Two-dimensional topological superconductivity in Pb/Co/Si(111) - Archive ouverte HAL
Journal Articles Nature Communications Year : 2016

Two-dimensional topological superconductivity in Pb/Co/Si(111)

Abstract

Just like insulators can host topological Dirac states at their edges, superconductors can also exhibit topological phases characterized by Majorana edge states. Remarkable zero-energy states have been recently observed at the two ends of proximity induced superconducting wires [1, 2], and were interpreted as localized Majorana end states in one-dimensional (1D) topological superconductor. By contrast, propagating Majorana states should exist at the 1D edges of two-dimensional (2D) topological superconductors. Here we report the direct observation of dispersive in-gap states surrounding topological superconducting domains made of a single atomic layer of Pb covering magnetic islands of Co/Si(111). We interpret the observed continuous dispersion across the superconducting gap in terms of a spatial topological transition accompanied by a chiral edge mode and residual gaped helical edge states. Our experimental approach enables the engineering and control of a large variety of novel quantum phases. This opens new horizons in the field of quantum materials and quantum electronics where the magnetization of the domains could be used as a control parameter for the manipulation of topological states.
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Dates and versions

hal-01400191 , version 1 (21-11-2016)
hal-01400191 , version 2 (24-04-2018)

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Cite

Gerbold C Ménard, Sébastien C Guissart, Christophe C Brun, Mircea T Trif, François Debontridder, et al.. Two-dimensional topological superconductivity in Pb/Co/Si(111). Nature Communications, 2016, ⟨10.1038/s41467-017-02192-x⟩. ⟨hal-01400191v2⟩
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