programme
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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen
TT 24: Nanomechanics
TT 24.12: Talk
Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 12:30–12:45, H 3005
Detecting Majorana Bound States by Nanomechanics — •Stefan Walter1, Thomas L. Schmidt2, Kjetil Børkje2, and Björn Trauzettel1 — 1Institute for Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany — 2Department of Physics, Yale University, 217 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
We propose a nanomechanical detection scheme for Majorana bound states, which have been predicted to exist at the edges of a one-dimensional topological superconductor, implemented, for instance, using a semiconducting wire placed on top of an s-wave superconductor. Existing detection schemes focus, for instance, on tunnel setups, interferometer setups and the Josephson effect. However, it is fair to say that true qualitative experimental signatures of Majorana fermions that persist in realistic systems are rather difficult to predict.
Our detection scheme, makes use of an oscillating electrode, which can be realized using a doubly clamped metallic beam, tunnel coupled to one edge of the topological superconductor. We find that a measurement of the nonlinear differential conductance provides the necessary information to uniquely identify Majorana bound states.