Condensed Matter Seminar: Against all odds: fractional superconductivity on quantum Hall edges

Fractional topological superconductors (FTS) arise when fractional quasiparticles bind to form Cooper pairs. These exotic phases of matter support parafermion zero-modes, which support richer non-Abelian statistics than their Majorana fermion counterparts and can serve as building blocks for universal topologically-protected quantum computation. Fractional quasiparticles can be found in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) liquids. Consequently, proposed realizations for FTSs were based on proximity coupling of standard superconductors to FQH edges. However, FQH liquids require strong electronic repulsion and strong magnetic fields, both of which may suppress superconductivity. In this talk, I will show that despite these obstacles, fractional topological superconductivity can be observed experimentally in this type of devices.