Mrityunjay Pandey

A new research project aims to unlock exotic quantum states in graphene by combining it with superconducting materials. The ultimate goal: to engineer topological superconductivity, a rare and powerful quantum state with enormous potential for next-generation quantum technologies.

By exploring this novel physics in a carefully designed hybrid system, the project could open new paths toward building fault-tolerant quantum computers. At the heart of this effort is graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. Well known for its exceptional electrical and mechanical properties, graphene also exhibits unusual behaviour when exposed to strong magnetic fields. In particular, under certain conditions, it can host helical edge states (HES) When coupled to a superconductor, these states are predicted to give rise to Majorana particles, which are their own antiparticles and obey non Abelian statistics, making them promising for topological quantum computation.