Reviving Majorana zero modes in the spin-1/2 Kitaev ladder model
Abstract
The one-dimensional p-wave superconductor, characterized by boundary Majorana modes, has attracted significant interest owing to its potential application in topological quantum computation. Similarly, spin-1/2 Kitaev ladder systems with bond-dependent Ising interactions, featuring Majorana fermions coupled with Z2 flux, exhibit boundary Majorana modes when in a topological phase. However, the ground state degeneracy, inherent in these systems, may result in the annihilation of Majorana modes due to the superposition of the degenerate states. To avoid this issue, here we introduce a projective measurement that selects one of the degenerate Z2 sectors, enabling the revival of Majorana modes. Once the state is selected, we show that the application of the local spin operators on a bond flips the sign of the adjacent Z2 flux. Repeating such operators enables the system to reach a desired Z2 flux configuration. The Majorana zero modes can be manipulated and fused by tuning the flux sectors achievable through applying local spin operators. We also discuss the engineering of the Kitaev ladder and open questions for future studies.
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