Particles with Memory: A Step Toward an Invulnerable Quantum Computer ⚡ экспресс
Majorana zero modes are non-Abelian anyons whose exchange properties fundamentally differ from fermionic and bosonic statistics. Despite decades of searching in solid-state systems, their non-Abelian nature remained unconfirmed due to the lack of experimental realization of braiding. This work presents preliminary results on the creation, manipulation, and exchange of putative Majorana zero modes in a multi-terminal Josephson junction device on the surface of a topological insulator. The migration of in-gap states was observed, consistent with the Fu–Kane model, indicating that a braiding operation was performed. These findings provide a crucial foundation for further Majorana braiding within the Fu–Kane topological quantum computing scheme.
All matter, from stars to humans, is built from particles that in the Standard Model are divided into two families. But there's a third, rare kind—particles that, when swapped, don't just exchange places but tie themselves into a knot, remembering the intertwining rather than the path.
In the new experiment, they built a microchip from materials where current flows without loss and a special insulator that conducts only at the edge. At its ends, they managed to create Majorana zero modes—particles that are their own antiparticles. The researchers moved them along a tricky trajectory and recorded an energy change that matched theory exactly. So for the first time, they saw a quantum knot being tied.
The idea of a quantum computer was proposed by Richard Feynman, and John Preskill emphasized the importance of such protection. The next step is to weave trajectories into full-fledged knots. And an unexpected twist: these same particles might be lurking behind dark matter and resonate with the theory of black holes.
🎯 Majorana particles can be their own antiparticles: when two meet, they annihilate, even though normally a particle-antiparticle pair is required.