All majorana models with translation symmetry are supersymmetric

Timothy H. Hsieh, Gábor B. Halász, Tarun Grover

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Abstract

We establish results similar to Kramers and Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorems but involving only translation symmetry and for Majorana modes. In particular, we show that all states are at least doubly degenerate in any one- and two-dimensional array of Majorana modes with translation symmetry, periodic boundary conditions, and an odd number of modes per unit cell. Moreover, we show that all such systems have an underlying N=2 supersymmetry and explicitly construct the generator of the supersymmetry. Furthermore, we establish that there cannot be a unique gapped ground state in such one-dimensional systems with antiperiodic boundary conditions. These general results are fundamentally a consequence of the fact that translations for Majorana modes are represented projectively, which in turn stems from the anomalous nature of a single Majorana mode. An experimental signature of the degeneracy arising from supersymmetry is a zero-bias peak in tunneling conductance.

Original languageEnglish
Article number166802
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume117
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 11 2016
Externally publishedYes

Funding

We thank Leon Balents for helpful comments. All authors are supported by a fellowship from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant No. 4304). T. G. also acknowledges start-up funds from UCSD.

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