Detection of Majorana edge states in topological superconductors through the non-Fermi-liquid effects induced in an interacting quantum dot

Abstract

It is shown that the presence of the Majorana fermion edge states along the perimeter of a topological superconductor can be probed using an interacting quantum dot coupled to three terminals: two spin-polarized (ferromagnetic) leads and one lead supporting the Majorana edge states. The hybridization with the Majorana states induces a particular type of the Kondo effect with non-Fermi-liquid properties which can be detected by performing linear conductance measurements between the source and drain normal leads: the temperature dependence of the conductance is characteristically different from that in the conventional Kondo effect.