Peculiar long-range supercurrent in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction containing a noncollinear magnetic domain in the ferromagnetic region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Hao, E-mail: menghao1982@shu.edu.cn [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001 (China); National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wu, Xiuqiang [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Ren, Yajie [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001 (China)

2015-01-14

We study the supercurrent in clean superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure containing a noncollinear magnetic domain in the ferromagnetic region. It is demonstrated that the magnetic domain can lead to a spin-flip scattering process, which reverses the spin orientations of the singlet Cooper pair and simultaneously changes the sign of the corresponding electronic momentum. If the ferromagnetic layers on both sides of magnetic domain have the same features, the long-range proximity effect will take place. That is because the singlet Cooper pair will create an exact phase-cancellation effect and gets an additional π phase shift as it passes through the entire ferromagnetic region. Then, the equal spin triplet pair only exists in the magnetic domain region and can not diffuse into the other two ferromagnetic layers. So, the supercurrent mostly arises from the singlet Cooper pairs, and the equal spin triplet pairs are not involved. This result can provide a approach for generating the long-range supercurrent.

Electronic heat, charge and spin transport in superconductor-ferromagnetic insulator structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergeret, Sebastian [Materials Physics Center (CFM-CSIC), San Sebastian (Spain); Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), San Sebastian (Spain)

2015-07-01

It is known for some time that a superconducting (S) film in contact with a ferromagnetic insulator (FI) exhibits a spin-splitting in the density of states (DoS). Recently we have explored different S-FI hybrid structures and predicted novel effects exploiting such spin-splitting of the DoS. In this talk I will briefly discuss (i) a heat valve based on a FI-S-I-S-FI Josephson junction; (ii) a thermoelectric transistor and (iii) the occurrence of a giant thermophase in a thermally-biased Josephson junction.

Proximity effects and Josephson currents in ferromagnet. Spin-triplet superconductors junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrade, Damien

2015-01-01

Spin-triplet superconductivity, first attached to the description of 3 He, is now generally considered to also occur in heavy-fermions compounds and in perovskite ruthenium oxide Sr 2 RuO 4 . The latter material is especially interesting since many experiments show strong evidences for a unitary chiral spin-triplet state. Moreover, the recent fabrication of thin heterostructures made of ferromagnetic SrRuO 3 on the top of Sr 2 RuO 4 strongly encourages new theoretical studies on the interplay between spin-triplet superconductor and ferromagnet in similar fashion to spin-singlet superconductors. Using an extended tight-binding Hamiltonian to model the superconductor, we discuss in this thesis the specific proximity effects of such interface by solving self-consistently the Bogoliubov-De Gennes equations on two- and three-dimensional lattices in the ballistic limit. We obtain the spatial profile of the superconducting order parameters at the interface as well as the spin-polarisation and the current across the Josephson junctions. In contrast to heterostructures made of spin-singlet superconductor, we show that the physical properties at the interface are not only controlled by the strength of the magnetization inside the ferromagnet but also by its orientation due to the existence of a finite pair spin projection of the spin-triplet Cooper pairs. We analyse in the first part the spin-polarisation and the Gibbs free energy at the three-dimensional ferromagnet-chiral spin-triplet superconductor interface. Then, the second part of the thesis is dedicated to the study of the Josephson junctions made of a chiral spin-triplet superconductor and a ferromagnetic barrier. More precisely, we analyse the existence of 0-π state transitions in two- and three-dimensional junctions with respect to the strength and the orientation of the magnetization. Finally, we study the proximity effects at the interface of helical spin-triplet superconductors. They differ from the chiral

Spin-orbit torque in 3D topological insulator-ferromagnet heterostructure: crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit; Manchon, Aurelien

2017-01-01

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore, our model accounts for spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large damping torque reported recently is more likely attributed to interfacial magnetoelectric effect, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Spin-orbit torque in 3D topological insulator-ferromagnet heterostructure: crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit

2017-11-29

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore, our model accounts for spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large damping torque reported recently is more likely attributed to interfacial magnetoelectric effect, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Magneto-optical Kerr-effect at low temperatures. Investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahn, Patrick; Bayer, Jonas [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Institute for Innovative Surfaces FINO, Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany); Stahl, Claudia; Ruoss, Stephen; Graefe, Joachim; Schuetz, Gisela [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Institute for Innovative Surfaces FINO, Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany)

2016-07-01

With XMCD microscopy it is possible to visualize the critical current density of the superconductor YBCO with high spatial resolution. Therefore, soft magnetic CoFeB is introduced as sensor layer. The magnetic stray fields of the supercurrents lead to a local reorientation of the magnetic moments in the ferromagnet, which are then imaged via X-ray microscopy. These experiments have to be carried out at the scanning X-ray microscope MAXYMUS at the synchrotron Bessy II in Berlin. For that purpose pre-characterization of the sensor is highly desirable: Magnetic interactions between the superconductor and the ferromagnetic sensor layer have been investigated at low temperatures using Kerr-effect measurements. Therefore hysteresis loops are obtained by a sophisticated magnet and field ramping setup within the NanoMOKE3 system. The results are used to optimize the ferromagnetic sensor layer for XMCD microscopy of superconductors.

Atomic scale 0-π transition and pairing symmetry in a Josephson junction with a ferromagnetic insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabata, S.; Kashiwaya, S.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, A. A.; Asano, Y.

2011-01-01

Full text: A superconducting ring with a π-junction made from superconductor (S) / ferromagnetic- metal (FM) / superconductor (S) exhibits a spontaneous current without an external magnetic field and the corresponding magnetic flux is half a flux quantum in the ground state. Such a π-ring provides so-called 'quiet qubit' that can be efficiently decoupled from the fluctuation of the external field. However, the usage of FM gives rise to strong Ohmic dissipation. Therefore, the realization of π-junctions without FM is highly desired for qubit applications. We theoretically consider the possibility of the π-junction formation in the mesoscopic Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic insulators (FI) by taking into account the band structure of such materials explicitly. In the case of the fully polarized FIs, e.g., La 2 BaCuO 5 (LBCO) and K 2 CuF 4 , we found the formation of a π-junction and a novel atomic-scale 0-π transition induced by increasing the FI thickness LF. In this talk, I will discuss a thermal stability and material-parameter dependences of the atomic-scale 0-π transition as well as possibility of the odd-frequency pairing in such systems. (author)

Nonlocal thermoelectric symmetry relations in ferromagnet-superconductor proximity structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz (Germany); Eschrig, Matthias [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz (Germany); Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, EGHAM, TW20 0EX (United Kingdom)

2012-07-01

The symmetries of thermal and electric transport coefficients in quantum coherent structures are related to fundamental thermodynamic principles by the Onsager reciprocity. We generalize Onsager's symmetry relation to nonlocal thermoelectric currents in a three terminal ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure including spin-dependent crossed Andreev reflection and direct electron transfer processes. We proof this general symmetry by applying spin-dependent boundary conditions for quasi-classical Green's functions in both the clean and the dirty limit. We predict an anomalously large local thermopower and a nonlocal Seebeck effect, which can be explained by the spin-dependent spectral properties.

Theory of the electric current transmission coefficient in the superconductor-insulator-superconductor geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navani, R.

