Pfaffian-based topological invariants for one dimensional semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper reviews Pfaffian-based $ ext{Z}_2$ topological invariants in 1D semiconductor-superconductor nanowires, clarifying their validity in finite/disordered systems and establishing their physical interpretation related to fermion parity.

Contribution

It introduces a real space Pfaffian invariant applicable to disordered systems and links it to physical fermion parity, extending topological invariant definitions beyond translational symmetry.

Findings

Pfaffian sign change indicates topological phase transition.

Real space Pfaffian invariant remains well-defined with disorder.

Pfaffian sign correlates with ground state fermion parity and level crossings.

Abstract

We review the Pfaffian-based $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological invariants in one dimensional semiconductor-superconductor (SM-SC) nanowire heterostructures and clarify their validity in finite and disordered systems. For the clean nanowire, the product of the Pfaffians of the Hamiltonian at particle-hole symmetric momenta $k=0,\pi$ changes sign at the topological phase transition defined by the bulk gap closing, leading to the definition of $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Kitaev invariant also known as Majorana number. We show that this momentum-space invariant is equivalent to a real space construction based on twisted boundary conditions, in which the sign of the product of the Pfaffians of the Hamiltonian under periodic and anti-periodic boundary conditions defines the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ index. By introducing a superlattice description of periodically repeated disorder, we demonstrate that the real space Pfaffian invariant defined as the sign of the Pfaffians of the Hamiltonian with periodic and anti-periodic boundary conditions, remains a well defined invariant even in the absence of microscopic translational symmetry. Within this framework, it is also equivalent to the recently defined periodic disorder invariant (PDI), which constitutes an integer valued ($\mathbb{Z}$) topological invariant in the presence of chiral symmetry. Finally, we prove that the sign of the Pfaffian of a quadratic Hamiltonian equals the fermion parity of its ground state, establishing a direct physical interpretation of the invariant, in terms of sign of the product of the ground state fermion parity with periodic and anti-periodic boundary conditions. Numerical results confirm the correspondence between sign of the Pfaffian reversals, flux-induced level crossings, and ground-state parity switching in clean and disordered nanowires.