Topological superconducting phases in disordered quantum wires with strong spin-orbit coupling

TL;DR

This paper investigates how potential disorder influences topological superconducting phases in disordered quantum wires with strong spin-orbit coupling, revealing a complex dependence on the Zeeman field.

Contribution

It combines analytical and numerical methods to analyze the disorder effects on topological phases, highlighting the non-monotonous robustness related to the Zeeman field.

Findings

Topological phase robustness varies non-monotonously with Zeeman field.

Disorder can both suppress and stabilize topological phases depending on conditions.

The study provides insights into disorder effects for topological quantum computing platforms.

Abstract

Zeeman fields can drive semiconductor quantum wires with strong spin-orbit coupling and in proximity to s-wave superconductors into a topological phase which supports end Majorana fermions and offers an attractive platform for realizing topological quantum information processing. Here, we investigate how potential disorder affects the topological phase by a combination of analytical and numerical approaches. Most prominently, we find that the robustness of the topological phase against disorder depends sensitively and non-monotonously on the Zeeman field applied to the wire.