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Intertwined Charge Stripes and Majorana Zero Modes in an Iron-Based Superconductor

Yu Liu1,*, Li-Xuan Wei1,*, Qiang-Jun Cheng1,*, Zhenhua Zhu1, Xin-Yu Shi1, Cong-Cong Lou1, Yong-Wei Wang1, Ze-Xian Deng1, Ming-Qiang Ren1,2 et al.

Dong E. Liu1, Ziqiang Wang3,†, Xu-Cun Ma1,4,‡, Jin-Feng Jia2,5,6, Qi-Kun Xue1,2,4,6,7,§, and Can-Li Song1,4,∥

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: ziqiang.wang@bc.edu
  • ‡Contact author: xucunma@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • §Contact author: qkxue@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • ∥Contact author: clsong07@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 136505 – Published 23 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6f1z-dvc6

Abstract

In type-II superconductors, magnetic fields modulate the amplitude and phase of the superconducting order parameter, forming quantized vortices where superconductivity is locally suppressed and exotic bound states or competing electronic orders emerge. Using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy on epitaxial Ba(Fe0.94Co0.06)2As2 films, we discover an incommensurate charge-stripe order aligned with the Fe-Fe bond direction. These charge modulations become strongly enhanced at the vortex core and extend far into the vortex halo. Strikingly, the charge order modulates Andreev bound states of vortices at nonzero energies, producing Abelian vortices with half-odd-integer level quantization and non-Abelian vortices with integer-quantized core states that host a Majorana zero mode. The distinct vortex types are distinguished by the registry of their centers relative to the charge-stripe pattern and remain robust in ultrathin (2.5-unit-cell) films. Our findings reveal a density-wave-textured vortex matter and provide fresh insights into intertwined phenomena in iron-based superconductors.

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