Spin Signature of Majorana Fermions in Topological Nodal-Point Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper uncovers a significant spin-singlet component in Majorana edge states of topological nodal superconductors, detectable via spin-selective Andreev reflection, which advances understanding of spin signatures in Majorana fermions.

Contribution

It reveals a novel spin-singlet pairing component in Majorana edge states caused by antiferromagnetic order, challenging previous assumptions of purely triplet pairing.

Findings

Majorana edge states exhibit a substantial spin-singlet component.

Zero-bias conductance peaks are maximized when incident electron spins are antiparallel to Majorana spins.

The phenomenon is detectable through spin-selective Andreev reflection.

Abstract

In two-dimensional topological nodal superconductors, Majorana edge states have been conventionally believed to exhibit only spin-triplet pairing correlations. However, we reveal a substantial spin-singlet pairing component in Majorana edge states of antiferromagnetic topological nodal-point superconductors. This unexpected phenomenon emerges from the interplay between antiferromagnetic order and symmetry, resulting in Majorana edge states with a nearly flat band dispersion, deviating from the strictly flat band. Crucially, this phenomenon is detectable through spin-selective Andreev reflection, where the zero-bias conductance peaks are maximized when the spin of incident electrons is nearly antiparallel to that of Majorana edge excitations. This discovery unveils a unique spin signature for Andreev reflection resonances, advancing our fundamental understanding of spin-dependent mechanisms in topological superconductivity and representing a significant step towards the experimental detection of Majorana fermions.