New Class of Topological Superconductors Protected by Magnetic Group Symmetries

Chen Fang, Matthew J. Gilbert, and B. Andrei Bernevig

Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 106401 – Published 10 March 2014

Abstract

We study a new type of three-dimensional topological superconductor that exhibits Majorana zero modes (MZM) protected by a magnetic group symmetry, a combined antiunitary symmetry composed of a mirror reflection and time reversal. This new symmetry enhances the noninteracting topological classification of a superconducting vortex from $Z_{2}$ to $Z$ , indicating that multiple MZMs can coexist at the end of one magnetic vortex of unit flux. Especially, we show that a vortex binding two MZMs can be realized on the (001) surface of a topological crystalline insulator SnTe with proximity induced BCS Cooper pairing, or in bulk superconductor ${In}_{x} {Sn}_{1 - x} Te$ .

Received 18 August 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.106401

Authors & Affiliations

Chen Fang^1,3,4, Matthew J. Gilbert^2,3, and B. Andrei Bernevig⁴

¹Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3080, USA
²Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
³Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
⁴Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Issue

Vol. 112, Iss. 10 — 14 March 2014

Reuse & Permissions

Access Options

Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Physical Review Letters