Majorana particles in topological insulator quantum wires

非技术性：该奖项来自材料研究部的凝聚态物理计划，支持普渡大学的一个研究项目，该项目旨在创造和操纵被称为Majorana粒子的奇异粒子。 马约拉纳粒子（英语：Majorana particles）是一种重要的基本粒子，最初在粒子物理学（例如中微子的研究）中被提出，具有独特的反粒子性质，但经过数十年的研究，仍然没有最终发现。最近，人们已经意识到，有可能使用现实的材料系统来创建这种难以捉摸的粒子的类似物。除了它们的基本利益之外，这种马约拉纳粒子的“凝聚态”类似物可能被用作量子“比特”（量子比特）来构建一个强大的量子计算机，这将彻底改变我们执行计算的能力，并以显着提高的速度和降低的能源成本解决许多复杂的问题。这个项目的目的是创造和操纵马约拉纳粒子使用纳米线的一种新型的绝缘体，“拓扑绝缘体”，接口与超导体。这种“拓扑超导体纳米线”有望提供一个强大的实验材料系统，以实现马约拉纳粒子，并操纵它们在量子计算中的未来应用。该项目还将加强与其他机构和国际合作伙伴在物理和工程多个学科的合作。 一些研究生和本科生，从物理和工程，包括那些代表性不足的群体，预计将积极参与和培训。技术：在凝聚态系统中实现和操纵“Majorana粒子”（MPs，最初在粒子物理学背景下提出）的类似物已经引起了人们的强烈关注，这既有根本利益，也有潜在的应用，可以实现容错拓扑量子计算（TQC）。该项目旨在实现和检测由拓扑绝缘体纳米带（TINR）耦合到s波超导体组成的“拓扑超导量子线”中的MP，其中超导电流由独特的1D自旋螺旋模式承载。 最近的理论表明，这样的设置有几个重要的优点，是最有前途的实验系统主机MP。 MP的性质将通过隧道光谱，直流和交流约瑟夫森效应进行研究。该研究为实现多晶相变提供了一个新的实验平台，为探索多晶相变的新物理和拓扑相变，为多晶相变在全面质量管理中的应用奠定了基础。 该项目还将加强与其他机构和国际合作伙伴在物理和工程多个学科的合作。 一些研究生和本科生，从物理和工程，包括那些代表性不足的群体，预计将积极参与和培训。外联活动还将涉及高中和本科生和教师。

Non-technical: This award from the Condensed Matter Physics program of the Division of Materials Research supports Purdue University with a research project which aims to create and manipulate exotic particles known as Majorana particles. Majorana particles are an important class of fundamental particles originally proposed in particle physics (such as in the study of neutrinos) as having the unique property of being their own anti-particle but have not been conclusively found despite decades of research. Recently, it has been realized that it is possible to create analogues of such elusive particles using realistic material systems. Besides their fundamental interests, such "condensed matter" analogues of Majorana particles could potentially be used as quantum "bits" (qubits) to build a robust quantum computer, which would revolutionize our ability to perform computation and solve many complicated problems with dramatically increased speed and reduced energy cost. This project aims to create and manipulate Majorana particles using nanowires of a novel type of insulator, "topological insulators", interfaced with superconductors. Such "topological superconductor nanowires" promise to offer a robust experimental material system to realize the Majorana particles and to manipulate them for possible future applications in quantum computing. The project will also enhance collaborations across multiple disciplines in physics and engineering, with other institutions and international partners. Several graduate and undergraduate students, from both physics and engineering, including those from underrepresented groups, are expected to actively participate and be trained. Outreach activities will also involve high school and undergraduate college students and teachers.Technical: Realizing and manipulating analogues of "Majorana particles" (MPs, originally proposed in a particle physics context) in condensed matter systems has attracted strong attention for both fundamental interests and for potential applications to enable fault-tolerant topological quantum computing (TQC). This project aims to realize and detect MPs in "topological superconducting quantum wires" consisting of topological insulator nanoribbons (TINR) coupled to s-wave superconductors, with supercurrent carried by a unique 1D spin-helical mode. Recent theories have suggested that such a setup has several important advantages and is among the most promising experimental systems to host MPs. The properties of MP will be investigated by tunneling spectroscopy, and dc and ac Josephson effects. The proposed research could establish a new, robust experimental platform to realize MP, to explore their novel physics and topological phase transitions, and pave the way for their applications in TQC. The project will also enhance collaborations across multiple disciplines in physics and engineering, with other institutions and international partners. Several graduate and undergraduate students, from both physics and engineering, including those from underrepresented groups, are expected to actively participate and be trained. Outreach activities will also involve high school and undergraduate college students and teachers.