Nonlocality and dynamic response of Majorana states in fermionic superfluids

We suggest a microscopic model describing the nonlocal ac response of a pair of Majorana states in fermionic superfluids beyond the tunneling approximation. The time-dependent perturbations of quasiparticle transport are shown to excite finite period beating of the wavefunction between the distant Majorana states. We propose an experimental test to measure the characteristic time scales of quasiparticle transport through the pair of Majorana states defining, thus, quantitative characteristics of nonlocality known to be a generic feature of Majorana particles.We suggest a microscopic model describing the nonlocal ac response of a pair of Majorana states in fermionic superfluids beyond the tunneling approximation. The time-dependent perturbations of quasiparticle transport are shown to excite finite period beating of the wavefunction between the distant Majorana states. We propose an experimental test to measure the characteristic time scales of quasiparticle transport through the pair of Majorana states defining, thus, quantitative characteristics of nonlocality known to be a generic feature of Majorana particles.

arXiv:1606.09546New Journal of PhysicsNov 3, 20176 citations

Irreversible entropy transport enhanced by fermionic superfluidity

Philipp Fabritius, Jeffrey Mohan, Mohsen Talebi +4 more

The nature of particle and entropy flow between two superfluids is often understood in terms of reversible flow carried by an entropy-free, macroscopic wavefunction. While this wavefunction is responsible for many intriguing properties of superfluids and superconductors, its interplay with excitations in non-equilibrium situations is less understood. Here we observe large concurrent flows of both particles and entropy through a ballistic channel connecting two strongly interacting fermionic superfluids. Both currents respond nonlinearly to chemical potential and temperature biases. We find that the entropy transported per particle is much larger than the prediction of superfluid hydrodynamics in the linear regime and largely independent of changes in the channel's geometry. By contrast, the timescales of advective and diffusive entropy transport vary significantly with the channel geometry. In our setting, superfluidity counterintuitively increases the speed of entropy transport. Moreover, we develop a phenomenological model describing the nonlinear dynamics within the framework of generalized gradient dynamics. Our approach for measuring entropy currents may help elucidate mechanisms of heat transfer in superfluids and superconducting devices.The nature of particle and entropy flow between two superfluids is often understood in terms of reversible flow carried by an entropy-free, macroscopic wavefunction. While this wavefunction is responsible for many intriguing properties of superfluids and superconductors, its interplay with excitations in non-equilibrium situations is less understood. Here we observe large concurrent flows of both particles and entropy through a ballistic channel connecting two strongly interacting fermionic superfluids. Both currents respond nonlinearly to chemical potential and temperature biases. We find that the entropy transported per particle is much larger than the prediction of superfluid hydrodynamics in the linear regime and largely independent of changes in the channel's geometry. By contrast, the timescales of advective and diffusive entropy transport vary significantly with the channel geometry. In our setting, superfluidity counterintuitively increases the speed of entropy transport. Moreover, we develop a phenomenological model describing the nonlinear dynamics within the framework of generalized gradient dynamics. Our approach for measuring entropy currents may help elucidate mechanisms of heat transfer in superfluids and superconducting devices.

