Crystalline-symmetry-protected Majorana modes in coupled quantum dots

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevresearch.7.l012022
• Publication Date: 2025-01-27T15:07:46Z
• Authors: Bradraj Pandey; Gonzalo Alvarez; Elbio Dagotto; Rui-Xing Zhang
• Keywords: Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con); Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons; Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics; Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el); Physics; QC1-999; Condensed Matter - Superconductivity; Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); FOS: Physical sciences

We propose a minimalist architecture for achieving various crystalline-symmetry-protected Majorana modes in an array of coupled quantum dots. Our framework is motivated by the recent experimental demonstrations two-site and three-site artificial Kitaev chains similar setup. find that introducing <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><a:mi>π</a:mi></a:math>-phase domain wall chain leads to pair mirror-protected zero located at or near junction. Joining two <b:math xmlns:b="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><b:mi>π</b:mi></b:math> junctions into closed loop, we can simulate distinct classes two-dimensional higher-order topological superconducting phases, both carrying symmetry-protected around sample corners. As extension <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><c:mi>π</c:mi></c:math> junction, further consider general vertex structure where <d:math xmlns:d="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><d:mi>n</d:mi></d:math> meet, i.e., <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><e:mi>n</e:mi></e:math> vertex. prove such <f:math xmlns:f="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><f:mi>n</f:mi></f:math> vertex, if respecting dihedral symmetry group <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><g:msub><g:mi>D</g:mi><g:mi>n</g:mi></g:msub></g:math>, necessarily carries <h:math xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><h:mi>n</h:mi></h:math> vertex-bound protected <i:math xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><i:msub><i:mi>D</i:mi><i:mi>n</i:mi></i:msub></i:math> symmetry. Resilience junction bound states against disorder correlation effects also discussed. paves way designing, constructing, exploring wide variety crystalline phases quantum-dot experiments. Published American Physical Society 2025