Classical Majorana-like zero modes in an acoustic Kitaev chain

The one-dimensional Kitaev chain, being one of the most significant superconductor models that support Majorana fermions, has been considered as a highly probable method to host nonlocal qubits for topological quantum computation. Here we theoretically introduce the concept into the classical-wave systems and report the first experimental prototype of the acoustic Kitaev chain. We rigorously demonstrate the acoustic correspondence of the Kitaev chain and experimentally observe the classical unpaired Majorana-like zero mode in a well-designed acoustic spinless $p$-wave superconductor. In particular, clear physical evidence also demonstrates such exotic acoustic modes can be manipulated to a certain extend like a quasiparticle, which is directly identified by employing a Kitaev ``keyboard.'' These results are expected to open new avenues for novel applications of topological acoustics.