Nonlocal Cooper pairs in finite topological superconductors and their relation to Majorana nonlocality
Pith reviewed 2026-05-07 14:19 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Finite one-dimensional topological superconductors host nonlocal Cooper pairs from hybridized Majorana end modes.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
In the low-frequency regime, the normal and anomalous Green's functions of finite one-dimensional topological superconductors become identical up to a phase factor and exhibit pronounced nonlocality: correlations between the two ends grow exponentially with system length while local correlations vanish. These features signify the emergence of unconventional nonlocal Cooper pairs associated with a nonlocal fermionic mode of hybridized Majorana end modes, directly linked to fermion parity and nonlocal transport properties.
What carries the argument
The Gor'kov Green's functions that encode single-particle and Cooper-pair correlations and become identical up to a phase while showing end-to-end nonlocality.
If this is right
- Nonlocal Cooper pairs link directly to fermion parity.
- They connect to the nonlocal transport properties of finite topological superconductors.
- The result advances understanding of Majorana nonlocality relevant to topological quantum computation.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- This nonlocality suggests that pair-correlation measurements could detect hybridized Majorana modes more directly than single-particle probes.
- Finite-size effects may produce measurable signatures in transport that differ from the infinite-system limit.
- Similar nonlocal pairing could appear in other platforms supporting Majorana modes, such as two-dimensional systems or nanowires with different pairing symmetries.
Load-bearing premise
The finite one-dimensional topological superconductor must support well-defined Majorana end modes that hybridize across the full length, with the Green's function formalism accurately capturing low-energy correlations without disorder or scattering.
What would settle it
An experiment or calculation on a finite topological superconductor that finds local correlations failing to vanish at zero frequency or end-to-end correlations failing to grow exponentially with length would falsify the central claim.
Figures
read the original abstract
We identify two fundamental properties of the Gor'kov Green's function of finite one-dimensional topological superconductors. In the low-frequency (low-energy) regime, the normal and anomalous Green's functions, which describe single-particle and Cooper-pair correlations, respectively, become identical up to a phase factor. Moreover, they exhibit pronounced nonlocality: correlations between the two ends of the system grow exponentially with system length, whereas local correlations at either end vanish in the zero-frequency limit. These striking features signify the emergence of unconventional nonlocal Cooper pairs associated with a nonlocal fermionic mode composed of hybridized Majorana end modes. The nonlocal Cooper pairs are directly linked to fermion parity and to the nonlocal transport properties of finite topological superconductors. By focusing on pair correlations, our analysis advances the understanding of Majorana nonlocality, a key concept in topological quantum computation.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript analyzes the Gor'kov Green's functions of finite one-dimensional topological superconductors. It claims that in the low-frequency regime, the normal and anomalous Green's functions become identical up to a phase factor and exhibit pronounced nonlocality, with end-to-end correlations growing exponentially with system length while local correlations vanish at zero frequency. These features are interpreted as signifying unconventional nonlocal Cooper pairs associated with a nonlocal fermionic mode of hybridized Majorana end modes, with direct links to fermion parity and nonlocal transport properties.
Significance. If the central derivation holds, the work is significant for providing a Green's function perspective on Majorana nonlocality that emphasizes pair correlations rather than single-particle properties alone. The exact scaling from the low-energy effective theory of hybridized Majorana zero modes (with hybridization gap setting the 1/ΔE divergence of nonlocal components) offers a clean, parameter-free connection to transport observables and could inform interpretations of experiments on finite-length topological nanowires.
minor comments (3)
- The abstract and introduction refer to the 'low-frequency (low-energy) regime' but do not explicitly bound it relative to the hybridization gap ΔE ~ exp(−L/ξ); this definition should appear in the main text (e.g., near the first use of the Gor'kov equations) to make the regime of validity unambiguous.
- Section 3 (or equivalent where the Green's functions are derived): the phase factor relating the normal and anomalous components is stated but not written explicitly as an equation; adding G_N(ω=0) = e^{iθ} G_A(ω=0) with the value of θ would improve clarity and allow direct verification.
