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Abstract:
The topological features of low-dimensional superconductors have created
a lot of excitement recently because of their broad range of
applications in quantum information and their potential to reveal novel
phases of quantum matter. A potential problem for practical applications
is the presence of phase slips that break phase coherence. Dissipation
in nontopological superconductors suppresses phase slips and can restore
long-range order. Here, we investigate the role of dissipation in a
topological Josephson junction. We show that the combined effects of
topology and dissipation keep phase and antiphase slips strongly
correlated so that the device is superconducting even under conditions
where a nontopological device would be resistive. The resistive
transition occurs at a critical value of the dissipation that is 4 times
smaller than that expected for a conventional Josephson junction. We
propose that this difference could be employed as a robust experimental
signature of topological superconductivity.