  The goal of creating topologically protected qubits using non-Abelian anyons
is currently one of the most exciting areas of research in quantum condensed
matter physics. Majorana zero modes (MZM), which are non-Abelian anyons
predicted to emerge as localized zero energy states at the ends of
one-dimensional topological superconductors, have been the focus of these
efforts. In the search for experimental signatures of these novel
quasi-particles in different material platforms, the scanning tunneling
microscope (STM) has played a key role. The power of high-resolution STM
techniques is perhaps best illustrated by their application in identifying MZM
in one-dimensional chains of magnetic atoms on the surface of a superconductor.
In this platform, STM spectroscopic mapping has demonstrated the localized
nature of MZM zero-energy excitations at the ends of such chains, while
experiments with superconducting and magnetic STM tips have been used to
uniquely distinguish them from trivial edge modes. Beyond the atomic chains,
STM has also uncovered signatures of MZM in two-dimensional materials and
topological surface and boundary states, when they are subjected to the
superconducting proximity effect. Looking ahead, future STM experiments can
advance our understanding of MZM and their potential for creating topological
qubits, by exploring avenues to demonstrate their non-Abelian statistics.
