Evidence of anisotropic Majorana bound states in 2M-WS2

Searching for Majorana bound states has become an important topic because of its potential applications in topological quantum computing. 2M-phase WS 2 , a newly synthesized superconductor, not only presents the highest superconducting transition temperature ( T c  = 8.8 K) among the intrinsic trans...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature physics 2019-10, Vol.15 (10), p.1046-1051
Main Authors: Yuan, Yonghao, Pan, Jie, Wang, Xintong, Fang, Yuqiang, Song, Canli, Wang, Lili, He, Ke, Ma, Xucun, Zhang, Haijun, Huang, Fuqiang, Li, Wei, Xue, Qi-Kun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/766/119
639/766/119/1003
639/766/119/2792
Anisotropy
Atomic
Classical and Continuum Physics
Complex Systems
Condensed Matter Physics
Energy
Heterostructures
Laboratories
Mathematical and Computational Physics
Microscopy
Molecular
Optical and Plasma Physics
Order parameters
Phase transitions
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Quantum computing
Superconductivity
Theoretical
Topological superconductors
Transition metal compounds
Transition temperature
Transition temperatures
Vortices
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Summary:Searching for Majorana bound states has become an important topic because of its potential applications in topological quantum computing. 2M-phase WS 2 , a newly synthesized superconductor, not only presents the highest superconducting transition temperature ( T c  = 8.8 K) among the intrinsic transition metal dichalcogenides but also is predicted to be a promising candidate as a topological superconductor. Using scanning tunnelling microscopy, we observe a U-shaped superconducting gap in 2M-WS 2 . Probable Majorana bound states are observed in magnetic vortices, which manifest as a non-split zero-energy state coexisting with the ordinary Caroli–de Gennes–Matricon bound states. Such non-split bound states in 2M-WS 2 show highly spatial anisotropy, originating from the anisotropy of the superconducting order parameter and Fermi velocity. Due to its simple layered structure and substitution-free lattice, 2M-WS 2 can be a building block to construct novel heterostructures and provides an ideal platform for the study of Majorana bound states. Potential Majorana bound states are seen in the vortex cores of a transition metal dichalcogenide. The properties of the superconductor mean that the bound states are highly anisotropic, and can appear at higher temperatures than other materials.
ISSN:1745-2473
1745-2481
DOI:10.1038/s41567-019-0576-7