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Richang Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Richang Huang.

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Towards Scalable Braiding: Topological Superconductivity Unlocked under Arbitrary Magnetic Field Directions in Curved Planar Josephson Junctions

The non-Abelian statistics of Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are central to fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Planar Josephson junctions provide a particularly versatile platform for realizing robust topological superconductivity hosting MZMs over a broad parameter space. However, it is generally believed that such topological superconductivity is restricted to a narrow range of in-plane magnetic field orientations, posing a major obstacle to scalable and noncollinear junction-network architectures. Here, we uncover that the apparent suppression of MZMs under misaligned fields does not arise from the destruction of topological superconductivity itself, but instead originates from emergent shifted bulk states at other momenta that obscure the global excitation gap and MZMs. By introducing spatial modulations along the junction to scatter and gap out these bulk states, we restore a global topological gap and recover MZMs for arbitrary in-plane magnetic field orientations. Remarkably, such modulations can be naturally realized by transforming a straight junction into a curved geometry, rendering the topological gap robust against field misalignment and enabling MZMs survival in complex junction networks. Building on this robustness, we propose a scalable protocol for MZMs braiding and fusion using gate or superconducting-phase control, opening new routes toward scalable topological quantum computing.

cond-mat.supr-con

Altermagnetic Proximity Effect

Proximity effects not only complement the conventional methods of designing materials, but also enable realizing properties that are not present in any constituent region of the considered heterostructure. Here we reveal an unexplored altermagnetic proximity effect (AMPE), distinct from its ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic counterparts. Using first-principles and model analyses of van der Waals heterostructures based on the prototypical altermagnet V$_2$Se$_2$O, we show that its hallmark momentum-alternating spin splitting can be directly imprinted onto adjacent nonmagnetic layers -- a process we term altermagnetization. This is demonstrated in a monolayer PbO through characteristic band splitting and real-space spin densities, with systematic dependence on interlayer spacing and magnetic configuration. We further predict broader AMPE manifestations: Valley-selective spin splitting in a monolayer PbS and a topological superconducting phase in monolayer NbSe$_2$, both inheriting the alternating $k$-space spin texture of the altermagnet. These results establish AMPE not only as a distinct proximity mechanism, but also as a powerful method of using altermagnetism in designing emergent phenomena and versatile applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci