Detecting Majorana zero mode with transport measurements

Abstract

Topological superconductors have attracted increased research interest because they have been proposed to host non-abelian Ising Anyon Majorana zero modes, which can be used to construct fault-tolerant quantum computers. This paper mainly reviews the electrical transport methods for detecting the presence of Majorana zero modes. First, the basic concepts of topological superconductivity, Majorana zero modes and non-Abelian statistics are introduced, followed by a summary of various schemes for implementing topological superconductivity. Experimental methods for detecting topological superconductivity or Majorana zero modes using low-temperature transport methods, including electron tunneling spectroscopy, Coulomb blockade spectroscopy and non-local conductance detection, which are widely used in superconductor/nanowire hybrid systems, are then discussed. On the other hand, measurements of the (inverse) AC Josephson effect and current (energy) phase relationships are also reviewed to identify MZM in Josephson devices. Meanwhile, to deepen our understanding of MZM, the trivial mechanisms for interpreting the experimental data observed in the above experiments are provided. Finally, a brief summary and outlook of the electrical transport methods of Majorana zero modes are presented.