Searching for Majorana quasiparticles at vortex cores in iron-based superconductors

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent high-resolution STM/STS experiments on iron-based superconductors, focusing on detecting Majorana zero modes at vortex cores, and discusses current challenges and future experimental directions for confirming their Majorana nature.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of high-energy-resolution STM/STS studies on Fe(Se,Te) vortex cores and discusses key issues and future experiments for unambiguous Majorana zero mode detection.

Findings

Vortex core spectra show zero-bias conductance peaks below trivial states.

Current evidence suggests these peaks may be Majorana zero modes.

Future experiments like shot noise doubling could confirm Majorananess.

Abstract

The unambiguous detection of the Majorana zero mode (MZM), which is essential for future topological quantum computing, has been a challenge in recent condensed matter experiments. The MZM is expected to emerge at the vortex core of topological superconductors as a zero-energy vortex bound state (ZVBS), amenable to detection using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). However, the typical energy resolution of STM/STS has made it challenging to distinguish the MZM from the low-lying trivial vortex bound states. Here, we review the recent high-energy-resolution STM/STS experiments on the vortex cores of Fe(Se,Te), where the MZM is expected to emerge, and the energy of the lowest trivial bound states is reasonably high. Tunneling spectra taken at the vortex cores exhibit a ZVBS well below any possible trivial state, suggesting its MZM origin. However, it should be noted that ZVBS is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the MZM; a qualitative feature unique to the MZM needs to be explored. We discuss the current status and issues in the pursuit of such Majorananess, namely the level sequence of the vortex bound states and the conductance plateau of the ZVBS. We also argue for future experiments to confirm the Majorananess, such as the detection of the doubling of the shot noise intensity and spin polarization of the MZM.