Gap reopening as a possible signature of coupling between Majorana zero modes in Sn-(Bi,Sb)2(Te,S)3-based Josephson trijunctions

Abstract

In the past two decades, enormous efforts have been made to search for possible platforms and schemes to implement topological quantum computation (TQC). In exploring the Fu-Kane scheme of TQC based on Josephson trijunctions constructed on topological insulators, the predicted Majorana phase diagram of an individual trijunction has already been verified experimentally. If Majorana zero modes indeed exist in this kind of trijunction, coupling between them in multiple trijunction devices should be further expected. In this study, we fabricated Josephson devices containing two adjacent Josephson trijunctions on the surface of Sn-(Bi, Sb)2(Te, S)3 and observed a possible signature of the coupling effect manifesting as the reopening of a minigap in both trijunctions where a closure would otherwise be expected if the trijunctions existed individually. While alternative interpretations cannot be fully ruled out, our findings provide experimental support for the validity of the Fu-Kane theory and provide further motivation for advancing the TQC scheme proposed by Fu and Kane.