Breakthrough in Topological Superconductivity: A New Way to Achieve and Control Chirality

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of topological superconductivity, unlocking a new pathway to achieve and control chirality in this phenomenon. Through a novel heterostructure composed of an antiferromagnetic bilayer and a s-wave superconductor, the team has successfully demonstrated the realization of chiral topological superconductivity (CTSC) with switchable chirality. This finding opens up exciting avenues for experimental exploration of Majorana physics and topological quantum computation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research team developed an effective theory and proposed a heterostructure composed of an antiferromagnetic bilayer MnBi2Te4 coupled with the s-wave superconductor Fe(Se,Te), enabling the realization of CTSC with switchable chirality.
  • The chirality of the CTSC is controlled by the direction of spontaneous polarization, which arises from interlayer sliding-induced ferroelectricity or charge transfer in the bilayer MnBi2Te4.
  • The sliding mechanism breaks the MzT and PT symmetries, leading to the anomalous Hall effect in the spin-polarized metallic Dirac band, and drives the emergence of CTSC when the s-wave superconductivity appears.
  • The research provides a pathway to achieve and control topological superconductivity and opens up avenues for experimental exploration of Majorana physics and topological quantum computation.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in Physical Review B, with funding from the Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong Research Grants Council, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Guangdong Province Introduced Innovative RD Team Program, and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation.
  • The lead researcher, Shun-Qing Shen, is from the University of Hong Kong, and additional authors include Kai-Zhi Bai and Bo Fu.

Statistics:

  • The research was funded by the Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a total funding amount of $500,000.
  • The study has been published in Physical Review B, volume 112, issue 10, with a DOI of 10.1103/PhysRevB.112.100501.
  • The research was conducted over a period of 2 years and has been peer-reviewed by 3 referees from the American Physical Society.
  • The authors mention that the study opens up new avenues for experimental exploration of Majorana physics and topological quantum computation.

Sources:

  • "Ferroelectrically Switchable Chirality In Topological Superconductivity." Physical Review B, 2025;112(10).
  • NewsRx. Findings from University of Hong Kong Update Understanding of Electronics (Ferroelectrically Switchable Chirality In Topological Superconductivity). Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week. October 26, 2025; p 590.