Perspective on Majorana bound-states in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowires

Abstract

A personal perspective is given on a decade of research on Majorana bound states (MBS) in hybrid devices of semiconducting nanowires covered with a superconductor. Predicted experimental signatures like zero-bias anomalies turned out to be false positive evidence for topological MBS. Zero-bias conductance peaks have found alternative explanations in terms of material disorder and smooth boundary potentials. A recount is given on various predictions, observations and re-interpretations, as well as the lessons learned in retrospect and an outlook on the future.