1974-01-01

Tunneling in the superconductor-insulator-superconductor (S'-I-S) geometry, where the two superconductors are not necessarily the same, is studied theoretically. Two different models of the S'-I-S geometry - which we call the ''initial model'' and the ''improved model'' are discussed. For the initial model the potential barrier is flat. In the improved model, however, the differing material properties of the three regions - S', I, and S - are taken into account in an approximate fashion. In addition, applied, contact, and image potentials in the insulator are included. The solid state material properties that are taken to be different are the effective electronic masses in the three regions and the Fermi energies in the two superconductors. The quasiparticle wave functions in the S', I, and S regions are determined for both models as solutions to the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. The electric current transmission coefficients (also the reflection coefficient for the initial model) are derived and their behavior is extensively analyzed. Their forms in the thick barrier limit - where L greater than or approximately equal to 5 A - are related to the BCS densities of states. The tunneling current density is found to depend strongly on the tunneling angle. A relation between the angular position of the tunneling current peak and the barrier thickness is given. Finally, it is shown that the choice of insulator material effects the tunneling current, and the effect is greater the thicker the insulating film

Superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor nanojunctions from perovskite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Štrbík, V.; Beňačka, Š.; Gaži, Š.; Španková, M.; Šmatko, V.; Knoška, J.; Gál, N.; Chromik, Š.; Sojková, M.; Pisarčík, M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor nanojunction. • Nanojunctions prepared by Ga"3"+ focused ion beam patterning. • Indication of triplet Cooper pair component in junction superconducting current. • Qualitative agreement with theoretical model. - Abstract: The lateral superconductor-ferromagnet–superconductor (SFS) nanojunctions based on high critical temperature superconductor YBa_2Cu_3O_x (YBCO) and half-metallic ferromagnet La_0_._6_7Sr_0_._3_3MnO_3 (LSMO) thin films were prepared to investigate a possible presence of long range triplet component (LRTC) of Cooper pairs in the LSMO. We applied Ga"3"+ focused ion beam patterning to create YBCO/LSMO/YBCO lateral type nanojunctions with LSMO length as small as 40 nm. The resistivity vs. temperature, critical current density vs. temperature and resistance vs. magnetic field dependence were studied to recognize the LRTC of Cooper pairs in the LSMO. A non-monotonic temperature dependence of junction critical current density and a decrease of the SFS nanojunction resistance in increased magnetic field were observed. Only weak manifestations of LRTC and some qualitative agreement with theory were found out in SFS nanojunctions realized from the perovskite materials. The presence of equal-spin triplet component of Cooper pairs in half-metallic LSMO ferromagnet is not such apparent as in SFS junctions prepared from low temperature superconductors NbTiN and half-metallic ferromagnet CrO_2.

Critical current enhancement by Lorentz force reduction in superconductor-ferromagnet nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blamire, M G; Dinner, R B; Wimbush, S C; MacManus-Driscoll, J L

2009-01-01

Ferromagnetic pinning centres in superconductors form much deeper potential wells than equivalent insulating or metallic non-superconducting inclusions. However, the resultant pinning forces arising from magnetic inclusions are low because the magnetic interaction takes place over the length scale of the magnetic penetration depth which is large in technological superconductors. Nonetheless, we show that a magnetic inclusion can also reduce the Lorentz force on a vortex, yielding a substantially enhanced critical current density for a given pinning force. We calculate this enhancement for a single vortex pinned by a paramagnetic cylinder as well as a vortex lattice interacting with magnetic inclusions, and find that the inclusion of ferromagnetic particles or rods offers a practical means of enhancing the critical currents in oxide high temperature superconductors.

Superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor nanojunctions from perovskite materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Štrbík, V., E-mail: vladimir.strbik@savba.sk [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dúbravská Cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia); Beňačka, Š.; Gaži, Š.; Španková, M.; Šmatko, V. [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dúbravská Cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia); Knoška, J. [Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, DESY, Notkestraße 85, 22607, Hamburg (Germany); Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607, Hamburg (Germany); Gál, N.; Chromik, Š.; Sojková, M.; Pisarčík, M. [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dúbravská Cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • Superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor nanojunction. • Nanojunctions prepared by Ga{sup 3+} focused ion beam patterning. • Indication of triplet Cooper pair component in junction superconducting current. • Qualitative agreement with theoretical model. - Abstract: The lateral superconductor-ferromagnet–superconductor (SFS) nanojunctions based on high critical temperature superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) and half-metallic ferromagnet La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) thin films were prepared to investigate a possible presence of long range triplet component (LRTC) of Cooper pairs in the LSMO. We applied Ga{sup 3+} focused ion beam patterning to create YBCO/LSMO/YBCO lateral type nanojunctions with LSMO length as small as 40 nm. The resistivity vs. temperature, critical current density vs. temperature and resistance vs. magnetic field dependence were studied to recognize the LRTC of Cooper pairs in the LSMO. A non-monotonic temperature dependence of junction critical current density and a decrease of the SFS nanojunction resistance in increased magnetic field were observed. Only weak manifestations of LRTC and some qualitative agreement with theory were found out in SFS nanojunctions realized from the perovskite materials. The presence of equal-spin triplet component of Cooper pairs in half-metallic LSMO ferromagnet is not such apparent as in SFS junctions prepared from low temperature superconductors NbTiN and half-metallic ferromagnet CrO{sub 2}.

Quantum transport in new two-dimensional heterostructures: Thin films of topological insulators, phosphorene

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Leyla; Zare, Moslem; Asgari, Reza

2018-06-01

The unusual features of the charge and spin transport characteristics are investigated in new two-dimensional heterostructures. Intraband specular Andreev reflection is realized in a topological insulator thin film normal/superconducting junction in the presence of a gate electric field. Perfect specular electron-hole conversion is shown for different excitation energy values in a wide experimentally available range of the electric field and also for all angles of incidence when the excitation energy has a particular value. It is further demonstrated that the transmission probabilities of the incoming electrons from different spin subbands to the monolayer phosphorene ferromagnetic/normal/ferromagnetic (F/N/F) hybrid structure have different behavior with the angle of incidence and perfect transmission occurs at defined angles of incidence to the proposed structure with different length of the N region, and different alignments of magnetization vectors. Moreover, the sign change of the spin-current density is demonstrated by tuning the chemical potential and exchange field of the F region.

Energy gap of ferromagnet-superconductor bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halterman, Klaus; Valls, Oriol T

2003-10-15

The excitation spectrum of clean ferromagnet-superconductor bilayers is calculated within the framework of the self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. Because of the proximity effect, the superconductor induces a gap in the ferromagnet spectrum, for thin ferromagnetic layers. The effect depends strongly on the exchange field in the ferromagnet. We find that as the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer increases, the gap disappears, and that its destruction arises from those quasiparticle excitations with wave vectors mainly along the interface. We discuss the influence that the interface quality and Fermi energy mismatch between the ferromagnet and superconductor have on the calculated energy gap. We also evaluate the density of states in the ferromagnet, and we find it in all cases consistent with the gap results.

Exfoliation and van der Waals heterostructure assembly of intercalated ferromagnet Cr1/3TaS2

Science.gov (United States)

Yamasaki, Yuji; Moriya, Rai; Arai, Miho; Masubuchi, Satoru; Pyon, Sunseng; Tamegai, Tsuyoshi; Ueno, Keiji; Machida, Tomoki

2017-12-01

Ferromagnetic van der Waals (vdW) materials are in demand for spintronic devices with all-two-dimensional-materials heterostructures. Here, we demonstrate mechanical exfoliation of magnetic-atom-intercalated transition metal dichalcogenide Cr1/3TaS2 from its bulk crystal; previously such intercalated materials were thought difficult to exfoliate. Magnetotransport in exfoliated tens-of-nanometres-thick flakes revealed ferromagnetic ordering below its Curie temperature T C ~ 110 K as well as strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy; these are identical to its bulk properties. Further, van der Waals heterostructure assembly of Cr1/3TaS2 with another intercalated ferromagnet Fe1/4TaS2 is demonstrated using a dry-transfer method. The fabricated heterojunction composed of Cr1/3TaS2 and Fe1/4TaS2 with a native Ta2O5 oxide tunnel barrier in between exhibits tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR), revealing possible spin injection and detection with these exfoliatable ferromagnetic materials through the vdW junction.

Lateral topological crystalline insulator heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qilong; Dai, Ying; Niu, Chengwang; Ma, Yandong; Wei, Wei; Yu, Lin; Huang, Baibiao

2017-06-01

The emergence of lateral heterostructures fabricated by two-dimensional building blocks brings many exciting realms in material science and device physics. Enriching available nanomaterials for creating such heterostructures and enabling the underlying new physics is highly coveted for the integration of next-generation devices. Here, we report a breakthrough in lateral heterostructure based on the monolayer square transition-metal dichalcogenides MX2 (M  =  W, X  =  S/Se) modules. Our results reveal that the MX2 lateral heterostructure (1S-MX2 LHS) can possess excellent thermal and dynamical stability. Remarkably, the highly desired two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator phase is confirmed by the calculated mirror Chern number {{n}\\text{M}}=-1 . A nontrivial band gap of 65 meV is obtained with SOC, indicating the potential for room-temperature observation and applications. The topologically protected edge states emerge at the edges of two different nanoribbons between the bulk band gap, which is consistent with the mirror Chern number. In addition, a strain-induced topological phase transition in 1S-MX2 LHS is also revealed, endowing the potential utilities in electronics and spintronics. Our predictions not only introduce new member and vitality into the studies of lateral heterostructures, but also highlight the promise of lateral heterostructure as appealing topological crystalline insulator platforms with excellent stability for future devices.

