Finding Majorana Fermions in Graphene

Synopsis

Since 1937, the existence of a Majorana fermion, a half-integer spin particle that is identically their own antiparticle, has been suggested but never confirmed. The only elementary particle that remains a Majorana candidate is the neutrino, but experimental tests have been as of yet inconclusive. In this talk, I will speak on how we may be able to find a Majorana in an unexpected place: the honeycomb lattice of graphene. First, I will talk about what it means for a particle to be Majorana and why neutrinos may still be a candidate. Next, I will show that there is actually a lot in common between our lightest particles and the electrons in graphene. Lastly, there will be some math. I’ll introduce the Gross-Neveu model and how we have used it to perhaps find that elusive Majorana fermion.