Isolated pairs of Majorana zero modes in a disordered superconducting lead monolayer

Gerbold C. Ménard, Andrej Mesaros, Christophe Brun, François Debontridder, Dimitri Roditchev, Pascal Simon () and Tristan Cren ()
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Gerbold C. Ménard: Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, Sorbonne Université and CNRS-UMR 7588
Andrej Mesaros: Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay
Christophe Brun: Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, Sorbonne Université and CNRS-UMR 7588
François Debontridder: Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, Sorbonne Université and CNRS-UMR 7588
Dimitri Roditchev: Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, Sorbonne Université and CNRS-UMR 7588
Pascal Simon: Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay
Tristan Cren: Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, Sorbonne Université and CNRS-UMR 7588

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Majorana zero modes are fractional quantum excitations appearing in pairs, each pair being a building block for quantum computation. Some signatures of Majorana zero modes have been reported at endpoints of one-dimensional systems, which are however required to be extremely clean. An alternative are two-dimensional topological superconductors, such as the Pb/Co/Si(111) system shown recently to be immune to local disorder. Here, we use scanning tunneling spectroscopy to characterize a disordered superconducting monolayer of Pb coupled to underlying Co-Si magnetic islands. We show that pairs of zero modes are stabilized: one zero mode positioned in the middle of the magnetic domain and its partner extended all around the domain. The zero mode pair is remarkably robust, isolated within a hard superconducting gap. Our theoretical scenario supports the protected Majorana nature of this zero mode pair, highlighting the role of magnetic or spin-orbit coupling textures.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10397-5

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