Majorana Fermion Induced Resonant Andreev Reflection
Abstract
We describe experimental signatures of Majorana fermion edge states, which form at the interface between a superconductor and the surface of a topological insulator. If a lead couples to the Majorana fermions through electron tunneling, the Majorana fermions induce resonant Andreev reflections from the lead to the grounded superconductor. The linear tunneling conductance is 0 (2e2/h) if there is an even (odd) number of vortices in the superconductor. Similar resonance occurs for tunneling into the zero mode in the vortex core. We also study the current and noise of a two-lead device.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.237001
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0907.1909
- Bibcode:
- 2009PhRvL.103w7001L
- Keywords:
-
- 74.45.+c;
- 03.67.Lx;
- 71.10.Pm;
- Proximity effects;
- Andreev effect;
- SN and SNS junctions;
- Quantum computation;
- Fermions in reduced dimensions;
- Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics;
- Condensed Matter - Superconductivity
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 3 figures. Discussion on STM tunneling into the Majorana zero mode in the vortex core is added