New scheme for braiding Majorana fermions

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Quantum Computing
• Topological Superconductors

Background:

• Non-Abelian statistics are crucial for topological quantum computing and can be realized by braiding Majorana fermions (MFs) associated with vortices in topological superconductors.
• Experimental manipulation of vortices for braiding MFs is challenging and limits practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and verify a novel method for braiding MFs without the need to physically move vortices.
• To enable the manipulation of MFs using local gate voltages for braiding operations.

Main Methods:

• Development of a scheme utilizing local gate voltages to liberate and transport MFs.
• Numerical solution of the time-dependent Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation to model MF dynamics.
• Adiabatic switching of gate voltages to ensure MF protection during transport and braiding.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that MFs can be braided by manipulating gate voltages, effectively bypassing the need to move vortices.
• Confirmed that adiabatic gate voltage switching, achievable within nanoseconds, protects MFs during braiding.
• Verified the achievement of non-Abelian statistics through monitoring the time evolution of MF wave-functions.

Conclusions:

• The proposed gate-voltage-controlled braiding of MFs offers a practical and experimentally feasible pathway to realizing non-Abelian statistics.
• This method overcomes the experimental limitations of vortex manipulation, paving the way for advancements in topological quantum computing.