One-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_4$ topological superconductor

Max Tymczyszyn, Edward McCann

Published 2024-04-11Version 1

We describe the mean-field model of a one-dimensional topological superconductor with two orbitals per unit cell. Time-reversal symmetry is absent, but a nonsymmorphic symmetry, involving a translation by a fraction of the unit cell, mimics the role of time-reversal symmetry. As a result, the topological superconductor has $\mathbb{Z}_4$ topological phases, two which support Majorana bound states and two which do not, in agreement with a prediction based on K-theory classification [K. Shiozaki et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 195413 (2016)]. As with the Kitaev chain, the presence of Majorana bound states gives rise to the $4\pi$-periodic Josephson effect. The K-theory classification describes two $\mathbb{Z}_4$ subclasses, but, by identifying models in both subclasses, we show that they are related by a unitary transformation and are equivalent.