Spin-orbit interaction (SOI), a relativistic effect linking the motion of an electron (orbit) with its magnetic moment (spin), is an essential ingredient for various realisations of topological superconductivity, which host Majorana zero-modes, the building blocks of topological quantum computation.
Junctions created by coupling two superconductors via a semiconductor nanowire in the presence of high magnetic fields are the basis for detection, fusion, and braiding of Majorana bound states.
Ballistic electron transport is a key requirement for existence of a topological phase transition in proximitized InSb nanowires.