Flat-band Majorana bound states in topological Josephson junctions

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel topological Josephson junction device that can realize flat-band Majorana bound states, overcoming material limitations and advancing the study of $p_x$-wave topological superconductors.

Contribution

It introduces a new device design using a semiconductor with a persistent spin-helix state to realize effective $p_x$-wave superconductivity and flat-band Majorana states.

Findings

Analytical topological phase diagram derived.

Numerical evidence of flat-band Majorana states.

Potential for experimental realization of $p_x$-wave superconductivity.

Abstract

Nodal topological superconductors characterized by $p_x$-wave pairing symmetry host flat-band Majorana bound states causing drastic anomalies in low-energy electromagnetic responses. Nevertheless, the study of flat-band Majorana bound states has been at a standstill owing to a serious lack of candidate materials for $p_x$-wave superconductors. In this paper, by expanding a scheme of planar topological Josephson junctions, we propose a promising device realizing an effective $p_x$-wave superconductor. Specifically, we consider a three-dimensional Josephson junction consisting of a thin-film semiconductor hosting a persistent spin-helix state and two conventional $s$-wave superconductors. We analytically obtain a topological phase diagram and numerically demonstrate the emergence of flat-band Majorana bound states by calculating the local density of states.