Encoding a qubit with Majorana modes in superconducting circuits

TL;DR

This paper proposes using superconducting circuits to encode qubits with Majorana modes, demonstrating their potential for enhanced coherence and braiding operations in quantum computing.

Contribution

It introduces a method to realize Majorana qubits in superconducting circuits and demonstrates braiding with a minimal four-qubit system.

Findings

Majorana modes can be realized in superconducting circuits.

Majorana qubits show improved coherence over traditional qubits.

Braiding of Majorana modes can be demonstrated with four superconducting qubits.

Abstract

Majorana fermions are long-sought exotic particles that are their own antiparticles. Here we propose to utilize superconducting circuits to construct two superconducting-qubit arrays where Majorana modes can occur. A so-called Majorana qubit is encoded by using the unpaired Majorana modes, which emerge at the left and right ends of the chain in the Majorana-fermion representation. We also show this Majorana qubit in the spin representation and its advantage, over a single superconducting qubit, regarding quantum coherence. Moreover, we propose to use four superconducting qubits as the smallest system to demonstrate the braiding of Majorana modes and show how the states before and after braiding Majoranas can be discriminated.