Skyrmion Control of Majorana States in Planar Josephson Junctions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how skyrmion-induced chiral magnetism in planar Josephson junctions can generate and control Majorana bound states without needing intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, offering tunable topological quantum states.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach using skyrmion crystals to create and manipulate Majorana states in Josephson junctions, bypassing the need for Rashba spin-orbit coupling.

Findings

Majorana states are realized at zero phase difference.

Skyrmion radius controls Majorana state properties.

Chiral magnetism enables topological superconductivity without intrinsic spin-orbit coupling.

Abstract

Planar Josephson junctions provide a versatile platform, alternative to the nanowire-based geometry, for the generation of the Majorana bound states, due to the additional phase tunability of the topological superconductivity. The proximity induction of chiral magnetism and superconductivity in a two-dimensional electron gas showed remarkable promises to manipulate topological superconductivity. Here, we consider a Josephson junction involving a skyrmion crystal and show that the chiral magnetism of the skyrmions can create and control the Majorana bound states without the requirement of an intrinsic Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Interestingly, the Majorana bound states in our geometry are realized robustly at zero phase difference at the junction. The skyrmion radius, being externally tunable by a magnetic field or a magnetic anisotropy, brings a unique control feature for the Majorana bound states.