Scientific Calendar Event



Description
Carlo Beenakker received his Ph.D. in 1984 from Leiden University and then worked for six years at the Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven. Since 1991 he is professor in Leiden, working at the Lorentz Institute for theoretical physics. His research on electrical conduction in nanostructures was distinguished with the Royal-Shell prize, the Spinoza prize, and the Akzo-Nobel Science Award. His current interests center around topological states of matter and topological quantum computation, supported by an ERC Synergy grant with his colleagues from Delft University of Technology.

ABSTRACT: Two-dimensional superconductors with broken time-reversal symmetry have been predicted to support topologically protected chiral edge states, providing a superconducting counterpart to the quantum Hall effect in semiconductors. The edge states carry charge-neutral quasiparticles, coherent superpositions of electrons and holes referred to as "Majorana
fermions". After several decades of unsuccesful search for these edge states, an experimental observation was reported earlier this year [Science 357, 294 (2017)]. We present an overview of electrical and thermal probes of the superconducting edge states, focusing on unique signatures of their Majorana nature.

Background reading: "A road to reality with topologicalsuperconductors", arXiv:1606.09439.

The talk will be livestreamed from the ICTP website (ictp.it/livestream). Light refreshments will be served after the event.
Go to day