Measuring fermion parity correlations in 1D topological superconducting wires*

Zero energy Majorana fermion states (Majoranas) can arise at the ends of a semiconducting wire in proximity with a superconductor. A first generation of experiments has detected a zero bias conductance peak in these systems that strongly suggests these Majoranas do exist; however, a definitive demonstration of the long-ranged entanglement that is crucial for potential applications in quantum computing has yet to be carried out. We will discuss a possible measurement scheme to detect this long-ranged entanglement in a wire system with two coupled pairs of Majoranas, by varying the coupling between one pair and measuring the effect this has on the state of the second pair.