Observation of majorana quantum critical behaviour in a resonant level coupled to a dissipative environment
Abstract
A quantum phase transition is an abrupt change between two distinct ground states
of a many-body system, driven by an external parameter. In the vicinity of the quantum
critical point (QCP) where the transition occurs, a new phase may emerge that is determined
by quantum fluctuations and is very different from either phase. In particular, a
conducting system may exhibit non-Fermi-liquid behaviour. Although this scenario is
well established theoretically, controllable experimental realizations are rare. Here,
we experimentally investigate the nature of the QCP in a simple nanoscale system -
a spin-polarized resonant level coupled to dissipative contacts. We fine-tune the
system to the QCP, realized exactly on-resonance and when the coupling between the
level and the two contacts is symmetric. Several anomalous transport scaling laws
are demonstrated, including a striking non-Fermi-liquid scattering rate at the QCP,
indicating fractionalization of the resonant level into two Majorana quasiparticles.
© 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/19621Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1038/nphys2735Publication Info
Mebrahtu, HT; Borzenets, IV; Zheng, H; Bomze, YV; Smirnov, AI; Florens, S; ... Finkelstein,
G (2013). Observation of majorana quantum critical behaviour in a resonant level coupled to
a dissipative environment. Nature Physics, 9(11). pp. 732-737. 10.1038/nphys2735. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/19621.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Harold U. Baranger
Professor of Physics
The broad focus of Prof. Baranger's group is quantum open systems at the nanoscale,
particularly the generation of correlation between particles in such systems. Fundamental
interest in nanophysics-- the physics of small, nanometer scale, bits of solid-- stems
from the ability to control and probe systems on length scales larger than atoms but
small enough that the averaging inherent in bulk properties has not yet occurred.
Using this ability, entirely unanticipated phenomena ca
Gleb Finkelstein
Professor of Physics
Gleb Finkelstein is an experimentalist interested in physics of quantum nanostructures,
such as Josephson junctions and quantum dots made of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and
topological materials. These objects reveal a variety of interesting electronic properties
that may form a basis for future quantum devices.
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