Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 342 3 a Solution 2026-09-28
The continuum Hamiltonian is that of a spinless one-dimensional p-wave topological superconductor. Its topological phase has , whereas the empty vacuum may be modeled as the trivial phase with . With superconductor at and vacuum at , this is
Near the transition , momenta are small and the quadratic term may be neglected. In Pauli-matrix notation, the long-wavelength Bogoliubov--de Gennes Hamiltonian isThe zero-energy equation becomesChoose a constant spinor with . Thendecays on both sides because changes from positive to negative. For asymptotically constant , the Continuum p-wave Majorana interface mode has widthIts characteristic momentum is . The neglected kinetic energy is small compared with when up to a factor of two, equivalently when .
In the Nambu basis, Particle-hole symmetry of a Bogoliubov--de Gennes Hamiltonian lets a zero-energy eigenvector be chosen self-conjugate, . The corresponding quasiparticle operator isTaking the adjoint and interchanging the two terms gives . With the usual normalization it obeys , so it is a Majorana fermion operator localized at the interface.