Controlling in-gap end states by linking nonmagnetic atoms and artificially-constructed spin chains on superconductors.

ABSTRACT: Chains of magnetic atoms with either strong spin-orbit coupling or spiral magnetic order which are proximity-coupled to superconducting substrates can host topologically non-trivial Majorana bound states. The experimental signature of these states consists of spectral weight at the Fermi energy which is spatially localized near the ends of the chain. However, topologically trivial Yu-Shiba-Rusinov in-gap states localized near the ends of the chain can lead to similar spectra. Here, we explore a protocol to disentangle these contributions by artificially augmenting a candidate Majorana spin chain with orbitally-compatible nonmagnetic atoms. Combining scanning tunneling spectroscopy with ab-initio and tight-binding calculations, we realize a sharp spatial transition between the proximity-cou

SUBMITTER: Schneider L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7501864 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature