An experimentally accessible quality factor for Majorana wires

Abstract: Spin-orbit coupled semiconducting nanowires with proximity-induced superconductivity are expected to host Majorana zero modes at their endpoints when a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied. The resulting phase would be a one-dimensional topological superconductor. However, while a variety of experiments have been performed observing a zero bias conductance peak (suggestive of Majorana zero modes), the topological nature of these physical systems is still a subject of debate. Here we suggest a quantitative test of the degree to which a system displaying a zero bias peak may be considered topological. The experiment is similar to previous measurements of conductance, but is performed with the aid of a quantum dot at the wire's end. We arrive at the surprising result that the non-local nature of the topological system may be identified through a local measurement.