Xia-Ji Liu, Centre for Atom Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

Ultracold atoms have been proven to be an ideal table-top system to reveal novel states of quantum matter. The latest development of generating a synthetic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in ultracold atoms has created a new frontier that is endowed with a strong interdisciplinary character. This is a system that has a close connection to new functional materials such as topological insulators and has the potential to perform topological quantum computation based on Majorana fermions. Here, we report our theoretical work on spin-orbit-coupled ultracold atomic gases, showing how to probe topological superfluid by measuring a universal bound state and how to manipulate Majorana fermions by adding a strong magnetic impurity potential.