Topological quantum computing has emerged as a key direction to develop large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing. In quantum computing architectures, an important challenge is the trade-off between two factors: i) coupling quantum states to one another ii) isolating states well enough so that the quantum information remains well protected. Quantum technologies based on microscopic degrees of freedom, e.g. spin, are sensitive to one of the two criteria and lead to error. Topological quantum computing exploits macroscopic degrees of freedom and hence noise and small perturbations cannot access the information which is encoded in the topology of the system as a whole. In this talk, we discuss the necessary ingredients to realize topological superconductivity. This type of superconductivity is expected to host exotic quasi-particle excitations including Majorana bound states which are the building block of fault-tolerant quantum computing. We present epitaxial superconductor-semiconductor heterostructure as an enabling materials platform allowing unprecedented values of transparency and induced gap. In wide Josephson junctions exposed to magnetic field, we observe a minimum of critical current accompanied with a phase jump in the superconducting phase. We discuss this observation as a signature of a transition between trivial and topological superconductivity. We further investigate how our two-dimensional platform can be used to probe the statistics of topological states and perform exchange gates.

Javad Shabani is an Assistant Professor of Physics at New York University and a member of the Center for Quantum Phenomena. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard University and University of California, Santa Barbara. His research interests are mainly on developing novel quantum devices using materials innovation with recent research focus on topological superconductivity and developing voltage-controlled superconducting qubits. He is an active member of quantum education and workforce development in New York area. He is recipient of US Army and US Air Force young investigator awards.