Probing Atomic Majorana Fermions in Optical Lattices

TL;DR

This paper proposes a one-dimensional optical lattice system with fermionic atoms that hosts topological states featuring Majorana fermions, and introduces universal detection methods based on their unique properties.

Contribution

It introduces a new model of fermionic atoms in optical lattices with topological phases and proposes universal detection techniques for Majorana edge states.

Findings

Identification of topological states with Majorana fermions in the system

Proposed detection methods based on zero-energy and localized wave functions

Potential for experimental realization of Majorana fermions in optical lattices

Abstract

We introduce a one-dimensional system of fermionic atoms in an optical lattice whose phase diagram includes topological states of different symmetry classes. These states can be identified by their zero-energy edge modes which are Majorana fermions. We propose several universal methods of detecting the Majorana edge states, based on their genuine features: zero-energy, localized character of the wave functions, and induced non-local fermionic correlations.