arXiv:2309.04359Nature PhysicsApr 22, 20247 citations

Many-body theory for quasiparticle states in superfluid fermionic systems

Елена Литвинова, Yinu Zhang

We present a formalism for the fermionic quasiparticle propagator in a superfluid fermionic system. Starting from a general many-body Hamiltonian confined by the two-body instantaneous interaction, the equation of motion for the fermionic propagator is obtained in the Dyson form. Before making any approximation, the interaction kernel is found to be decomposed into static and dynamical (time-dependent) contributions, where the latter translates to the energy-dependent and the former maps to the energy-independent terms in the energy domain. The three-fermion correlation function, being the heart of the dynamical part of the kernel, is factorized into the two-fermion and one-fermion ones. With the relaxed particle number constraint, the normal propagator is coupled to the anomalous one via both the static and dynamical kernels, which is formalized by introducing the generalized quasiparticle propagator of the Gor'kov type. The dynamical kernel in the factorized form is associated with the quasiparticle-vibration coupling (QVC), with the vibrations unifying both the normal and pairing phonons. The QVC vertices are related to the variations of the Hamiltonian of the Bogoliubov quasiparticles, which can be obtained by the finite amplitude method.We present a formalism for the fermionic quasiparticle propagator in a superfluid fermionic system. Starting from a general many-body Hamiltonian confined by the two-body instantaneous interaction, the equation of motion for the fermionic propagator is obtained in the Dyson form. Before making any approximation, the interaction kernel is found to be decomposed into static and dynamical (time-dependent) contributions, where the latter translates to the energy-dependent and the former maps to the energy-independent terms in the energy domain. The three-fermion correlation function, being the heart of the dynamical part of the kernel, is factorized into the two-fermion and one-fermion ones. With the relaxed particle number constraint, the normal propagator is coupled to the anomalous one via both the static and dynamical kernels, which is formalized by introducing the generalized quasiparticle propagator of the Gor'kov type. The dynamical kernel in the factorized form is associated with the quasiparticle-vibration coupling (QVC), with the vibrations unifying both the normal and pairing phonons. The QVC vertices are related to the variations of the Hamiltonian of the Bogoliubov quasiparticles, which can be obtained by the finite amplitude method.

arXiv:2107.06199Physical Review COct 4, 20219 citations

Probing the non-locality of Majorana fermions via quantum correlations

Jun Li, Ting Yu, Hai-Qing Lin +1 more

Majorana fermions (MFs) are exotic particles that are their own anti-particles. Recently, the search for the MFs occurring as quasi-particle excitations in solid-state systems has attracted widespread interest, because of their fundamental importance in fundamental physics and potential applications in topological quantum computation based on solid-state devices. Here we study the quantum correlations between two spatially separate quantum dots induced by a pair of MFs emerging at the two ends of a semiconductor nanowire, in order to develop a new method for probing the MFs. We find that without the tunnel coupling between these paired MFs, quantum entanglement cannot be induced from an unentangled (i.e., product) state, but quantum discord is observed due to the intrinsic nonlocal correlations of the paired MFs. This finding reveals that quantum discord can indeed demonstrate the intrinsic non-locality of the MFs formed in the nanowire. Also, quantum discord can be employed to discriminate the MFs from the regular fermions. Furthermore, we propose an experimental setup to measure the onset of quantum discord due to the nonlocal correlations. Our approach provides a new, and experimentally accessible, method to study the Majorana bound states by probing their intrinsic non-locality signature.Majorana fermions (MFs) are exotic particles that are their own anti-particles. Recently, the search for the MFs occurring as quasi-particle excitations in solid-state systems has attracted widespread interest, because of their fundamental importance in fundamental physics and potential applications in topological quantum computation based on solid-state devices. Here we study the quantum correlations between two spatially separate quantum dots induced by a pair of MFs emerging at the two ends of a semiconductor nanowire, in order to develop a new method for probing the MFs. We find that without the tunnel coupling between these paired MFs, quantum entanglement cannot be induced from an unentangled (i.e., product) state, but quantum discord is observed due to the intrinsic nonlocal correlations of the paired MFs. This finding reveals that quantum discord can indeed demonstrate the intrinsic non-locality of the MFs formed in the nanowire. Also, quantum discord can be employed to discriminate the MFs from the regular fermions. Furthermore, we propose an experimental setup to measure the onset of quantum discord due to the nonlocal correlations. Our approach provides a new, and experimentally accessible, method to study the Majorana bound states by probing their intrinsic non-locality signature.