Nonmonotonic critical temperature in superconductor ferromagnet bilayers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fominov, Ya. V.; Fominov, I.V.; Chtchelkatchev, N.M.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2002-01-01

The critical temperature Tc of a superconductor/ferromagnet (SF) bilayer can exhibit nonmonotonic dependence on the thickness df of the F layer. SF systems have been studied for a long time; according to the experimental situation, a ¿dirty¿ limit is often considered which implies that the mean free

Spin pumping through a topological insulator probed by x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueroa, A.I., E-mail: aifigueg@gmail.com [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Baker, A.A. [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Collins-McIntyre, L.J.; Hesjedal, T. [Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Laan, G. van der [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom)

2016-02-15

In the field of spintronics, the generation of a pure spin current (without macroscopic charge flow) through spin pumping of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer opens up the perspective of a new generation of dissipation-less devices. Microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can generate a pure spin current that enters adjacent layers, allowing for both magnetization reversal (through spin-transfer torque) and to probe spin coherence in non-magnetic materials. However, standard FMR is unable to probe multilayer dynamics directly, since the measurement averages over the contributions from the whole system. The synchrotron radiation-based technique of x-ray detected FMR (XFMR) offers an elegant solution to this drawback, giving access to element-, site-, and layer-specific dynamical measurements in heterostructures. In this work, we show how XFMR has provided unique information to understand spin pumping and spin transfer torque effects through a topological insulator (TI) layer in a pseudo-spin valve heterostructure. We demonstrate that TIs function as efficient spin sinks, while also allowing a limited dynamic coupling between ferromagnetic layers. These results shed new light on the spin dynamics of this novel class of materials, and suggest future directions for the development of room temperature TI-based spintronics. - Highlights: • X-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance is used to study the spin pumping phenomenon. • We show a powerful way to get information of spin transfer between magnetic layers. • We observe spin pumping through a topological insulators at room temperature. • Topological insulators function as efficient spin sinks.

Spin pumping through a topological insulator probed by x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueroa, A.I.; Baker, A.A.; Collins-McIntyre, L.J.; Hesjedal, T.; Laan, G. van der

2016-01-01

In the field of spintronics, the generation of a pure spin current (without macroscopic charge flow) through spin pumping of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer opens up the perspective of a new generation of dissipation-less devices. Microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can generate a pure spin current that enters adjacent layers, allowing for both magnetization reversal (through spin-transfer torque) and to probe spin coherence in non-magnetic materials. However, standard FMR is unable to probe multilayer dynamics directly, since the measurement averages over the contributions from the whole system. The synchrotron radiation-based technique of x-ray detected FMR (XFMR) offers an elegant solution to this drawback, giving access to element-, site-, and layer-specific dynamical measurements in heterostructures. In this work, we show how XFMR has provided unique information to understand spin pumping and spin transfer torque effects through a topological insulator (TI) layer in a pseudo-spin valve heterostructure. We demonstrate that TIs function as efficient spin sinks, while also allowing a limited dynamic coupling between ferromagnetic layers. These results shed new light on the spin dynamics of this novel class of materials, and suggest future directions for the development of room temperature TI-based spintronics. - Highlights: • X-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance is used to study the spin pumping phenomenon. • We show a powerful way to get information of spin transfer between magnetic layers. • We observe spin pumping through a topological insulators at room temperature. • Topological insulators function as efficient spin sinks.

Charge transport of graphene ferromagnetic-insulator-superconductor junction with pairing state of broken time reversal symmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaser Hajati

2015-04-01

Full Text Available We investigate the charge transport through a graphene-based ferromagnetic-insulator-superconductor junction with a broken time reversal symmetry (BTRS of dx2−y2 + is and dx2−y2 + idxy superconductor using the extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism. Our analysis have shown several charateristics in this junction, providing a useful probe to understand the role of the order parameter symmetry in the superconductivity. We find that the presence of the BTRS (X state in the superconductor region has a strong effect on the tunneling conductance curves which leads to a decrease in the height of the zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP. In particular, we show that the magnitude of the superconducting proximity effect depends to a great extent on X and by increasing X, the zero-bias charge conductance oscillations with respect to the rotation angle β are suppressed. In addition, we find that at the maximum rotation angle β = π/4, introducing BTRS in the FIS junction causes oscillatory behavior of the zero-bias charge conductance with the barrier strength (χG by a period of π and by approaching the X to 1, the amplitude of charge conductance oscillations increases. This behavior is drastically different from none BTRS similar graphene junctions. At last, we suggest an experimental setup for verifying our predicted effects.

Proximity induced ferromagnetism, superconductivity, and finite-size effects on the surface states of topological insulator nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Parijat; Kubis, Tillmann; Tan, Yaohua; Klimeck, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 are well known 3D-topological insulators (TI). Films made of these materials exhibit metal-like surface states with a Dirac dispersion and possess high mobility. The high mobility metal-like surface states can serve as building blocks for a variety of applications that involve tuning their dispersion relationship and opening a band gap. A band gap can be opened either by breaking time reversal symmetry, the proximity effect of a superconductor or ferromagnet or adjusting the dimensionality of the TI material. In this work, methods that can be employed to easily open a band gap for the TI surface states are assessed. Two approaches are described: (1) Coating the surface states with a ferromagnet which has a controllable magnetization axis. The magnetization strength of the ferromagnet is incorporated as an exchange interaction term in the Hamiltonian. (2) An s-wave superconductor, because of the proximity effect, when coupled to a 3D-TI opens a band gap on the surface. Finally, the hybridization of the surface Dirac cones can be controlled by reducing the thickness of the topological insulator film. It is shown that this alters the band gap significantly.

GaN/NbN epitaxial semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Rusen; Khalsa, Guru; Vishwanath, Suresh; Han, Yimo; Wright, John; Rouvimov, Sergei; Katzer, D. Scott; Nepal, Neeraj; Downey, Brian P.; Muller, David A.; Xing, Huili G.; Meyer, David J.; Jena, Debdeep

2018-03-01

Epitaxy is a process by which a thin layer of one crystal is deposited in an ordered fashion onto a substrate crystal. The direct epitaxial growth of semiconductor heterostructures on top of crystalline superconductors has proved challenging. Here, however, we report the successful use of molecular beam epitaxy to grow and integrate niobium nitride (NbN)-based superconductors with the wide-bandgap family of semiconductors—silicon carbide, gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN). We apply molecular beam epitaxy to grow an AlGaN/GaN quantum-well heterostructure directly on top of an ultrathin crystalline NbN superconductor. The resulting high-mobility, two-dimensional electron gas in the semiconductor exhibits quantum oscillations, and thus enables a semiconductor transistor—an electronic gain element—to be grown and fabricated directly on a crystalline superconductor. Using the epitaxial superconductor as the source load of the transistor, we observe in the transistor output characteristics a negative differential resistance—a feature often used in amplifiers and oscillators. Our demonstration of the direct epitaxial growth of high-quality semiconductor heterostructures and devices on crystalline nitride superconductors opens up the possibility of combining the macroscopic quantum effects of superconductors with the electronic, photonic and piezoelectric properties of the group III/nitride semiconductor family.

Tunneling Conductance in Ferromagnetic Metal/Normal Metal/Spin-Singlet -Wave Ferromagnetic Superconductor Junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Emamipour

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the framework of scattering theory, we study the tunneling conductance in a system including two junctions, ferromagnetic metal/normal metal/ferromagnetic superconductor, where ferromagnetic superconductor is in spin-singlet -wave pairing state. The non-magnetic normal metal is placed in the intermediate layer with the thickness ( which varies from 1 nm to 10000 nm. The interesting result which we have found is the existence of oscillations in conductance curves. The period of oscillations is independent of FS and FN exchange field while it depends on . The obtained results can serve as a useful tool to determine the kind of pairing symmetry in ferromagnetic superconductors.

