Topological superconductors are predicted to host exotic Majorana states that obey non-Abelian statistics and can be used to implement a topological quantum computer. Most of the proposed topological superconductors are realized in difficult-to-fabricate heterostructures at very low temperatures. By using high-resolution spin-resolved and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we find that the iron-based superconductor FeTe 1– x Se x ( x = 0.45; superconducting transition temperature T c = 14.5 kelvin) hosts Dirac-cone–type spin-helical surface states at the Fermi level; the surface states exhibit an s-wave superconducting gap below T c . Our study shows that the surface states of FeTe 0.55 Se 0.45 are topologically superconducting, providing a simple and possibly high-temperature platform for realizing Majorana states.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/early/2018/03/07/science.aan4596.full.pdf

Observation of topological superconductivity on the surface of an iron-based superconductor

A topological superconductor A promising path toward topological quantum computing involves exotic quasiparticles called the Majorana bound states (MBSs). MBSs have been observed in heterostructures that require careful nanofabrication, but the complexity of such systems makes further progress tricky. Zhang et al. identified a topological superconductor in which MBSs may be observed in a simpler way by looking into the cores of vortices induced by an external magnetic field. Using angle-resolved photoemission, the researchers found that the surface of the iron superconductor FeTe0.55Se0.45 satisfies the required conditions for topological superconductivity. Science, this issue p. 182 Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy indicates that FeTe0.55Se0.45 harbors Dirac-cone–type spin-helical surface states. Topological superconductors are predicted to host exotic Majorana states that obey non-Abelian statistics and can be used to implement a topological quantum computer. Most of the proposed topological superconductors are realized in difficult-to-fabricate heterostructures at very low temperatures. By using high-resolution spin-resolved and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we find that the iron-based superconductor FeTe1–xSex (x = 0.45; superconducting transition temperature Tc = 14.5 kelvin) hosts Dirac-cone–type spin-helical surface states at the Fermi level; the surface states exhibit an s-wave superconducting gap below Tc. Our study shows that the surface states of FeTe0.55Se0.45 are topologically superconducting, providing a simple and possibly high-temperature platform for realizing Majorana states.

Observation of topological superconductivity on the surface of iron-based superconductor

Topological materials and unconventional iron-based superconductors are both important areas of study but, to date, relatively little overlap has been identified between these two fields. However, the combination of topological bands and superconductivity promises the manifestation of exotic superconducting states, including Majorana fermions, the central component of topological quantum computation. Here, using laser-based, spin-resolved and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, we have identified both topological insulator and Dirac semimetal states near the Fermi energy in different iron-based superconducting compounds. Carrier doping can tune these topologically non-trivial bands to the Fermi energy, potentially allowing access to several different superconducting topological states in the same material. These results reveal the generic coexistence of superconductivity and multiple topological states in iron-based superconductors, indicating that this broad class of materials is a promising platform for high-temperature topological superconductivity. Multiple different types of topological states are observed in iron-based high-temperature superconductors. This suggests that these may be a good place to try and engineer high-temperature topological superconductivity.

