- Letter
Majorana zero modes and topological nature in the family of superconductors
Phys. Rev. B 114, L020501 – Published 1 July, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nnrq-z3gd
Abstract
In this work, we report that -family superconductors exhibit nontrivial band topology. They possess a natural quantum-well structure consisting of alternating stacks of and honeycomb Bi layers, which contribute superconducting and topological properties, respectively. Symmetry-based indicators reveal that the topological nature arises entirely from the Bi layers, which belong to a quantum spin Hall phase characterized by a model on a honeycomb lattice. The topological zigzag (ZZ) and armchair (AC) edge states are obtained. Using vasp2kp, the in-plane factors of these topological edge states are computed from the ab initio calculations: and . The strong anisotropy of the edge-state factors allows us to explore Majorana zero modes in the Bi monolayer on a superconductor, which can be obtained by exfoliation or molecular beam epitaxy. Furthermore, using the experimental superconducting gap and the computed factors, we obtain the phase diagram, which shows that the in-plane field can generate corner Majorana zero modes in the Bi monolayer of the superconductor . A similar paradigm also applies to the bulk with the emergence of Majorana hinge states. These natural quantum-well superconductors therefore offer ideal platforms for exploring topological superconductivity and Majorana zero modes.