Regensburg 2022 – scientific programme

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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen

TT 1: Topology: Majorana Physics

TT 1.2: Talk

Monday, September 5, 2022, 10:00–10:15, H10

Quantized phase-coherent heat transport of counterpropagating Majorana modes — Alexander G. Bauer¹, Benedikt Scharf², Laurens W. Molenkamp³, Ewelina M. Hankiewicz², and •Björn Sothmann¹ — ¹Theoretische Physik, Universität Duisburg-Essen and CENIDE, D-47048 Duisburg, Germany — ²Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics and Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany — ³Experimentelle Physik III, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany

We demonstrate that phase-coherent heat transport constitutes a powerful tool to probe Majorana physics in topological Josephson junctions. We predict that the thermal conductance transverse to the direction of the superconducting phase bias is universally quantized by half the thermal conductance quantum at phase difference φ=π. This is a direct consequence of the parity-protected counterpropagating Majorana modes which are hosted at the superconducting interfaces. Away from φ=π, we find a strong suppression of the thermal conductance due to the opening of a gap in the Andreev spectrum. This behavior is very robust with respect to the presence of magnetic fields. It is in direct contrast to the thermal conductance of a trivial Josephson junction which is suppressed at any phase difference φ.

[1] A. G. Bauer, B. Scharf, L. W. Molenkamp, E. M. Hankiewicz, B. Sothmann, Phys. Rev. B 104, L201410 (2021)