Marvels of Majorana Zero Modes: From the Kitaev Chain to 3D Topological Phases

by Prof. Shangqiang Ning (宁上强) (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

Wednesday 16 Sept 2026, 10:30 → 11:30 Asia/Shanghai

Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/N4F-N400 - meeting room (Tsung-Dao Lee Institute)

Host: Prof. Xin Liu  

Venue: TDLI Meeting Room N400

Tencent Meeting link: https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/DJjPsFmI7iPP

Meeting ID: 299201708, no password

 

Abstract:

Unpaired Majorana zero modes (MZMs) on open boundaries are the defining topological signature of the Kitaev chain, and the creation and manipulation of MZMs has become a landmark achievement of modern condensed matter physics. A central question then arises: what can we do with these MZMs? On the one hand, their non-Abelian statistics make them natural candidates for topological quantum computation. On the other hand, assemblies of MZMs can serve as a powerful platform for realizing exotic states of matter. In this talk, I will take the second perspective and discuss how MZMs, assisted by other degrees of freedom such as symmetry-protected domain walls or crystalline structures, can be used to construct a rich variety of exotic critical and topological phases in a controlled way, from 1D to 3D.

 

Biography:

Prof. Shangqiang Ning is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at HKUST, working with Prof. Xi Dai. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University (2019), under the supervision of Prof. Xiao-Gang Wen, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Hong Kong (with Prof. Chenjie Wang) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (with Prof. Zhengcheng Gu). His research focuses on the classification, characterization, and quantum anomalies of strongly correlated topological phases of matter, with recent work on three-dimensional interacting topological phases. He has published in PRX, PRL, PRB, and SciPost, and serves as a reviewer for PRL, PRX, PRB, and SciPost ect.