Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen

TT 103: Transport: Poster Session

TT 103.49: Poster

Thursday, March 19, 2015, 15:00–18:00, Poster B

Majorana fermions from Shiba states in an antiferromagnetic chain on top of a superconductor — •Andreas Heimes, Panagiotis Kotetes, and Gerd Schön — Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

We propose a new mechanism for topological superconductivity based on an antiferromagnetically ordered chain of magnetic atoms on the surface of a conventional superconductor [1]. In a weak Zeeman field, a supercurrent in the substrate generates a staggered spin-current, which converts the preexisting topologically-unprotected Shiba states into Majorana fermions (MFs). The two experimental knobs can be finely tuned providing a platform with enhanced functionality for applications. Remarkably, the electronic spin-polarization of the arising edge MF wavefunctions depends solely on the parity of the number of magnetic moments, which can serve as a distinctive signature of the MFs. We introduce the basic concepts within a minimal model and make contact with experiments by a microscopic analysis based on the Shiba states.

[1] A. Heimes, P. Kotetes, and G. Schön,

Phys. Rev. B 90, 060507(R) (2014).