Unidirectional spin-Hall and Rashba-Edelstein magnetoresistance in topological insulator-ferromagnet layer heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Yang; Kally, James; Zhang, Delin; Lee, Joon Sue; Jamali, Mahdi; Samarth, Nitin; Wang, Jian-Ping

2018-01-09

The large spin-orbit coupling in topological insulators results in helical spin-textured Dirac surface states that are attractive for topological spintronics. These states generate an efficient spin-orbit torque on proximal magnetic moments. However, memory or logic spin devices based upon such switching require a non-optimal three-terminal geometry, with two terminals for the writing current and one for reading the state of the device. An alternative two-terminal device geometry is now possible by exploiting the recent discovery of the unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance in heavy metal/ferromagnet bilayers and unidirectional magnetoresistance in magnetic topological insulators. Here, we report the observation of such unidirectional magnetoresistance in a technologically relevant device geometry that combines a topological insulator with a conventional ferromagnetic metal. Our devices show a figure of merit (magnetoresistance per current density per total resistance) that is more than twice as large as the highest reported values in all-metal Ta/Co bilayers.

Search for Majorana fermions in topological superconductors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Wei [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Shi, Xiaoyan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hawkins, Samuel D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Klem, John Frederick [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2014-10-01

The goal of this project is to search for Majorana fermions (a new quantum particle) in a topological superconductor (a new quantum matter achieved in a topological insulator proximitized by an s-wave superconductor). Majorana fermions (MFs) are electron-like particles that are their own anti-particles. MFs are shown to obey non-Abelian statistics and, thus, can be harnessed to make a fault-resistant topological quantum computer. With the arrival of topological insulators, novel schemes to create MFs have been proposed in hybrid systems by combining a topological insulator with a conventional superconductor. In this LDRD project, we will follow the theoretical proposals to search for MFs in one-dimensional (1D) topological superconductors. 1D topological superconductor will be created inside of a quantum point contact (with the metal pinch-off gates made of conventional s-wave superconductors such as niobium) in a two-dimensional topological insulator (such as inverted type-II InAs/GaSb heterostructure).

Topological insulators and superconductors from string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Shinsei; Takayanagi, Tadashi

2010-01-01

Topological insulators and superconductors in different spatial dimensions and with different discrete symmetries have been fully classified recently, revealing a periodic structure for the pattern of possible types of topological insulators and superconductors, both in terms of spatial dimensions and in terms of symmetry classes. It was proposed that K theory is behind the periodicity. On the other hand, D-branes, a solitonic object in string theory, are also known to be classified by K theory. In this paper, by inspecting low-energy effective field theories realized by two parallel D-branes, we establish a one-to-one correspondence between the K-theory classification of topological insulators/superconductors and D-brane charges. In addition, the string theory realization of topological insulators and superconductors comes naturally with gauge interactions, and the Wess-Zumino term of the D-branes gives rise to a gauge field theory of topological nature, such as ones with the Chern-Simons term or the θ term in various dimensions. This sheds light on topological insulators and superconductors beyond noninteracting systems, and the underlying topological field theory description thereof. In particular, our string theory realization includes the honeycomb lattice Kitaev model in two spatial dimensions, and its higher-dimensional extensions. Increasing the number of D-branes naturally leads to a realization of topological insulators and superconductors in terms of holography (AdS/CFT).

Transport measurements in superconductor/Heusler bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imort, Inga-Mareen; Fabretti, Savio; Thomas, Patrick; Reiss, Guenter; Thomas, Andy [Fakultaet fuer Physik, Universitaet Bielefeld, Bielefeld (Germany)

2012-07-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are two contrary phenomena due to their electronic properties. The investigation of superconductor (S)/ferromagnet (F) heterostructures has attracted a lot of scientific interest since they allow studying the interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. Additionally, applications seem possible such as F/S/F spin valves and S/F/S π-junctions. Using transport- and magnetotransport-measurements, we investigate the behavior of the superconducting transition temperature T{sub c} in NbTi/Co{sub 2}FeSi bilayers as a function of different layer thicknesses and for varying magnetic moments of the Co{sub 2}FeSi layers. Using rf-magnetron sputtering, NbTi/Co{sub 2}FeSi bilayers were grown on single-crystalline MgO(001) substrates and in-situ annealed at different temperatures. The layered character of our samples has been tested by X-ray diffraction (XRD) scans. The electronic and magnetic transport measurements have been performed between 3 and 300 K with the magnetic field up to 4 T oriented in the film plane. The dependence of T{sub c} on the NbTi- and Co{sub 2}FeSi-layer thickness enables an estimation of the interface transparency of the NbTi/Co{sub 2}FeSi barrier in the framework of recent theoretical models.

Topological insulators and superconductors: tenfold way and dimensional hierarchy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Shinsei; Schnyder, Andreas P; Furusaki, Akira; Ludwig, Andreas W W

2010-01-01

It has recently been shown that in every spatial dimension there exist precisely five distinct classes of topological insulators or superconductors. Within a given class, the different topological sectors can be distinguished, depending on the case, by a Z or a Z 2 topological invariant. This is an exhaustive classification. Here we construct representatives of topological insulators and superconductors for all five classes and in arbitrary spatial dimension d, in terms of Dirac Hamiltonians. Using these representatives we demonstrate how topological insulators (superconductors) in different dimensions and different classes can be related via 'dimensional reduction' by compactifying one or more spatial dimensions (in 'Kaluza-Klein'-like fashion). For Z-topological insulators (superconductors) this proceeds by descending by one dimension at a time into a different class. The Z 2 -topological insulators (superconductors), on the other hand, are shown to be lower-dimensional descendants of parent Z-topological insulators in the same class, from which they inherit their topological properties. The eightfold periodicity in dimension d that exists for topological insulators (superconductors) with Hamiltonians satisfying at least one reality condition (arising from time-reversal or charge-conjugation/particle-hole symmetries) is a reflection of the eightfold periodicity of the spinor representations of the orthogonal groups SO(N) (a form of Bott periodicity). Furthermore, we derive for general spatial dimensions a relation between the topological invariant that characterizes topological insulators and superconductors with chiral symmetry (i.e., the winding number) and the Chern-Simons invariant. For lower-dimensional cases, this formula relates the winding number to the electric polarization (d=1 spatial dimensions) or to the magnetoelectric polarizability (d=3 spatial dimensions). Finally, we also discuss topological field theories describing the spacetime theory of

Structural and proximity-induced ferromagnetic properties of topological insulator-magnetic insulator heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zilong Jiang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The spontaneously broken time reversal symmetry can lead to the formation of an energy gap in the Dirac spectrum of the surface states of a topological insulator (TI which can consequently give rise to a variety of interesting phenomena potentially useful for spintronics. In this work, we couple a non-magnetic TI to a high Curie temperature TC magnetic insulator to induce strong exchange interaction via the proximity effect. We have successfully grown 5 quintuple layer thick ternary TI (BixSb1-x2Te3 films on atomically flat yttrium iron garnet (YIG film with the combination of molecular beam epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition, in which the Fermi level position relative to the Dirac point is varied by controlling the Bi:Sb ratio. The anomalous Hall effect (AHE and suppressed weak antilocalization (WAL measured under out of plane magnetic fields reveal that the TI surface in contact with YIG is magnetized. Our high-quality (BixSb1-x2Te3/Y IG heterostructure provides a tunable system for exploring the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE at higher temperatures in TI-based spintronic devices.

Strong coupling between localized 5f moments and itinerant quasiparticles in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wen; Liu, Yi; Wang, Xiaoying; Zhang, Yun; Xie, Donghua

2018-03-01

The heavy fermion physics arises from the complex interplay of nearly localized 4f/5f electrons and itinerant band-like ones, yielding heavy quasiparticles with an effective mass about 100 times (or more) of the bare electrons. Recently, experimental and theoretical investigations point out a localized and delocalized dual nature in actinide compounds, where itinerant quasiparticles account for the unconventional superconductivity in the vicinity of a magnetic instability. Here we report the strong coupling between localized 5f moments and itinerant quasiparticles in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2. The coupling is nearly antiferromagnetic. As embedded in the ferromagnetic matrix of localized 5f moments below {T}{{C}}≈ 52 {{K}}, this coupling leads to short-range dynamic correlations of heavy quasiparticles, characterized by fluctuations of magnetic clusters. Those cluster-like spins of itinerant quasiparticles show a broad hump of magnetization at {T}X≈ 28 {{K}}, which is typical for the spin-glass freezing. Thus, our results present the direct observation of itinerant quasiparticles coexisting with localized 5f moments by conventional magnetic measurements, providing a new route into the coexistence between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in heavy fermion systems. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11404297), the Science Challenge Project (Grant No. TZ2016004), and the Science and Technology Foundation of China Academy of Engineering Physics (Grant Nos. 2013B0301050 and 2014A0301013).

Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weides, M.P.

2006-01-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are well-known physical properties of solid states that have been widely studied and long thought about as antagonistic phenomena due to difference in spin ordering. It turns out that the combination of both superconductor and ferromagnet leads to a very rich and interesting physics. One particular example, the phase oscillations of the superconducting order parameter inside the ferromagnet, will play a major role for the devices discussed in this work. In this thesis, I present Josephson junctions with a thin Al 2 O 3 tunnel barrier and a ferromagnetic interlayer, i.e. superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) stacks. The fabrication of junctions was optimized regarding the insulation of electrodes and the homogeneity of the current transport. The junctions were either in the 0 or π coupled ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and on temperature. The influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness on the transport properties and the coupling (0, π) of SIFS tunnel junctions was studied. Furthermore, using a stepped ferromagnetic layer with well-chosen thicknesses, I obtained the so-called 0-π Josephson junction. At a certain temperature this 0-π junction can be made perfectly symmetric. In this case the ground state corresponds to a vortex of supercurrent creating a magnetic flux which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum Φ 0 . Such structures allow to study the physics of fractional vortices and to build various electronic circuits based on them. The SIFS junctions presented here have an exponentially vanishing damping at T → 0. The SIFS technology developed within the framework of this work may be used to construct classical and quantum devices such as oscillators, memory cells and qubits. (orig.)

Josephson tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weides, M.P.

2006-07-01

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are well-known physical properties of solid states that have been widely studied and long thought about as antagonistic phenomena due to difference in spin ordering. It turns out that the combination of both superconductor and ferromagnet leads to a very rich and interesting physics. One particular example, the phase oscillations of the superconducting order parameter inside the ferromagnet, will play a major role for the devices discussed in this work. In this thesis, I present Josephson junctions with a thin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tunnel barrier and a ferromagnetic interlayer, i.e. superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) stacks. The fabrication of junctions was optimized regarding the insulation of electrodes and the homogeneity of the current transport. The junctions were either in the 0 or {pi} coupled ground state, depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and on temperature. The influence of ferromagnetic layer thickness on the transport properties and the coupling (0, {pi}) of SIFS tunnel junctions was studied. Furthermore, using a stepped ferromagnetic layer with well-chosen thicknesses, I obtained the so-called 0-{pi} Josephson junction. At a certain temperature this 0-{pi} junction can be made perfectly symmetric. In this case the ground state corresponds to a vortex of supercurrent creating a magnetic flux which is a fraction of the magnetic flux quantum {phi}{sub 0}. Such structures allow to study the physics of fractional vortices and to build various electronic circuits based on them. The SIFS junctions presented here have an exponentially vanishing damping at T {yields} 0. The SIFS technology developed within the framework of this work may be used to construct classical and quantum devices such as oscillators, memory cells and qubits. (orig.)

Nonlocal thermoelectric effects and nonlocal Onsager relations in a three-terminal proximity-coupled superconductor-ferromagnet device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz (Germany); Eschrig, Matthias [SEPnet and Hubbard Theory Consortium, Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

We study thermal and charge transport in a three-terminal setup consisting of a superconducting and two ferromagnetic contacts. We predict that the simultaneous presence of spin-filtering and of spin-dependent scattering phase shifts at each of the two interfaces will lead to very large nonlocal thermoelectric effects both in clean and in disordered systems. The symmetries of thermal and electric transport coefficients are related to fundamental thermodynamic principles by the Onsager reciprocity. Our results show that a nonlocal version of the Onsager relations for thermoelectric currents holds in a three terminal quantum coherent ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructure including spin-dependent crossed Andreev reflection and coherent electron transfer processes.

Micromagnetic simulation of exchange coupled ferri-/ferromagnetic heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oezelt, Harald, E-mail: harald.oezelt@fhstp.ac.at [Industrial Simulation, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Matthias Corvinus-Straße 15, A-3100 St. Pölten (Austria); Kovacs, Alexander; Reichel, Franz; Fischbacher, Johann; Bance, Simon [Industrial Simulation, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Matthias Corvinus-Straße 15, A-3100 St. Pölten (Austria); Gusenbauer, Markus [Center for Integrated Sensor Systems, Danube University Krems, Viktor Kaplan-Straße 2, A-2700 Wiener Neustadt (Austria); Schubert, Christian; Albrecht, Manfred [Institute of Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09126 Chemnitz (Germany); Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstraße 1, D-86159 Augsburg (Germany); Schrefl, Thomas [Industrial Simulation, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Matthias Corvinus-Straße 15, A-3100 St. Pölten (Austria); Center for Integrated Sensor Systems, Danube University Krems, Viktor Kaplan-Straße 2, A-2700 Wiener Neustadt (Austria)

2015-05-01

Exchange coupled ferri-/ferromagnetic heterostructures are a possible material composition for future magnetic storage and sensor applications. In order to understand the driving mechanisms in the demagnetization process, we perform micromagnetic simulations by employing the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. The magnetization reversal is dominated by pinning events within the amorphous ferrimagnetic layer and at the interface between the ferrimagnetic and the ferromagnetic layer. The shape of the computed magnetization reversal loop corresponds well with experimental data, if a spatial variation of the exchange coupling across the ferri-/ferromagnetic interface is assumed. - Highlights: • We present a model for exchange coupled ferri-/ferromagnetic heterostructures. • We incorporate the microstructural features of the amorphous ferrimagnet. • A distribution of interface exchange coupling is assumed to fit experimental data. • The reversal is dominated by pinning within the ferrimagnet and at the interface.

Spin-dependent quasiparticle tunneling in junction superconductor-isolator-ferromagnetic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shlapak, Yu.V.; Shaternik, V.E.; Rudenko, E.M.

2001-01-01

The influence of Andreev reflection of quasiparticles in transparent tunnel junctions of superconductor-isolator-ferromagnetic on electric-current transport is studied within the framework of the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) model. It's obtained that current and signal-to-noise ratio can be increased for the memory cell by using in it the double-barrier tunnel junction ferromagnetic-isolator-superconductor-isolator-ferromagnetic instead off the usual tunnel junction ferromagnetic-isolator-ferromagnetic. The evolution of non-linear (tunnel-type) current-voltage characteristics with increasing of the junction transparency is described. (orig.)

Spin-torque generation in topological insulator based heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Fischer, Mark H.

2016-03-11

Heterostructures utilizing topological insulators exhibit a remarkable spin-torque efficiency. However, the exact origin of the strong torque, in particular whether it stems from the spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states or rather from spin-Hall physics of the topological-insulator bulk, remains unclear. Here, we explore a mechanism of spin-torque generation purely based on the topological surface states. We consider topological-insulator-based bilayers involving ferromagnetic metal (TI/FM) and magnetically doped topological insulators (TI/mdTI), respectively. By ascribing the key theoretical differences between the two setups to location and number of active surface states, we describe both setups within the same framework of spin diffusion of the nonequilibrium spin density of the topological surface states. For the TI/FM bilayer, we find large spin-torque efficiencies of roughly equal magnitude for both in-plane and out-of-plane spin torques. For the TI/mdTI bilayer, we elucidate the dominance of the spin-transfer-like torque. However, we cannot explain the orders of magnitude enhancement reported. Nevertheless, our model gives an intuitive picture of spin-torque generation in topological-insulator-based bilayers and provides theoretical constraints on spin-torque generation due to topological surface states.

Spin pumping through a topological insulator probed by x-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, A. I.; Baker, A. A.; Collins-McIntyre, L. J.; Hesjedal, T.; van der Laan, G.

2016-02-01

In the field of spintronics, the generation of a pure spin current (without macroscopic charge flow) through spin pumping of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer opens up the perspective of a new generation of dissipation-less devices. Microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can generate a pure spin current that enters adjacent layers, allowing for both magnetization reversal (through spin-transfer torque) and to probe spin coherence in non-magnetic materials. However, standard FMR is unable to probe multilayer dynamics directly, since the measurement averages over the contributions from the whole system. The synchrotron radiation-based technique of x-ray detected FMR (XFMR) offers an elegant solution to this drawback, giving access to element-, site-, and layer-specific dynamical measurements in heterostructures. In this work, we show how XFMR has provided unique information to understand spin pumping and spin transfer torque effects through a topological insulator (TI) layer in a pseudo-spin valve heterostructure. We demonstrate that TIs function as efficient spin sinks, while also allowing a limited dynamic coupling between ferromagnetic layers. These results shed new light on the spin dynamics of this novel class of materials, and suggest future directions for the development of room temperature TI-based spintronics.