- The discussion of numerical or analytical plots (likely Figure 1 or 2) would benefit from overlaying the predicted exponential scaling exp(+L/ξ) on the end-to-end correlation data for visual confirmation of the claimed nonlocality.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the careful reading of our manuscript and for the positive assessment of its significance. The recommendation for minor revision is noted. Since no specific major comments were raised in the report, we provide a brief response to the overall evaluation below.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: The manuscript analyzes the Gor'kov Green's functions of finite one-dimensional topological superconductors. It claims that in the low-frequency regime, the normal and anomalous Green's functions become identical up to a phase factor and exhibit pronounced nonlocality, with end-to-end correlations growing exponentially with system length while local correlations vanish at zero frequency. These features are interpreted as signifying unconventional nonlocal Cooper pairs associated with a nonlocal fermionic mode of hybridized Majorana end modes, with direct links to fermion parity and nonlocal transport properties.
Authors: We appreciate the referee's accurate summary of our central results on the low-frequency behavior of the normal and anomalous Green's functions and their connection to nonlocal Cooper pairs formed from hybridized Majorana modes. The interpretation linking these features to fermion parity and nonlocal transport is indeed the key message of the work. revision: no
Circularity Check
Derivation self-contained from Green's function analysis
full rationale
The paper applies the standard Gor'kov formalism to the quadratic Hamiltonian of a finite 1D topological superconductor (Kitaev chain or equivalent). The reported low-frequency identity between normal and anomalous Green's functions (up to phase) and the end-to-end nonlocality versus local vanishing follow directly from the pole structure set by the exponentially small hybridization gap of Majorana end modes; local components cancel by particle-hole symmetry. No parameters are fitted to the target nonlocality, no self-citations bear the central claim, and no ansatz is smuggled in. The result is an exact feature of the clean mean-field model at ω=0 for any fixed finite length.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (1)
- domain assumption The system is a finite one-dimensional topological superconductor that supports Majorana end modes.
invented entities (1)
-
nonlocal Cooper pairs
no independent evidence
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Under periodic boundary condi- tions, the Bogoliubov–de Gennes Hamiltonian in Eq
Bulk system In this section, we compute the Green’s function for a bulk Kitaev chain. Under periodic boundary condi- tions, the Bogoliubov–de Gennes Hamiltonian in Eq. (2) is diagonalized as ∑ j′ ˆH(j, j ′) ˆUk(j′) = ˆUk(j′) ( Ek 0 0 − Ek ) , (A1) where ˆUk(j) = ( uk − vk vk uk ) eikj √ L′, uk = Ek + ξk√ 2Ek(Ek + ξk) , v k = ∆ k√ 2Ek(Ek + ξk) , Ek = √ ξ2 ...
-
[2]
Finite system In this section, we compute the Green’s function for a finite Kitaev chain. We begin with the Dyson equation, ˆGV (j, j ′) = ˆG0(j, j ′) + ∑ j1,j 2 ˆG0(j, j 1) ˆV (j1, j 2) ˆGV (j2, j ′), (A12) where ˆV (j, j ′) = V δ j,j ′ ( δj, 0 + δj,L +1 ) ˆτ3 (A13) describes boundary potentials at j = 0 and j = L + 1. Using the relation ˇAV ( ˆGV (0, j ′...
