Search for large topological gaps in atomic spin chains on proximitized superconducting heavy metal layers

TL;DR

This study explores how heavy metal substrates like gold influence the topological gaps in atomic spin chains on superconductors, aiming to identify materials that support robust Majorana modes.

Contribution

It introduces a new heavy metal layer on a superconductor and investigates its effects on topological gap size and Majorana edge mode stability.

Findings

Au on Nb(110) enables defect-free Fe chains

Heavy substrate does not induce topological gaps without external manipulation

Artificial spin spirals can open minigaps and support zero-energy states

Abstract

One-dimensional systems comprising s-wave superconductivity with meticulously tuned magnetism and spin-orbit coupling can realize topologically gapped superconductors hosting Majorana edge modes whose stability is determined by the gap's size. The ongoing quest for larger topological gaps evolved into a material science issue. However, for atomic spin chains on superconductor surfaces, the effect of the substrate's spin-orbit coupling on the system's topological gap size is largely unexplored. Here, we introduce an atomic layer of the heavy metal Au on Nb(110) which combines strong spin-orbit coupling and a large superconducting gap with a high crystallographic quality enabling the assembly of defect-free Fe chains using a scanning tunneling microscope tip. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments and density functional theory calculations reveal ferromagnetic coupling and ungapped YSR bands in the chain despite of the heavy substrate. By artificially imposing a spin spiral state our calculations indicate a minigap opening and zero-energy edge state formation. The presented methodology paves the way towards a material screening of heavy metal layers on elemental superconductors for ideal systems hosting Majorana edge modes protected by large topological gaps.