Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform
Published on: August 2, 2019
Electron waiting times in hybrid junctions with topological superconductors
Shuo Mi1,2, Pablo Burset3, Christian Flindt3
1Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, 00076, Aalto, Finland. shuo.mi@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr.
Abstract:
We investigate the waiting time distributions (WTDs) of superconducting hybrid junctions, considering both conventional and topologically nontrivial superconductors hosting Majorana bound states at their edges. To this end, we employ a scattering matrix formalism that allows us to evaluate the waiting times between the transmissions and reflections of electrons or holes. Specifically, we analyze normal-metal-superconductor (NIS) junctions and NISIN junctions, where Cooper pairs are spatially split into different leads. The distribution of waiting times is sensitive to the simultaneous reflection of electrons and holes, which is enhanced by the zero-energy state in topological superconductors. For the NISIN junctions, the WTDs of trivial superconductors feature a sharp dependence on the applied voltage, while for topological ones they are mostly independent of it. This particular voltage dependence is again connected to the presence of topological edge states, showing that WTDs are a promising tool for identifying topological superconductivity.
Related Concept Videos
Superconductor
Types Of Superconductors
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals II
Hybrid Zones
P-N junction

