Fingerprints of Majorana fermions in spin-resolved subgap spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper investigates how Majorana bound states influence Shiba states in a quantum dot-superconductor system, revealing spin-resolved spectral signatures that serve as experimental fingerprints for Majorana fermions.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework combining analytical and numerical methods to identify spin-resolved spectral imbalances as signatures of Majorana fermions in quantum dot setups.

Findings

Majorana states cause characteristic spin imbalance in spectral functions.

In-gap states are significantly altered by coupling to Majorana bound states.

Transport measurements can detect these Majorana-induced spectral features.

Abstract

When a strongly correlated quantum dot is tunnel-coupled to a superconductor, it leads to the formation of Shiba bound states inside the superconducting gap. They have been measured experimentally in a superconductor-quantum dot-normal lead setup. Side coupling the quantum dot to a topological superconducting wire that supports Majorana bound states at its ends, drastically affects the structure of the Shiba states and induces supplementary in-gap states. The anomalous coupling between the Majorana bound states and the quantum dot gives rise to a characteristic imbalance in the spin resolved spectral functions for the dot operators. These are clear fingerprints for the existence of Majorana fermions and they can be detected experimentally in transport measurements. In terms of methods employed, we have used analytical approaches combined with the numerical renormalization group approach.