Signature of magnetic-dependent gapless odd frequency states at superconductor / ferromagnet interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Jason [Department of Materials Science, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB30FS (United Kingdom)

2015-07-01

The theory of superconductivity developed by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer (BCS) explains the stabilisation of electron pairs into a spin-singlet, even frequency, state by the formation of an energy gap below which the density of states (DoS) is zero. At a superconductor interface with an inhomogeneous ferromagnet, a gapless odd frequency superconducting state is predicted in which the Cooper pairs are in a spin-triplet state. Although indirect evidence for such a state has been obtained, the gap structure and pairing symmetry have not so far been determined. In this talk I will present scanning tunnelling spectroscopy of Nb superconducting films proximity coupled to epitaxial Ho. These measurements reveal pronounced changes to the Nb sub-gap superconducting DoS on driving the Ho through a metamagnetic transition from a helical antiferromagnetic to a homogeneous ferromagnetic state for which a BCS-like gap is recovered. The results verify odd frequency spin-triplet superconductivity at superconductor / inhomogeneous magnet interfaces.

Proximity effects in topological insulator heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiao-Guang; Wu Guang-Fen; Zhang Gu-Feng; Culcer Dimitrie; Zhang Zhen-Yu; Chen Hua

2013-01-01

Topological insulators (TIs) are bulk insulators that possess robust helical conducting states along their interfaces with conventional insulators. A tremendous research effort has recently been devoted to Tl-based heterostructures, in which conventional proximity effects give rise to a series of exotic physical phenomena. This paper reviews our recent studies on the potential existence of topological proximity effects at the interface between a topological insulator and a normal insulator or other topologically trivial systems. Using first-principles approaches, we have realized the tunability of the vertical location of the topological helical state via intriguing dual-proximity effects. To further elucidate the control parameters of this effect, we have used the graphene-based heterostructures as prototypical systems to reveal a more complete phase diagram. On the application side of the topological helical states, we have presented a catalysis example, where the topological helical state plays an essential role in facilitating surface reactions by serving as an effective electron bath. These discoveries lay the foundation for accurate manipulation of the real space properties of the topological helical state in TI-based heterostructures and pave the way for realization of the salient functionality of topological insulators in future device applications. (topical review - low-dimensional nanostructures and devices)

Proximity Band Structure and Spin Textures on Both Sides of Topological-Insulator/Ferromagnetic-Metal Interface and Their Charge Transport Probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marmolejo-Tejada, Juan Manuel; Dolui, Kapildeb; Lazić, Predrag; Chang, Po-Hao; Smidstrup, Søren; Stradi, Daniele; Stokbro, Kurt; Nikolić, Branislav K

2017-09-13

The control of recently observed spintronic effects in topological-insulator/ferromagnetic-metal (TI/FM) heterostructures is thwarted by the lack of understanding of band structure and spin textures around their interfaces. Here we combine density functional theory with Green's function techniques to obtain the spectral function at any plane passing through atoms of Bi 2 Se 3 and Co or Cu layers comprising the interface. Instead of naively assumed Dirac cone gapped by the proximity exchange field spectral function, we find that the Rashba ferromagnetic model describes the spectral function on the surface of Bi 2 Se 3 in contact with Co near the Fermi level E F 0 , where circular and snowflake-like constant energy contours coexist around which spin locks to momentum. The remnant of the Dirac cone is hybridized with evanescent wave functions from metallic layers and pushed, due to charge transfer from Co or Cu layers, a few tenths of an electron-volt below E F 0 for both Bi 2 Se 3 /Co and Bi 2 Se 3 /Cu interfaces while hosting distorted helical spin texture wounding around a single circle. These features explain recent observation of sensitivity of spin-to-charge conversion signal at TI/Cu interface to tuning of E F 0 . Crucially for spin-orbit torque in TI/FM heterostructures, few monolayers of Co adjacent to Bi 2 Se 3 host spectral functions very different from the bulk metal, as well as in-plane spin textures (despite Co magnetization being out-of-plane) due to proximity spin-orbit coupling in Co induced by Bi 2 Se 3 . We predict that out-of-plane tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in Cu/Bi 2 Se 3 /Co vertical heterostructure can serve as a sensitive probe of the type of spin texture residing at E F 0 .

The influence of the spin-dependent phases of tunneling electrons on the conductance of a point ferromagnet/isolator/d-wave superconductor contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Vodopyanov, B P

2010-05-12

The influence of the spin-dependent phase shifts (SDPSs) associated with the electronic reflection and transmission amplitudes acquired by electrons upon scattering at the potential barrier on the Andreev reflection probability of electron and hole excitations for a ferromagnet/isolator/d-wave superconductor (FIS) contact and on the charge conductance of the FIS contact is studied. Various superconductor orientations are considered. It has been found that for strong ferromagnets and ultrathin interface potential for the {110} oriented d-wave superconductor the presence of the SDPS can lead to the appearance of finite-voltage peaks in the charge conductance of the F/I/d-wave superconductor contact. On the contrary, for the {100} orientation of the d-wave superconductor the presence of the SDPS can lead to restoration of the zero-voltage peak and suppression of finite-voltage peaks. The spin-dependent amplitudes of the Andreev reflection probability and energy levels of the spin-dependent Andreev bound states are found.

Interface currents in topological superconductor–ferromagnet heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brydon, P M R; Timm, Carsten; Schnyder, Andreas P

2013-01-01

We propose the existence of a substantial charge current parallel to the interface between a noncentrosymmetric superconductor and a metallic ferromagnet. Our analysis focuses upon two complementary orbital-angular-momentum pairing states of the superconductor, exemplifying topologically nontrivial states which are gapped and gapless in the bulk, respectively. Utilizing a quasiclassical scattering theory, we derive an expression for the interface current in terms of Andreev reflection coefficients. Performing a systematic study of the current, we find stark qualitative differences between the gapped and gapless superconductors, which reflect the very different underlying topological properties. For the fully gapped superconductor, there is a sharp drop in the zero-temperature current as the system is tuned from a topologically nontrivial to a trivial phase. We explain this in terms of the sudden disappearance of the contribution to the current from the subgap edge states at the topological transition. The current in the gapless superconductor is characterized by a dramatic enhancement at low temperatures, and exhibits a singular dependence on the exchange-field strength in the ferromagnetic metal at zero temperature. This is caused by the energy shift of the strongly spin-polarized nondegenerate zero-energy flat bands due to their coupling to the exchange field. We argue that the interface current provides a novel test of the topology of the superconductor, and discuss prospects for the experimental verification of our predictions. (paper)

Designing in-plane heterostructures of quantum spin Hall insulators from first principles: 1T'-MoS2 with adsorbates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Thomas

2016-01-01

opportunity to change the local topology by adsorption of atoms or molecules and thus comprise an ideal platform for designing topological heterostructures. Here we apply first-principles calculations to show that the quantum spin Hall insulator 1T'-MoS2 exhibits a phase transition to a trivial insulator upon....... This is in sharp contrast to topological edge states, which typically exhibit strong dispersion that are sensitive to a particular edge termination. The heterostructure is also suggestive of a simple design of one-dimensional metallic networks in sheets of 1T'-MoS2....

Asymmetric d-wave superconducting topological insulator in proximity with a magnetic order

Science.gov (United States)

Khezerlou, M.; Goudarzi, H.; Asgarifar, S.

2018-02-01

In the framework of the Dirac-Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism, we investigate the transport properties in the surface of a 3-dimensional topological insulator-based hybrid structure, where the ferromagnetic and superconducting orders are simultaneously induced to the surface states via the proximity effect. The superconductor gap is taken to be spin-singlet d-wave symmetry. The asymmetric role of this gap respect to the electron-hole exchange, in one hand, affects the topological insulator superconducting binding excitations and, on the other hand, gives rise to forming distinct Majorana bound states at the ferromagnet/superconductor interface. We propose a topological insulator N/F/FS junction and proceed to clarify the role of d-wave asymmetry pairing in the resulting subgap and overgap tunneling conductance. The perpendicular component of magnetizations in F and FS regions can be at the parallel and antiparallel configurations leading to capture the experimentally important magnetoresistance (MR) of junction. It is found that the zero-bias conductance is strongly sensitive to the magnitude of magnetization in FS region mzfs and orbital rotated angle α of superconductor gap. The negative MR only occurs in zero orbital rotated angle. This result can pave the way to distinguish the unconventional superconducting state in the relating topological insulator hybrid structures.

