Universal two-time correlations, out-of-time-ordered correlators, and Leggett-Garg inequality violation by edge Majorana fermion qubits

Abstract

In the present work we propose that two-time correlations of Majorana edge localized fermions constitute a novel and versatile toolbox for assessing the topological phases of one-dimensional open lattices. Using analytical and numerical calculations in the Kitaev model, we uncover universal relationships between the decay of the short-time correlations and a particular family of out-of-time-ordered correlators, which provide direct experimental alternatives to the quantitative analysis of the system regime, either normal or topological. Furthermore, we show that the saturation of two-time correlations possesses features of an order parameter. Finally, we find that violations of Leggett-Garg inequalities can indicate the topological-normal phase transition by looking at different qubits formed by pairing local and nonlocal edge Majorana fermions.