Altermagnetic Routes to Majorana Modes in Zero Net Magnetization

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Phenomena

Background:

• Topological superconductivity offers potential for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
• Conventional platforms often rely on uniform magnetization, which can suppress the superconducting gap.
• Altermagnetism presents a novel mechanism for time-reversal symmetry breaking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and theoretically investigate heterostructures realizing topological superconductivity using altermagnetism.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of Majorana zero modes with vanishing net magnetization.
• To explore both one-dimensional and two-dimensional altermagnetic platforms.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures in proximity to altermagnets.
• Analysis of 1D and 2D systems to identify topological phases.
• Investigation of Majorana zero modes and their properties, including the role of a coexisting Zeeman term.

Main Results:

• Realization of first and second-order topological superconductivity with vanishing net magnetization.
• Observation of end Majorana zero modes in 1D structures, tunable by a Zeeman term.
• Proposal for 2D altermagnetic platforms hosting chiral Majorana fermions or higher-order corner Majorana zero modes.

Conclusions:

• Altermagnetic heterostructures provide a promising route to topological superconductivity without net magnetization.
• These platforms offer an alternative to conventional methods for achieving time-reversal symmetry breaking.
• The proposed systems pave the way for realizing Majorana boundary states with enhanced properties.