Spin-orbit torque-driven magnetization switching in 2D-topological insulator heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Soleimani, Maryam; Jalili, Seifollah; Mahfouzi, Farzad; Kioussis, Nicholas

2017-02-01

Charge pumping and spin-orbit torque (SOT) are two reciprocal phenomena widely studied in ferromagnet (FM)/topological insulator (TI) heterostructures. However, the SOT and its corresponding switching phase diagram for a FM island in proximity to a two-dimensional topological insulator (2DTI) has not been explored yet. We have addressed these features, using the recently developed adiabatic expansion of time-dependent nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) in the presence of both precessing magnetization and bias voltage. We have calculated the angular and spatial dependence of different components of the SOT on the FM island. We determined the switching phase diagram of the FM for different orientations of the easy axis. The results can be used as a guideline for the future experiments on such systems.

Spatially modulated magnetic structure of EuS due to the tetragonal domain structure of SrTiO3 APS

CERN Document Server

Rosenberg, Aaron J.; Kirtley, John R.; Gedik, Nuh; Moodera, Jagadeesh S.; Moler, Kathryn A.

2017-12-15

The combination of ferromagnets with topological superconductors or insulators allows for new phases of matter that support excitations such as chiral edge modes and Majorana fermions. EuS, a wide-bandgap ferromagnetic insulator with a Curie temperature around 16 K, and SrTiO3 (STO), an important substrate for engineering heterostructures, may support these phases. We present scanning superconducting quantum interference device measurements of EuS grown epitaxially on STO that reveal micron-scale variations in ferromagnetism and paramagnetism. These variations are oriented along the STO crystal axes and only change their configuration upon thermal cycling above the STO cubic-to-tetragonal structural transition temperature at 105 K, indicating that the observed magnetic features are due to coupling between EuS and the STO tetragonal structure. We speculate that the STO tetragonal distortions may strain the EuS, altering the magnetic anisotropy on a micron scale. This result demonstrates that local variation in...

Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-20

Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 20120321 - 20150320 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Topological insulators and superconductors for innovative...locking, which hold promise for various innovative devices. Similarly, topological superconductors are associated with exotic surface states, which...298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Final Report Title: Topological Insulators and Superconductors for Innovative Devices

Observation of Room-Temperature Magnetoresistance in Monolayer MoS2 by Ferromagnetic Gating.

Science.gov (United States)

Jie, Wenjing; Yang, Zhibin; Zhang, Fan; Bai, Gongxun; Leung, Chi Wah; Hao, Jianhua

2017-07-25

Room-temperature magnetoresistance (MR) effect is observed in heterostructures of wafer-scale MoS 2 layers and ferromagnetic dielectric CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO) thin films. Through the ferromagnetic gating, an MR ratio of -12.7% is experimentally achieved in monolayer MoS 2 under 90 kOe magnetic field at room temperature (RT). The observed MR ratio is much higher than that in previously reported nonmagnetic metal coupled with ferromagnetic insulator, which generally exhibited MR ratio of less than 1%. The enhanced MR is attributed to the spin accumulation at the heterostructure interface and spin injection to the MoS 2 layers by the strong spin-orbit coupling effect. The injected spin can contribute to the spin current and give rise to the MR by changing the resistance of MoS 2 layers. Furthermore, the MR effect decreases as the thickness of MoS 2 increases, and the MR ratio becomes negligible in MoS 2 with thickness more than 10 layers. Besides, it is interesting to find a magnetic field direction dependent spin Hall magnetoresistance that stems from a combination of the spin Hall and the inverse spin Hall effects. Our research provides an insight into exploring RT MR in monolayer materials, which should be helpful for developing ultrathin magnetic storage devices in the atomically thin limit.

Theory of Josephson effect in d-wave superconductor/diffusive ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2007-01-01

We study Josephson effect in d-wave superconductor/diffusive ferromagnet/d-wave superconductor junctions, changing the exchange field and the angles between the normal to the interfaces and the crystal axes of d-wave superconductors. We find a 0–π transition at a certain value of the exchange field.

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism in topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Duming

exist when topological insulators are interfaced with superconductors. The observation of Majorana fermions would not only be fundamentally important, but would also lead to applications in fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. By interfacing topological insulator nanoribbons with superconducting electrodes, we observe distinct signatures of proximity-induced superconductivity, which is found to be present in devices with channel lengths that are much longer than the normal transport characteristic lengths. This might suggest preferential coupling of the proximity effect to a ballistic surface channel of the topological insulator. In addition, when the electrodes are in the superconducting state, we observe periodic magnetoresistance oscillations which suggest the formation of vortices in the proximity-induced region of the nanoribbons. Our results demonstrate that proximity-induced superconductivity and vortices can be realized in our nanoribbon geometry, which accomplishes a first important step towards the search for Majorana fermions in condensed matter. In Chapter 5, I will discuss experiments on a magnetically-doped topological insulator (Mn-doped Bi2Se3) to induce a surface state gap. The metallic Dirac cone surface states of a topological insulator are expected to be protected against small perturbations by time-reversal symmetry. However, these surface states can be dramatically modified and a finite energy gap can be opened at the Dirac point by breaking the time-reversal symmetry via magnetic doping. The interplay between magnetism and topological surface states is predicted to yield novel phenomena of fundamental interest such as a topological magneto-electric effect, a quantized anomalous Hall effect, and the induction of magnetic monopoles. Our systematic measurements reveal a close correlation between the onset of ferromagnetism and quantum corrections to diffusive transport, which crosses over from the symplectic (weak anti-localization) to the

Superconducting magnetoresistance in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamopoulos, D; Aristomenopoulou, E

2015-08-26

Magnetoresistance is a multifaceted effect reflecting the diverse transport mechanisms exhibited by different kinds of plain materials and hybrid nanostructures; among other, giant, colossal, and extraordinary magnetoresistance versions exist, with the notation indicative of the intensity. Here we report on the superconducting magnetoresistance observed in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers, namely Co/Nb/Co trilayers, subjected to a parallel external magnetic field equal to the coercive field. By manipulating the transverse stray dipolar fields that originate from the out-of-plane magnetic domains of the outer layers that develop at coercivity, we can suppress the supercurrent of the interlayer. We experimentally demonstrate a scaling of the magnetoresistance magnitude that we reproduce with a closed-form phenomenological formula that incorporates relevant macroscopic parameters and microscopic length scales of the superconducting and ferromagnetic structural units. The generic approach introduced here can be used to design novel cryogenic devices that completely switch the supercurrent 'on' and 'off', thus exhibiting the ultimate magnetoresistance magnitude 100% on a regular basis.

Ginsburg-Landau equation around the superconductor-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, T.K.

1991-01-01

Based on the scaling theory of localization, we construct a Ginsburg-Landau (GL) equation for superconductors in an arbitrary strength of disordered potential. Using this GL equation, we reexamine the criteria for the superconductor-insulator transition and find that the transition to a localized superconductor can happen on both sides of the (normal) metal-insulator transition, in contrast to a previous prediction by Ma and Lee [Phys. Rev. B 32, 5658 (1985)] that the transition can only be on the insulator side. Furthermore, by comparing our theory with a recent scaling theory of dirty bosons by Fisher et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 587 (1990)], we conclude that nontrivial crossover behavior in transport properties may occur in the vicinity of the superconductor-insulator transition

Possible evidence for spin-transfer torque induced by spin-triplet supercurrent

KAUST Repository

Li, Lailai

2017-10-04

Cooper pairs in superconductors are normally spin singlet. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that spin-triplet Cooper pairs can be created at carefully engineered superconductor-ferromagnet interfaces. If Cooper pairs are spin-polarized they would transport not only charge but also a net spin component, but without dissipation, and therefore minimize the heating effects associated with spintronic devices. Although it is now established that triplet supercurrents exist, their most interesting property - spin - is only inferred indirectly from transport measurements. In conventional spintronics, it is well known that spin currents generate spin-transfer torques that alter magnetization dynamics and switch magnetic moments. The observation of similar effects due to spin-triplet supercurrents would not only confirm the net spin of triplet pairs but also pave the way for applications of superconducting spintronics. Here, we present a possible evidence for spin-transfer torques induced by triplet supercurrents in superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor (S/F/S) Josephson junctions. Below the superconducting transition temperature T_c, the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) field at X-band (~ 9.0 GHz) shifts rapidly to a lower field with decreasing temperature due to the spin-transfer torques induced by triplet supercurrents. In contrast, this phenomenon is absent in ferromagnet/superconductor (F/S) bilayers and superconductor/insulator/ferromagnet/superconductor (S/I/F/S) multilayers where no supercurrents pass through the ferromagnetic layer. These experimental observations are discussed with theoretical predictions for ferromagnetic Josephson junctions with precessing magnetization.

