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Title: Crystalline-Symmetry-Protected Helical Majorana Modes in the Iron Pnictides

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [2]
  1. Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
  2. Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States); Univ. of London, Surrey (United Kingdom)
+ Show Author Affiliations

We propose that propagating one-dimensional Majorana fermions will develop in the vortex cores of certain iron-based superconductors, most notably Li(Fe1–xCox) As. A key ingredient of this proposal is the 3D Dirac cones recently observed in photoemission experiments. Using an effective Hamiltonian around the Γ–Z line we demonstrate the development of gapless one-dimensional helical Majorana modes, protected by C4 symmetry. A topological index is derived which links the helical Majorana modes to the presence of monopoles in the Berry curvature of the normal state. Finally, we present various experimental consequences of this theory and discuss its possible connections with cosmic strings.

Research Organization:
Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-99ER45790; GBMF5305
OSTI ID:
1610437
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1515605
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 122, Issue 20; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Figures / Tables (3)

FIG. 1(p. 2)figure FIG. 1
TABLE I(p. 4)table TABLE I
FIG. 2(p. 5)figure FIG. 2

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75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
physics
Majornana fermions
topological phases of matter
vortices in superconductors
dirac semimetal
iron-based superconductors
pnictides