  We show that the existence of a Majorana bound state at one end of a Kitaev
chain is unambiguously signaled by observable quantities in a nearby Kitaev
ring. When the Kitaev chain is in the topological phase, the band structure of
the Kitaev ring breaks chiral symmetry and the ring-Majoranas' spectral
functions are even functions of momentum and energy, the latter wielding
time-reversal and particle-hole symmetric occupation numbers and, hence, zero
current in the ring. Driving a phase transition in the Kitaev chain (e.g.,
using a backgate to vary the chemical potential of the chain through its
critical value), the replacement of the Majorana bound state by a trivial
fermion is manifest by chiral symmetry reappearing in the band structure of the
ring and by the ring-Majoranas' spectral functions loss of parity, wielding
time-reversal and particle-hole symmetry breaking in the occupation numbers and
a spontaneous current in the ring. Energy resonance and maximum spectral weight
exactly at the resonance energy concur for a high leakage probability between
ring-Majoranas' states and the Majorana bound state, whereas the lack of energy
resonance makes unlikely any leakage between ring-Majoranas' states and the
trivial fermion states. The proposed setup also invites further investigations
in the context of braiding and/or fusion of Majorana states, both as detection
mechanisms and for quantum computing purposes.
