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Title: Single-electron charge transfer into putative Majorana and trivial modes in individual vortices

Abstract

Majorana bound states are putative collective excitations in solids that exhibit the self-conjugate property of Majorana fermions—they are their own antiparticles. In iron-based superconductors, zero-energy states in vortices have been reported as potential Majorana bound states, but the evidence remains controversial. Here, we use scanning tunneling noise spectroscopy to study the tunneling process into vortex bound states in the conventional superconductor NbSe2, and in the putative Majorana platform FeTe0.55Se0.45. We find that tunneling into vortex bound states in both cases exhibits charge transfer of a single electron charge. Our data for the zero-energy bound states in FeTe0.55Se0.45 exclude the possibility of Yu–Shiba–Rusinov states and are consistent with both Majorana bound states and trivial vortex bound states. Our results open an avenue for investigating the exotic states in vortex cores and for future Majorana devices, although further theoretical investigations involving charge dynamics and superconducting tips are necessary.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Leiden Univ. (Netherlands)
  2. Leiden Univ. (Netherlands); Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands)
  3. Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
  4. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Dept.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE); National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF); European Research Council (ERC)
OSTI Identifier:
1992857
Report Number(s):
BNL-224631-2023-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723; TRN: US2404251
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0012704
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; scanning probe microscopy; superconducting properties and materials; topological insulators

Citation Formats

Ge, Jian-Feng, Bastiaans, Koen M., Chatzopoulos, Damianos, Cho, Doohee, Tromp, Willem O., Benschop, Tjerk, Niu, Jiasen, Gu, Genda, and Allan, Milan P. Single-electron charge transfer into putative Majorana and trivial modes in individual vortices. United States: N. p., 2023. Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-39109-w.
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Ge, Jian-Feng, Bastiaans, Koen M., Chatzopoulos, Damianos, Cho, Doohee, Tromp, Willem O., Benschop, Tjerk, Niu, Jiasen, Gu, Genda, & Allan, Milan P. Single-electron charge transfer into putative Majorana and trivial modes in individual vortices. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39109-w
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Ge, Jian-Feng, Bastiaans, Koen M., Chatzopoulos, Damianos, Cho, Doohee, Tromp, Willem O., Benschop, Tjerk, Niu, Jiasen, Gu, Genda, and Allan, Milan P. Thu . "Single-electron charge transfer into putative Majorana and trivial modes in individual vortices". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39109-w. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1992857.
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@article{osti_1992857,
title = {Single-electron charge transfer into putative Majorana and trivial modes in individual vortices},
author = {Ge, Jian-Feng and Bastiaans, Koen M. and Chatzopoulos, Damianos and Cho, Doohee and Tromp, Willem O. and Benschop, Tjerk and Niu, Jiasen and Gu, Genda and Allan, Milan P.},
abstractNote = {Majorana bound states are putative collective excitations in solids that exhibit the self-conjugate property of Majorana fermions—they are their own antiparticles. In iron-based superconductors, zero-energy states in vortices have been reported as potential Majorana bound states, but the evidence remains controversial. Here, we use scanning tunneling noise spectroscopy to study the tunneling process into vortex bound states in the conventional superconductor NbSe2, and in the putative Majorana platform FeTe0.55Se0.45. We find that tunneling into vortex bound states in both cases exhibits charge transfer of a single electron charge. Our data for the zero-energy bound states in FeTe0.55Se0.45 exclude the possibility of Yu–Shiba–Rusinov states and are consistent with both Majorana bound states and trivial vortex bound states. Our results open an avenue for investigating the exotic states in vortex cores and for future Majorana devices, although further theoretical investigations involving charge dynamics and superconducting tips are necessary.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-023-39109-w},
journal = {Nature Communications},
number = 1,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 08 00:00:00 EDT 2023},
month = {Thu Jun 08 00:00:00 EDT 2023}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39109-w
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1 : Local tunneling shot noise measurements of vortex bound states. a Schematic illustration of the scanning tunneling noise microscope setup. A bias voltage (Vbias) is applied between the superconducting (SC) tip and sample, while the cylinder represents a SC vortex. If the tunneling process is a single-electron (gray)more » into vortex bound states (red arrow), an effective charge q* = 1e is transferred from the tip to the vortex. When Andreev reflection takes place (blue arrows), a hole (white) is reflected, and the effective charge doubles q* = 2e. HF and LF stand for the high- and low-frequency amplifier, respectively. STM, scanning tunneling microscope. b,c, Full flux quantum (h/2e) vortex lattice in NbSe2 (b) and FeSe0.55Te0.45 (c) revealed by spatially resolved differential conductance at a magnetic field of 0.1 T. Setup conditions: b, Vset = -5 mV, Iset = 200 pA; c, Vset = 10 mV, Iset = 250 pA.« less
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    Figures / Tables found in this record:

    Fig. 1 (p. 19)figure
    Fig. 2 (p. 20)figure
    Fig. 3 (p. 21)figure
    Fig. 4 (p. 22)figure
    Supplementary Table 1 (p. 27)figure
    Supplementary Figure 1 (p. 30)figure
    Supplementary Figure 2 (p. 31)figure
    Supplementary Figure 3 (p. 32)figure
    Supplementary Figure 4 (p. 33)figure
    Supplementary Figure 5 (p. 34)figure
    Supplementary Figure 6 (p. 35)figure
    Supplementary Figure 7 (p. 36)figure
    Supplementary Figure 8 (p. 37)figure
    Supplementary Figure 9 (p. 38)figure
    Supplementary Figure 10 (p. 39)figure
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