Majorana Zero Modes Bound to Josephson Vortices in Planar Superconductor–topological insulator–superconductor Junctions with Katharina Laubscher

Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are exotic non-Abelian quasiparticles that hold great promise as potential building blocks for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Among the various experimental platforms pursued for realizing MZMs, hybrid systems based on proximitized topological insulator (TI) surface states have emerged as an interesting alternative to the conventional semiconductor nanowire-based approach. In this talk, I will discuss how MZMs are predicted to emerge at Josephson vortices in planar superconductor–TI–superconductor junctions in a perpendicular magnetic field and critically examine their expected experimental signatures. While Fraunhofer pattern measurements are among the most natural ways to probe Josephson junctions in a magnetic field, I will argue that these measurements are generally not well suited to reliably detect vortex MZMs. As an alternative, I will show how signatures of vortex MZMs could instead be revealed via scanning tunneling microscopy or microwave spectroscopy techniques.