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arXiv:1309.2447 · Physical Review B

Kitaev spin models from topological nanowire networks

Graham Kells, Ville Lahtinen, Jiří Vala

Published Feb 19, 2014• 24 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We show that networks of superconducting topological nanowires can realize the physics of exactly solvable Kitaev spin models on trivalent lattices. This connection arises from the low-energy theory of both systems being described by a tight-binding model of Majorana modes. In Kitaev spin models the Majorana description provides a convenient representation to solve the model, whereas in an array of Josephson junctions of topological nanowires it arises from localized physical Majorana modes tunneling between the wire ends. We explicitly show that an array of junctions of three wires---a setup relevant to topological quantum computing with nanowires---can realize the Yao-Kivelson model, a variant of Kitaev spin models on a decorated honeycomb lattice. Employing properties of the latter, we show that the network can be constructed to give rise to two-dimensional collective topological states characterized by Chern numbers $\ensuremath{\nu}=0,\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$, and $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2$, and that defects in the array can be associated with vortex-like quasiparticle excitations. In addition we show that the collective states are stable in the presence of disorder and superconducting phase fluctuations. When the network is operated as a quantum information processor, the connection to Kitaev spin models implies that decoherence mechanisms can in general be understood in terms of proliferation of the vortex-like quasiparticles.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.89.075122

