Intertwining Josephson and Vortex Topologies in Conventional Superconductors

Abstract

Recent experimental advances have unveiled promising evidence of vortex-bound Majorana quasiparticles in multiple superconducting compounds. However, theoretical progress in understanding these phenomena, especially from ab initio approaches, has been limited by the computational complexity of simulating vortex structures. To bridge this gap, we introduce the Josephson-vortex correspondence (JVC), a theoretical framework that systematically maps the bound-state topological properties of vortices to those of $\pi$-phase Josephson junctions in the same superconductor. This correspondence allows vortex phase diagrams to be constructed directly from junction calculations, thereby eliminating the need for large-scale vortex calculations. We demonstrate the validity and predictive power of JVC across a variety of effective models, and further extend the framework to the first-principles level. Applying our approach to 2M-WS$_2$ and Sr$_3$SnO, we identify them as realistic, doping-tunable platforms for realizing vortex Majorana zero modes. Our theory will pave the way for ab initio Majorana material discovery and design.