Electrical Detection of Neutral Majorana Edge Modes in a Kitaev Quantum Spin Liquid
Abstract
Project Abstract Approved for Public ReleaseTitle: Electrical Detection of Neutral Majorana Edge Modes in a Kitaev Quantum Spin LiquidPI: Benjamin Hunt, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon UniversityTopological quantum computing (TQC) is based on operations using objects known as non- Abelian anyons, which are often closely linked to Majorana fermions, particles found in certain low-dimensional solid-state systems. Both of these are distinct from electrons used in classical com- puters they are emergent particles, which means that they are built up of the collective behavior of a large number of electrons or other degrees of freedom in the solid state. So far, the only experi- mental evidence for observation of individual Majorana particles has come from so-called topological superconductors (TSCs), but in the leading TSC systems there are competing effectsthat can seri- ously complicate the isolation of the individual particles, and the complex device architectures are not amenable tobuilding large-scale quantum computers. There is thus a pressing need to identify systems in which Majorana particles occur and can be individually measured and controlled, beyond TSCs. Quantum computing, including TQC, has applications in cryptography and other fields that benefit from exponential speedup in computing power, which renders the success of the experiments described in this proposal important to the ONR mission of maintaining superiority in information technology.In this proposal, we will study Majorana fermions in a so-called Kitaev quantum spin liquid (KQSL), of which the leading candidate is alpha-ruthenium chloride (-RuCl3 ). Majoranas in the KQSL are neutral (chargeless) particles that run around the edge of the -RuCl3 sample, which makes their detection by electrical means not straightforward. Based on ideas we outlined in Phys. Rev. X 10, 031014 (2020), here we propose a series of experiments that convert electrons into a pair of edge Majorana fermions based on the mechanism of fermion condensation, one of which travels exclu- sively in the quantum spin liquid. Once we demonstrate the electrical detection of neutral Majorana edge modes, we can use these techniques to study other excitations of the system, such as the bulk non-Abelian anyons that are crucial for topological quantum computing. Successful completion of these experiments would constitute the first-ever electrical detection of individual Majorana particles that emerge from a pure spin system (the quantum spin liquid) and would lay the groundwork for fur- ther study and application of a system that offers many advantages over topological superconductors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112443
Entities
People
- Benjamin M. Hunt
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy