Weyl-Majorana solenoid

A Weyl semimetal wire with an axial magnetization has metallic surface states (Fermi arcs) winding along its perimeter, connecting bulk Weyl cones of opposite topological charge (Berry curvature). We investigate what happens to this ‘Weyl solenoid’ if the wire is covered with a superconductor, by determining the dispersion relation of the surface modes propagating along the wire. Coupling to the superconductor breaks up the Fermi arc into a pair of Majorana modes, separated by an energy gap. Upon variation of the coupling strength along the wire there is a gap inversion that traps the Majorana fermions.

[1]  Sumathi Rao,et al.  Weyl semi-metals : a short review , 2016, 1603.02821.

[2]  S. Fujimoto,et al.  Majorana Fermions and Topology in Superconductors , 2016, 1601.02726.

[3]  M. Franz,et al.  Superconducting proximity effect and Majorana flat bands at the surface of a Weyl semimetal , 2016, 1601.01727.

[4]  Yi Zhang,et al.  Quantum oscillations from generic surface Fermi arcs and bulk chiral modes in Weyl semimetals , 2015, Scientific Reports.

[5]  D. K. Mukherjee,et al.  Chiral nodes and oscillations in the Josephson current in Weyl semimetals , 2015, 1509.03166.

[6]  C. Beenakker,et al.  Scattering theory of the chiral magnetic effect in a Weyl semimetal: interplay of bulk Weyl cones and surface Fermi arcs , 2015, 1512.02144.

[7]  M. Franz,et al.  Colloquium : Majorana fermions in nuclear, particle, and solid-state physics , 2014, 1403.4976.

[8]  Proximity-induced superconductivity in Weyl semimetals , 2014, 1407.7515.

[9]  Y. Asano,et al.  Andreev Reflection in Weyl Semimetals , 2014, 1403.7896.

[10]  A. Vishwanath,et al.  Quantum oscillations from surface Fermi arcs in Weyl and Dirac semimetals , 2014, Nature Communications.

[11]  M. Wimmer,et al.  Kwant: a software package for quantum transport , 2013, 1309.2926.

[12]  Y. Asano,et al.  Andreev Re fl ection in Weyl Semimetals , 2014 .

[13]  Liang Jiang,et al.  Specular Andreev reflection in inversion-symmetric Weyl semimetals , 2013, 1304.6477.

[14]  M. M. Vazifeh,et al.  Electromagnetic response of Weyl semimetals. , 2013, Physical review letters.

[15]  L. Balents,et al.  Weyl superconductors , 2012, 1205.5202.

[16]  C. Beenakker,et al.  Search for Majorana Fermions in Superconductors , 2011, 1112.1950.

[17]  Ashvin Vishwanath,et al.  Subject Areas : Strongly Correlated Materials A Viewpoint on : Topological semimetal and Fermi-arc surface states in the electronic structure of pyrochlore iridates , 2011 .

[18]  C. W. J. Beenakker,et al.  Spin-triplet supercurrent carried by quantum Hall edge states through a Josephson junction , 2011, 1103.0887.

[19]  Shinsei Ryu,et al.  Topological insulators and superconductors: tenfold way and dimensional hierarchy , 2009, 0912.2157.

[20]  J. Cserti,et al.  Andreev edge channels and magnetic focusing in normal-superconductor systems : A semiclassical analysis , 2007 .

[21]  G. Volovik,et al.  The Universe in a Helium Droplet , 2003 .

[22]  S. Murakami,et al.  Berry phase in magnetic superconductors. , 2002, Physical review letters.

[23]  Hoppe,et al.  Andreev reflection in strong magnetic fields , 1999, Physical review letters.

[24]  Holger Bech Nielsen,et al.  The Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomaly and Weyl fermions in a crystal , 1983 .