Multiple topological states in iron-based superconductors

Topological superconductors, whose edge hosts Majorana bound states or Majorana fermions that obey non-Abelian statistics, can be used for low-decoherence quantum computations. Most of the proposed topological superconductors are realized with spin-helical states through proximity effect to BCS superconductors. However, such approaches are difficult for further studies and applications because of the low transition temperatures and complicated hetero-structures. Here by using high-resolution spin-resolved and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, we discover that the iron-based superconductor FeTe1-xSex (x = 0.45, Tc = 14.5 K) hosts Dirac-cone type spin-helical surface states at Fermi level, which open an s-wave SC gap below Tc. Our study proves that the surface states of FeTe0.55Se0.45 are 2D topologically superconducting, and thus provides a simple and possibly high-Tc platform for realizing Majorana fermions.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) — an experimental technique based on the photoelectric effect — is arguably the most powerful method for probing the electronic structure of solids. The past decade has witnessed notable progress in ARPES, including the rapid development of soft-X-ray ARPES, time-resolved ARPES, spin-resolved ARPES and spatially resolved ARPES, as well as considerable improvements in energy and momentum resolution. Consequently, ARPES has emerged as an indispensable experimental probe in the study of topological materials, which have characteristic non-trivial bulk and surface electronic structures that can be directly detected by ARPES. Over the past few years, ARPES has had a crucial role in several landmark discoveries in topological materials, including the identification of topological insulators and topological Dirac and Weyl semimetals. In this Technical Review, we assess the latest developments in different ARPES techniques and illustrate the capabilities of these techniques with applications in the study of topological materials. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a tool for directly probing the electronic structure of solids and has had a crucial role in studying topological materials. In this Technical Review, we discuss the latest developments of various ARPES techniques and their applications to topological materials

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and its application to topological materials

We describe a spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (SARPES) apparatus with a vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) laser (hν = 6.994 eV) developed at the Laser and Synchrotron Research Center at the Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo. The spectrometer consists of a hemispherical photoelectron analyzer equipped with an electron deflector function and twin very-low-energy-electron-diffraction-type spin detectors, which allows us to analyze the spin vector of a photoelectron three-dimensionally with both high energy and angular resolutions. The combination of the high-performance spectrometer and the high-photon-flux VUV laser can achieve an energy resolution of 1.7 meV for SARPES. We demonstrate that the present laser-SARPES machine realizes a quick SARPES on the spin-split band structure of a Bi(111) film even with 7 meV energy and 0.7∘angular resolutions along the entrance-slit direction. This laser-SARPES machine is applicable to the investigation of spin-dependent electronic states on an energy scale of a few meV.

High-resolution three-dimensional spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectrometer using vacuum ultraviolet laser light

Spin-orbit interaction entangles the orbitals with the different spins. The spin-orbital-entangled states were discovered in surface states of topological insulators. However, the spin-orbital-entanglement is not specialized in the topological surface states. Here, we show the spin-orbital texture in a surface state of Bi(111) by laser-based spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (laser-SARPES) and describe three-dimensional spin-rotation effect in photoemission resulting from spin-dependent quantum interference. Our model reveals that, in the spin-orbit-coupled systems, the spins pointing to the mutually opposite directions are independently locked to the orbital symmetries. Furthermore, direct detection of coherent spin phenomena by laser-SARPES enables us to clarify the phase of the dipole transition matrix element responsible for the spin direction in photoexcited states. These results permit the tuning of the spin polarization of optically excited electrons in solids with strong spin-orbit interaction.

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Spin-dependent quantum interference in photoemission process from spin-orbit coupled states.

We describe a spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (SARPES) apparatus with a vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) laser ($h\nu$= 6.994 eV) developed at the Laser and Synchrotron Research Center at the Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo. The spectrometer consists of a hemispherical photoelectron analyzer equipped with an electron deflector function and twin very-low-energy-electron-diffraction-type spin detectors, which allows us to analyze the spin vector of a photoelectron three-dimensionally with both high energy and angular resolutions. The combination of the high-performance spectrometer and the high-photon-flux VUV laser can achieve an energy resolution of 1.7 meV for SARPES. We demonstrate that the present laser-SARPES machine realizes a quick SARPES on the spin-split band structure of a Bi(111) film even with 7 meV energy and 0.7$^\circ$ angular resolutions along the entrance-slit direction. This laser-SARPES machine is applicable to the investigation of spin-dependent electronic states on an energy scale of a few meV.

Sogen Toyohisa

Papers

High-resolution three-dimensional spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectrometer using vacuum ultraviolet laser light

Spin-dependent quantum interference in photoemission process from spin-orbit coupled states.

High-resolution three-dimensional spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectrometer using vacuum ultraviolet laser light