Dynamic Realization of Majorana Zero Modes in a Particle-Conserving Ladder

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to realize Majorana zero modes in a particle-conserving ladder system suitable for optical-lattice experiments, using dynamic pair-hopping processes and effective Hamiltonian modeling.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dynamic scheme for stabilizing Majorana zero modes in a number-conserving setting, validated by theoretical and numerical analysis.

Findings

Majorana zero modes can be stabilized in a large parameter space.

The effective Hamiltonian preserves parity symmetry, crucial for Majorana modes.

Numerical results confirm the topological phase and bulk gap stability.

Abstract

We present a scheme to realize a topological superconducting system supporting Majorana zero modes, within a number-conserving framework suitable for optical-lattice experiments. Our approach builds on the engineering of pair-hopping processes on a ladder geometry, using a sequence of pulses that activate single-particle hopping in a time-periodic manner. We demonstrate that this dynamic setting is well captured by an effective Hamiltonian that preserves the parity symmetry, a key requirement for the stabilization of Majorana zero modes. The phase diagram of our system is determined using a bosonization theory, which is then validated by a numerical study of the topological bulk gap and entanglement spectrum using matrix product states. Our results indicate that Majorana zero modes can be stabilized in a large parameter space, accessible in optical-lattice experiments.