Majorana Zero Modes in Fractional Vortices

Majorana zero modes (MZMs) are promising for topological quantum computation, with vortices in topological superconductors serving as a leading platform. Recent experiments show that integer Abrikosov vortices in iron-based superconductors can split into fractional vortices (FVs) carrying fractional flux quanta. We show that due to topological protection, MZMs hosted by FVs are spatially unfolded over the FV cores, while fermionic bound states remain localized at individual FV cores. This yields zero-bias conductance peaks in both local tunneling and nonlocal crossed Andreev reflection, offering an alternative MZM signature.