-
[3]
A. F. Andreev, Thermal Conductivity of the Intermedi- ate State of Superconductors, Sov. Phys. JETP 19, 1228 (1964)
work page 1964
-
[4]
C. W. J. Beenakker, Random-matrix theory of quantum transport Rev. Mod. Phys. 69, 731 (1997)
work page 1997
-
[5]
B. Pannetier and H. Courtois, Andreev Reflection and Proximity effect, J. Low. Tmp. Phys. 118, 599 (2000)
work page 2000
-
[6]
P. G. de Gennes, Boundary Effects in Superconductors, Rev. Mod. Phys. 36, 225 (1964)
work page 1964
-
[7]
G. Eilenberger, Transformation of Gorkov’s Equation fo r Type II Superconductors into Transport-Like Equations, Zeitschrift f¨ ur Physik214, 195–213 (1968)
work page 1968
-
[8]
K. D. Usadel, Generalized Diffusion Equation for Super- conducting Alloys, Phys. Rev. Lett. 25, 507 (1970)
work page 1970
-
[9]
N. Read and D. Green, Paired states of fermions in two dimensions with breaking of parity and time-reversal symmetries and the fractional quantum Hall effect, Phys. Rev. B 61, 10267 (2000)
work page 2000
-
[10]
A. Y. Kitaev, Unpaired Majorana fermions in quantum wires, Phys. Usp. 44, 131 (2001)
work page 2001
-
[11]
M. Z. Hasan and C. L. Kane, Colloquium: Topological insulators, Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 3045 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[12]
X.-L. Qi and S.-C. Zhang, Topological insulators and su - perconductors, Rev. Mod. Phys. 83, 1057 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[13]
V. L. Berezinskii, New model of the anisotropic phase of superfluid He3, JETP Lett. 20, 287 (1974)
work page 1974
-
[14]
F. S. Bergeret, A. F. Volkov, and K. B. Efetov, Odd triplet superconductivity and related phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet structures, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 1321 (2005)
work page 2005
-
[15]
Y. Tanaka and A. A. Golubov, Theory of the Proximity Effect in Junctions with Unconventional Superconduc- tors, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 037003 (2007)
work page 2007
-
[16]
J. Linder and A. V. Balatsky, Odd-frequency supercon- ductivity, Rev. Mod. Phys. 91, 045005 (2019)
work page 2019
- [17]
-
[18]
Y. Asano and Y. Tanaka, Majorana fermions and odd- frequency Cooper pairs in a normal-metal nanowire proximity-coupled to a topological superconductor, Phys. Rev. B 87, 104513 (2013)
work page 2013
- [19]
-
[20]
Gurarie, Single-particle Green’s functions and int er- acting topological insulators, Phys
V. Gurarie, Single-particle Green’s functions and int er- acting topological insulators, Phys. Rev. B 83, 085426 (2011)
work page 2011
- [21]
-
[22]
A. Daido and Y. Yanase, Chirality polarizations and spectral bulk-boundary correspondence, Phys. Rev. B 100, 174512 (2019)
work page 2019
-
[23]
D. A. Ivanov, Non-Abelian Statistics of Half-Quantum Vortices in p-Wave Superconductors, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 268 (2001)
work page 2001
-
[24]
A. Y. Kitaev, Fault-tolerant quantum computation by anyons, Ann. Phys. 303, 2-30 (2003)
work page 2003
- [25]
- [26]
- [27]
-
[28]
C. J. Bolech and E. Demler, Observing Majorana bound States in p-Wave Superconductors Using Noise Measure- ments in Tunneling Experiments, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 237002 (2007)
work page 2007
- [29]
-
[30]
J. Nilsson, A. R. Akhmerov, and C. W. J. Beenakker, Splitting of a Cooper Pair by a Pair of Majorana Bound States, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 120403 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[31]
Fu, Electron Teleportation via Majorana Bound State s in a Mesoscopic Superconductor, Phys
L. Fu, Electron Teleportation via Majorana Bound State s in a Mesoscopic Superconductor, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 056402 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[32]
A. Zazunov, A. L. Yeyati, and R. Egger, Coulomb block- ade of Majorana-fermion-induced transport, Phys. Rev. B 84, 165440 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[33]
Z. Wang, X.-Y. Hu, Q.-F. Liang, and X. Hu, Detecting Majorana fermions by nonlocal entanglement between quantum dots, Phys. Rev. B 87, 214513 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[34]
J. Liu1, F,-C. Zhang, and K. T. Law, Majorana fermion induced nonlocal current correlations in spin-orbit cou- pled superconducting wires, Phys. Rev. B 88, 064509 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[35]
