Signatures of Majorana bound states in the diffraction patterns of extended superconductor–topological insulator–superconductor Josephson junctions

Abstract

In an extended superconductor-topological insulator-superconductor (S-TI-S) Josephson junction in a magnetic field, localized Majorana bound states (MBS) are predicted to exist at the cores of Josephson vortices where the local phase difference across the junction is an odd-multiple of π. These states contribute a supercurrent with a 4π-periodic current-phase relation (CPR) that adds to the conventional 2π-periodic sinusoidal CPR. In this work, we present a comprehensive experimental study of the critical current vs. applied magnetic field diffraction patterns of lateral Nb-Bi2Se3-Nb Josephson junctions. We compare our observations to a model of the Josephson dynamics in the S-TI-S junction system to explore what features of MBS are, or are not, exhibited in these junctions. Consistent with the model, we find several distinct deviations from a Fraunhofer diffraction pattern that is expected for a uniform sin(ϕ) CPR. In particular, we observe abrupt changes in the diffraction pattern at applied magnetic fields in which the current-carrying localized MBS are expected to enter the junction, and a lifting of the odd-numbered nodes consistent with a 4π-periodic sin(ϕ/2) component in the CPR. We also see that although the even-numbered nodes often remain fully formed, we sometimes see deviations that are consistent with quasiparticle-induced fluctuations in the parity of the MBS pairs that encode quantum information.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

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