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We show that networks of superconducting topological nanowires can realize the physics of exactly solvable Kitaev spin models on trivalent lattices. This connection arises from the low-energy theory of both systems being described by a tight-binding model of Majorana modes. In Kitaev spin models the Majorana description provides a convenient representation to solve the model, whereas in an array of Josephson junctions of topological nanowires it arises from localized physical Majorana modes tunneling between the wire ends. We explicitly show that an array of junctions of three wires---a setup relevant to topological quantum computing with nanowires---can realize the Yao-Kivelson model, a variant of Kitaev spin models on a decorated honeycomb lattice. Employing properties of the latter, we show that the network can be constructed to give rise to two-dimensional collective topological states characterized by Chern numbers \ensuremathν=0,\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi1\ensuremath{\nu}=0,\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1\ensuremathν=0,\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi1, and \ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi2, and that defects in the array can be associated with vortex-like quasiparticle excitations. In addition we show that the collective states are stable in the presence of disorder and superconducting phase fluctuations. When the network is operated as a quantum information processor, the connection to Kitaev spin models implies that decoherence mechanisms can in general be understood in terms of proliferation of the vortex-like quasiparticles.
Motivated by the prospect of attaining Majorana modes at the ends of nanowires, we analyze interacting Majorana systems on general networks and lattices in an arbitrary number of dimensions, and derive universal spin duals. We prove that these interacting Majorana systems, quantum Ising gauge theories, and transverse-field Ising models with annealed bimodal disorder are all dual to one another on general planar graphs. This leads to an interesting connection between heavily disordered annealed Ising systems and uniform Ising theories with nearest-neighbor interactions. As any Dirac fermion (including electronic) operator can be expressed as a linear combination of two Majorana fermion operators, our results further lead to dualities between interacting Dirac fermionic systems on rather general lattices and graphs and corresponding spin systems. Such general complex Majorana architectures (other than those of simple square or other crystalline arrangements) might be of empirical relevance. As these systems display low-dimensional symmetries, they are candidates for realizing topological quantum order. The spin duals allow us to predict the feasibility of various standard transitions as well as spin-glass-type behavior in interacting Majorana fermion or electronic systems. Several systems that can be simulated by arrays of Majorana wires are further introduced and investigated: (1) the XXZ honeycomb compass model (intermediate between the classical Ising model on the honeycomb lattice and Kitaev's honeycomb model), (2) a checkerboard lattice realization of the model of Xu and Moore for superconducting (p+ip)(p+ip)(p+ip) arrays, and a (3) compass-type two-flavor Hubbard model with both pairing and hopping terms. By the use of our dualities (tantamount to high-dimensional fermionization), we show that all of these systems lie in the three-dimensional Ising universality class. We further discuss how the existence of topological orders and bounds on autocorrelation times can be inferred by the use of symmetries and also propose to engineer quantum simulators via such Majorana wire networks.
Dimer models have long been a fruitful playground for understanding topological physics. Here, we introduce a class, termed Majorana-dimer models, wherein bosonic dimers are decorated with pairs of Majorana modes. We find that the simplest examples of such systems realize an intriguing, intrinsically fermionic phase of matter that can be viewed as the product of a chiral Ising theory, which hosts deconfined non-Abelian quasiparticles, and a topological ${p}_{x}\ensuremath{-}i{p}_{y}$ superconductor. While the bulk anyons are described by a single copy of the Ising theory, the edge remains fully gapped. Consequently, this phase can arise in exactly solvable, frustration-free models. We describe two parent Hamiltonians: one generalizes the well-known dimer model on the triangular lattice, while the other is most naturally understood as a model of decorated fluctuating loops on a honeycomb lattice. Using modular transformations, we show that the ground-state manifold of the latter model unambiguously exhibits all properties of the $\text{Ising}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}({p}_{x}\ensuremath{-}i{p}_{y})$ theory. We also discuss generalizations with more than one Majorana mode per site, which realize phases related to Kitaev's 16-fold way in a similar fashion.
The Kitaev model is exactly solvable in terms of Majorana fermions hopping on a honeycomb lattice and coupled to a static Z2\mathbb{Z}_2Z2​ gauge field, giving the possibility of πππ-vortices in hexagonal plaquettes. In the vortex-full sector and in the presence of a time-reversal-breaking three-spin term of strength κκκ, the energy spectrum is gapped and the ground state possesses an even Chern number. An isolated vortex-free plaquette acts as a ``dual vortex'' and binds a fermionic mode at finite energy εεε in the bulk gap. This mode is equivalent to two coupled Majorana zero modes located on the same dual vortex. In a continuum approximation, we analytically compute the Majorana wavefunctions and their coupling εεε in the two limits of small or large κκκ. The analytical approach is confirmed by numerical perturbation theory directly on the lattice. The latter is in excellent agreement with the full numerics on a finite-size system. We contrast our results with states bound to an isolated vortex in a topological superconductor with even Chern number.
These lecture notes focus on the Kitaev honeycomb model, a two-dimensional quantumsystem with three distinct Ising-type interactions, depending on the direction of eachbond. This model has proven particularly important for describing quantum spin liquids,as well as for applications in topological quantum computing, due to its exotictopological properties. It constitutes the first exactly solvable theoretical model thatfully captures the behavior of a quantum spin liquid. We begin by presenting the geometryof the model, the Hamiltonian that describes the system, and Alexei Kitaev's effort toobtain an exact analytical solution, based on the decomposition of the Hilbert spaceinto flux sectors. We then present Ettore Majorana's observation that the Dirac equationalso admits real solutions, leading to the theoretical prediction of Majorana fermions-- particles that are identical to their antiparticles. We examine how the spatialseparation of Majorana operators leads to the rise of unbound Majorana fermions, andshowcase the exotic topological properties that manifest in physical systems such assuperconducting wires. Next, we represent the Hamiltonian in the basis of Majoranafermions, by expressing spin operators using four Majorana operators. The transitionfrom the extended space L~\tilde{\mathcal{L}}L~ to the physical subspace L\mathcal{L}Lis achieved through a gauge transformation of the Z2\mathbb{Z}_2Z2​ group. We thenreformulate the Hamiltonian in the basis of complex bond and matter fermions, transitionto momentum space, and assume that the system lies in the zero-flux sector. Through theBogoliubov--de Gennes transformation, we arrive at the final diagonalized Hamiltonianin the quasiparticle basis. Finally, we represent the possible phases -- the gaplessphase (phase BBB) and the gapped phases (phase AαiA_{\alpha_i}Aαi​​) -- compute thecorresponding energy spectrum, and present the complete phase diagram. By employing thecorrelation function, we show that all phases are characterized by strong quantumentanglement and spin fractionalization, classifying the system as a quantum spin liquid.
We study the stability of nucleated topological phases that can emerge when interacting non-Abelian anyons form a regular array. The studies are carried out in the context of Kitaev's honeycomb model, where we consider three distinct types of perturbations in the presence of a lattice of Majorana mode binding vortices---spatial anisotropy of the vortices, dimerization of the vortex lattice, and local random disorder. While all the nucleated phases are stable with respect to weak perturbations of each kind, strong perturbations are found to result in very different behavior. Anisotropy of the vortices stabilizes the strong-pairing-like phases, while dimerization can recover the underlying non-Abelian phase. Local random disorder, on the other hand, can drive all the nucleated phases into a gapless thermal metal state. We show that all these distinct behaviors can be captured by an effective staggered tight-binding model for the Majorana modes. By studying the pairwise interactions between the vortices, i.e., the amplitudes for the Majorana modes to tunnel between vortex cores, the locations of phase transitions and the nature of the resulting states can be predicted. We also find that, due to oscillations in the Majorana tunneling amplitude, lattices of Majorana modes may exhibit a Peierls-like instability, where a dimerized configuration is favored over a uniform lattice. As the nature of the nucleated phases depends only on the Majorana tunneling, our results are expected to apply also to other system supporting localized Majorana mode arrays, such as Abrikosov lattices in ppp-wave superconductors, Wigner crystals in Moore-Read fractional quantum Hall states, or arrays of topological nanowires.
Exactly solvable lattice models for spins and non-interacting fermions provide fascinating examples of topological phases, some of them exhibiting the localized Majorana fermions that feature in proposals for topological quantum computing. The Chern invariant ν is an important characterization of such phases. Here we look at the square–octagon variant of Kitaev's honeycomb model. It maps to spinful paired fermions and enjoys a rich phase diagram featuring distinct Abelian and non-Abelian phases with ν = 0,±1,±2,±3 and ±4. The ν = ±1 and ν = ±3 phases all support localized Majorana modes and are examples of Ising and SU(2) 2 anyon theories, respectively.