B. Zocher and B. Rosenow, Modulation of Majorana- Induced Current Cross-Correlations by Quantum Dots, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 036802 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[36]
J. D. Sau, B. Swingle, and S. Tewari, Proposal to probe quantum nonlocality of Majorana fermions in tunneling experiments, Phys. Rev. B 92, 020511(R) (2015)
work page 2015
- [37]
- [38]
- [39]
- [40]
-
[41]
S. Das Sarma, J. D. Sau, and T. D. Stanescu, Split- ting of the zero-bias conductance peak as smoking gun evidence for the existence of the Majorana mode in a superconductor-semiconductor nanowire, Phys. Rev. B 86, 220506(R) (2012)
work page 2012
-
[42]
R. M. Lutchyn, J. D. Sau, and S. DasSarma, Majo- rana Fermions and a Topological Phase Transition in Semiconductor-Superconductor Heterostructures, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 077001 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[43]
Y. Oreg, G. Refael, and F. von Oppen, Helical Liquids and Majorana Bound States in Quantum Wires, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 177002 (2010)
work page 2010
- [44]
-
[45]
M. T. Deng, C. L. Yu, G. Y. Huang, M. Larsson, P. Caroff, and H. Q. Xu, Anomalous Zero-Bias Conduc- tance Peak in a Nb–InSb Nanowire–Nb Hybrid Device, Nano Lett. 12, 6414-6419 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[46]
T.-P. Choy, J. M. Edge, A. R. Akhmerov, and C. W. J. Beenakker, Majorana fermions emerging from magnetic nanoparticles on a superconductor without spin-orbit coupling, Phys. Rev. B 84, 195442 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[47]
S. Nadj-Perge, I. K. Drozdov, B. A. Bernevig, and A. Yazdani, Proposal for realizing Majorana fermions in chains of magnetic atoms on a superconductor, Phys. Rev. B 88, 020407(R) (2013)
work page 2013
-
[48]
S. Nadj-Perge, I. K. Drozdov, J. Li, H. Chen, S. Jeon, J. Seo, A. H. MacDonald, B. A. Bernevig, and A. Yaz- dani, Observation of Majorana fermions in ferromagnetic atomic chains on a superconductor, Science 346, 602-607 (2014)
work page 2014
-
[49]
B. E. Feldman, M. T. Randeria, J. Li, S. Jeon, Y. Xie, Z. Wang, I. K. Drozdov, B. A. Bernevig, and A. Yazdani, High-resolution studies of the Majorana atomic chain platform, Nat. Phys. 13, 286-291 (2017)
work page 2017
-
[50]
M. Hell, M. Leijnse, and K. Flensberg, Two-Dimensional Platform for Networks of Majorana Bound States, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 107701 (2017)
work page 2017
-
[51]
F. Pientka, A. Keselman, E. Berg, A. Yacoby, A. Stern, and B. I. Halperin, Topological Superconductivity in a Planar Josephson Junction, Phys. Rev. X 7, 021032 (2017)
work page 2017
-
[52]
A. Fornieri, A. M. Whiticar, F. Setiawan, E. Por- tol´ es, A. C. C. Drachmann, A. Keselman, S. Gronin, C. Thomas, T. Wang, R. Kallaher, G. C. Gardner, E. Berg, M. J. Manfra, A. Stern, C. M. Marcus, and F. Nichele, Evidence of topological superconductivity in planar Josephson junctions, Nature 569, 89-92 (2019)
work page 2019
-
[53]
H. Ren, F. Pientka, S. Hart, A. T. Pierce, M. Kosowsky, L. Lunczer, R. Schlereth, B. Scharf, E. M. Hankiewicz, L. W. Molenkamp, B. I. Halperin, and A. Yacoby, Topo- logical superconductivity in a phase-controlled Josephso n junction, Nature 569, 93-98 (2019)
work page 2019
- [54]
- [55]
-
[56]
P. A. Lee and D. S. Fisher, Anderson Localization in Two Dimensions, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47, 882 (1981)
work page 1981
-
[57]
Ando, Quantum point contacts in magnetic fields, Phys
T. Ando, Quantum point contacts in magnetic fields, Phys. Rev. B 44, 8017 (1991)
work page 1991
-
[58]
J. D. Sau and S. Das Sarma, Realizing a robust practical Majorana chain in a quantum-dot-superconductor linear array, Nat. Commun. 3, 964 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[59]
M. Leijnse and K. Flensberg, Parity qubits and poor man’s Majorana bound states in double quantum dots, Phys. Rev. B 86, 134528 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[60]
Cayao, Emergent pair symmetries in systems with poor man’s Majorana modes, Phys
J. Cayao, Emergent pair symmetries in systems with poor man’s Majorana modes, Phys. Rev. B 110, 125408 (2024)
work page 2024
-
[61]
https://github.com/ikegayas/data 2604
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.