Magnetic field

Quantum tunnelling

Physics

Quasiparticle

Vortex

Bound state

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Condensed matter physics

MAJORANA

Spectroscopy

Superconductivity

Quantum mechanics

Thermodynamics

Science

An iron home for Majoranas The surface of the iron-based superconductor FeTe 0.55 Se 0.45 has been identified as a potential topological superconductor and is expected to host exotic quasiparticles called the Majorana bound states (MBSs). Wang et al. looked for signatures of MBSs in this material by using scanning tunneling spectroscopy on the vortex cores formed by the application of a magnetic field. In addition to conventional states, they observed the characteristic zero-bias peaks associated with MBSs and were able to distinguish between the two, owing to the favorable ratios of energy scales in the system. Science , this issue p. 333

Evidence for Majorana bound states in an iron-based superconductor