Helical Liquids and Majorana Bound States in Quantum Wires

2010/10/20 by Yuval Oreg, Gil Refael, Felix von Oppen · 1 voice · 22 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Topological Materials and Phenomena #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics

paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.105.177002

openalex publication_date 2010/10/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

We show that the combination of spin-orbit coupling with a Zeeman field or strong interactions may lead to the formation of a helical electron liquid in single-channel quantum wires, with spin and velocity perfectly correlated. We argue that zero-energy Majorana bound states are formed in various situations when such wires are situated in proximity to a conventional s-wave superconductor. This occurs when the external magnetic field, the superconducting gap, or, most simply, the chemical potential vary along the wire. These Majorana states do not require the presence of a vortex in the system. Experimental consequences of the helical liquid and the Majorana states are also discussed.

Citations

• Non-Abelian anyons and topological quantum computation
• Nonabelions in the fractional quantum hall effect

Cited by

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• Majorana qubit decoherence by quasiparticle poisoning
• Spin-dependent signatures of Majorana modes in thermoelectric transport through double quantum dots
• Distinguishing Majorana bound states from accidental zero-energy modes with a microwave cavity
• Spin-exchange induced spillover on poor man’s Majoranas in minimal Kitaev chains
• Topological superconductivity in a dimerized Kitaev chain revealed by nonlocal transport
• Data for "Simulation of Topological X-Gates via Braiding of Majorana Zero Modes in an Interacting Quantum Dot System"
• Gate-Tunable Ambipolar Josephson Current in a Topological Insulator
• Revisiting the Poor Man's Majoranas: The Spin-Exchange Induced Spillover Effect
• Zero and Nonzero Energy Majorana Modes in an Extended Kitaev Chain
• Phase transitions in quantum dot-Majorana zero mode coupling systems
• In-Plane Magnetoconductance Mapping of InSb Quantum Wells
• Universal quantum control over Majorana zero modes
• A study of topological characterization and symmetries for a quantum simulated Kitaev chain
• Subspace-Protected Topological Phases and Bulk-Boundary Correspondence
• Charge current and phase diagram of the disordered open longer-range Kitaev chain
• Odd-Parity Altermagnetism Originated from Orbital Orders
• Topological invariant for finite systems in the presence of disorder
• Flux Response of Rotation-Invariant Topological Insulators
• \boldsymbold-vector precession induced pumping in topological p-wave superconductors
• Unveiling In-Gap States and Majorana Zero Modes in Superconductor-Topological Insulator Bilayer model

Discussions

• First, note that in both papers you reference the core idea is the same: there is a superconductor put into contact with a non-superconducting one-dimensional (1D) object (ferromagnetic atomic chain i [stackexchange, 2 points]

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