arXiv:1409.5554Scientific ReportsMay 12, 201427 citations

Thermally enhanced Majorana-mediated spin transport in the Kitaev model

Hirokazu Taguchi, Yuta Murakami, Akihisa Koga

We study how stable the Majorana-mediated spin transport in a quantum spin Kitaev model is against thermal fluctuations. Using the time-dependent thermal pure quantum state method, we examine finite-temperature spin dynamics in the Kitaev model. The model exhibits two characteristic temperatures, ${T}_{L}$ and ${T}_{H}$ , which correspond to energy scales of the local flux and the itinerant Majorana fermion, respectively. At low temperatures $(T\ensuremath{\ll}{T}_{L})$, an almost flux-free state is realized, and the spin excitation propagates in a similar way to that for the ground state. Namely, after the magnetic pulse is introduced at one of the edges, the itinerant Majorana fermions propagate the spin excitations even through the quantum spin liquid state region, and oscillations in the spin moment appear in the other edge with a tiny magnetic field. When $T\ensuremath{\sim}{T}_{L}$, larger oscillations in the spin moments are induced in the other edge, compared with the results at the ground state. At higher temperatures, excited ${Z}_{2}$ fluxes disturb the coherent motion of the itinerant Majorana fermions, which suppresses the spin propagation. Our results demonstrate a crucial role of thermal fluctuations in the Majorana-mediated spin transport.We study how stable the Majorana-mediated spin transport in a quantum spin Kitaev model is against thermal fluctuations. Using the time-dependent thermal pure quantum state method, we examine finite-temperature spin dynamics in the Kitaev model. The model exhibits two characteristic temperatures, ${T}_{L}$ and ${T}_{H}$, which correspond to energy scales of the local flux and the itinerant Majorana fermion, respectively. At low temperatures $(T\ensuremath{\ll}{T}_{L})$, an almost flux-free state is realized, and the spin excitation propagates in a similar way to that for the ground state. Namely, after the magnetic pulse is introduced at one of the edges, the itinerant Majorana fermions propagate the spin excitations even through the quantum spin liquid state region, and oscillations in the spin moment appear in the other edge with a tiny magnetic field. When $T\ensuremath{\sim}{T}_{L}$, larger oscillations in the spin moments are induced in the other edge, compared with the results at the ground state. At higher temperatures, excited ${Z}_{2}$ fluxes disturb the coherent motion of the itinerant Majorana fermions, which suppresses the spin propagation. Our results demonstrate a crucial role of thermal fluctuations in the Majorana-mediated spin transport.

arXiv:2201.12517Physical review. B./Physical review. BMar 28, 20228 citations

Dynamics of Majorana tetron qubits under quasiparticle poisoning

Sauri Bhattacharyya, Bernard van Heck

We study the dissipative dynamics of a Majorana tetron qubit in the presence of extrinsic quasiparticle poisoning due to the coupling to external leads. From the Bloch-Redfield equation describing a finite-size topological superconductor hosting four Majorana zero modes and tunnel-coupled to fermionic reservoirs, we recover analytical expressions for the decoherence rate of a Majorana qubit at arbitrary values of the charging energy. The analysis shows that the exponential suppression of the decoherence rate is gradually removed by the energy splitting of the qubit states. These results can be useful to understand time-domain experimental data in Majorana qubit prototypes.We study the dissipative dynamics of a Majorana tetron qubit in the presence of extrinsic quasiparticle poisoning due to the coupling to external leads. From the Bloch-Redfield equation describing a finite-size topological superconductor hosting four Majorana zero modes and tunnel-coupled to fermionic reservoirs, we recover analytical expressions for the decoherence rate of a Majorana qubit at arbitrary values of the charging energy. The analysis shows that the exponential suppression of the decoherence rate is gradually removed by the energy splitting of the qubit states. These results can be useful to understand time-domain experimental data in Majorana qubit prototypes.

cond-mat.mes-hallCross-listedarXiv:2608.18042Aug 19, 20260 citations

{T}_{L}

and

{T}_{H}

, which correspond to energy scales of the local flux and the itinerant Majorana fermion, respectively. At low temperatures $(T\ensuremath{\ll}{T}_{L})$, an almost flux-free state is realized, and the spin excitation propagates in a similar way to that for the ground state. Namely, after the magnetic pulse is introduced at one of the edges, the itinerant Majorana fermions propagate the spin excitations even through the quantum spin liquid state region, and oscillations in the spin moment appear in the other edge with a tiny magnetic field. When $T\ensuremath{\sim}{T}_{L}$, larger oscillations in the spin moments are induced in the other edge, compared with the results at the ground state. At higher temperatures, excited

{Z}_{2}

fluxes disturb the coherent motion of the itinerant Majorana fermions, which suppresses the spin propagation. Our results demonstrate a crucial role of thermal fluctuations in the Majorana-mediated spin transport.