Topological insulators and topological superconductors

CERN Document Server

Bernevig, Andrei B

2013-01-01

This graduate-level textbook is the first pedagogical synthesis of the field of topological insulators and superconductors, one of the most exciting areas of research in condensed matter physics. Presenting the latest developments, while providing all the calculations necessary for a self-contained and complete description of the discipline, it is ideal for graduate students and researchers preparing to work in this area, and it will be an essential reference both within and outside the classroom. The book begins with simple concepts such as Berry phases, Dirac fermions, Hall conductance and its link to topology, and the Hofstadter problem of lattice electrons in a magnetic field. It moves on to explain topological phases of matter such as Chern insulators, two- and three-dimensional topological insulators, and Majorana p-wave wires. Additionally, the book covers zero modes on vortices in topological superconductors, time-reversal topological superconductors, and topological responses/field theory and topolo...

Dark current of organic heterostructure devices with insulating spacer layers

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Sun; Nie, Wanyi; Mohite, Aditya D.; Saxena, Avadh; Smith, Darryl L.; Ruden, P. Paul

2015-03-01

The dark current density at fixed voltage bias in donor/acceptor organic planar heterostructure devices can either increase or decrease when an insulating spacer layer is added between the donor and acceptor layers. The dominant current flow process in these systems involves the formation and subsequent recombination of an interfacial exciplex state. If the exciplex formation rate limits current flow, the insulating interface layer can increase dark current whereas, if the exciplex recombination rate limits current flow, the insulating interface layer decreases dark current. We present a device model to describe this behavior and illustrate it experimentally for various donor/acceptor systems, e.g. P3HT/LiF/C60.

Topological insulators/superconductors: Potential future electronic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hor, Y. S.

2014-01-01

A new material called topological insulator has been discovered and becomes one of the fastest growing field in condensed matter physics. Topological insulator is a new quantum phase of matter which has Dirac-like conductivity on its surface, but bulk insulator through its interior. It is considered a challenging problem for the surface transport measurements because of dominant internal conductance due to imperfections of the existing crystals of topological insulators. By a proper method, the internal bulk conduction can be suppressed in a topological insulator, and permit the detection of the surface currents which is necessary for future fault-tolerant quantum computing applications. Doped topological insulators have depicted a large variety of bulk physical properties ranging from magnetic to superconducting behaviors. By chemical doping, a TI can change into a bulk superconductor. Nb x Bi 2 Se 3 is shown to be a superconductor with T c ∼ 3.2 K, which could be a potential candidate for a topological superconductor

Effect of shear stress on electromagnetic behaviors in superconductor-ferromagnetic bilayer structure

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, Huadong; Zhao, Meng; Jing, Ze; Zhou, Youhe

2014-09-01

In this paper, the electromagnetic response and shielding behaviour of superconductor-ferromagnetic bilayer structure are studied. The magnetomechanical coupling in ferromagnetic materials is also considered. Based on the linear piezomagnetic coupling model and anti-plane shear deformation, the current density and magnetic field in superconducting strip are obtained firstly. The effect of shear stress on the magnetization of strip is discussed. Then, we consider the magnetic cloak for superconductor-ferromagnetic bilayer structure. The magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic material is obtained for perfect cloaking in uniform magnetic field with magnetomechanical coupling in ferromagnet. The simulation results show that the electromagnetic response in superconductors will change by applying the stress only to the ferromagnetic material. In addition, the performance of invisibility of structure for non-uniform field will be affected by mechanical stress. It may provide a method to achieve tunability of superconducting properties with mechanical loadings.

Spin-orbit torque in a three-dimensional topological insulator–ferromagnet heterostructure: Crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit; Manchon, Aurelien

2018-01-01

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three-dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore our model accounts for the spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large dampinglike torque reported recently is more likely attributed to the Berry curvature of interfacial states, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Spin-orbit torque in a three-dimensional topological insulator–ferromagnet heterostructure: Crossover between bulk and surface transport

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Sumit

2018-04-02

Current-driven spin-orbit torques are investigated in a heterostructure composed of a ferromagnet deposited on top of a three-dimensional topological insulator using the linear response formalism. We develop a tight-binding model of the heterostructure adopting a minimal interfacial hybridization scheme that promotes induced magnetic exchange on the topological surface states, as well as induced Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling in the ferromagnet. Therefore our model accounts for the spin Hall effect from bulk states together with inverse spin galvanic and magnetoelectric effects at the interface on equal footing. By varying the transport energy across the band structure, we uncover a crossover from surface-dominated to bulk-dominated transport regimes. We show that the spin density profile and the nature of the spin-orbit torques differ substantially in both regimes. Our results, which compare favorably with experimental observations, demonstrate that the large dampinglike torque reported recently is more likely attributed to the Berry curvature of interfacial states, while spin Hall torque remains small even in the bulk-dominated regime.

Tunneling magnetoresistance in junctions composed of ferromagnets and time-reversal invariant topological superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Zhongbo; Wan, Shaolong

2016-01-01

Tunneling magnetoresistance between two ferrromagnets is an issue of fundamental importance in spintronics. In this work, we show that tunneling magnetoresistance can also emerge in junctions composed of ferromagnets and time-reversal invariant topological superconductors without spin-rotation symmetry. Here the physical origin is that when the spin-polarization direction of an injected electron from the ferromagnet lies in the same plane of the spin-polarization direction of Majorana zero modes, the electron will undergo a perfect spin-equal Andreev reflection, while injected electrons with other spin-polarization directions will be partially Andreev reflected and partially normal reflected, which consequently has a lower conductance, and therefore, the magnetoresistance effect emerges. Compared to conventional magnetic tunnel junctions, an unprecedented advantage of the junctions studied here is that arbitrary high tunneling magnetoresistance can be obtained even when the magnetization of the ferromagnets are weak and the insulating tunneling barriers are featureless. Our findings provide a new fascinating mechanism to obtain high tunneling magnetoresistance. (paper)

pi-phase magnetism in ferromagnetic-superconductor superlattices

CERN Document Server

Khusainov, M G; Proshin, Y N

2001-01-01

The Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fylde-Ferrel new 0 pi- and pi pi-states are forecasted for the ferromagnetic metal/superconductor superlattices with antiferromagnetic magnetization orientation in the neighbouring layers. The above-mentioned states are characterized under certain conditions by higher critical temperature T sub c as compared to the earlier known LOFF 00- and pi 0-states with the FM-layers ferromagnetic ordering. It is shown that the nonmonotonous behavior of the T sub c of the FM/S superlattices by the thickness of the S-layers lower than the d sub s suppi value is connected with the cascades of the 0 pi-pi pi-0 pi phase transitions. The character of the T sub c oscillations by the d sub s > d sub s suppi is related to the 00-pi 0-00 transitions. The logical elements of the new type, combining the advantages of the superconducting and magnetic information recording in one sample are proposed on the basis of the FM/S superlattices

Spin-flip scattering effect on the current-induced spin torque in ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Zhengang; Su Gang; Jin Biao; Zheng Qingrong

2003-01-01

We have investigated the current-induced spin transfer torque of a ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet tunnel junction by taking the spin-flip scatterings into account. It is found that the spin-flip scattering can induce an additional spin torque, enhancing the maximum of the spin torque and giving rise to an angular shift compared to the case when the spin-flip scatterings are neglected. The effects of the molecular fields of the left and right ferromagnets on the spin torque are also studied. It is found that τ Rx /I e (τ Rx is the spin-transfer torque acting on the right ferromagnet and I e is the tunneling electrical current) does vary with the molecular fields. At two certain angles, τ Rx /I e is independent of the molecular field of the right ferromagnet, resulting in two crossing points in the curve of τ Rx /I e versus the relevant orientation for different molecular fields

Charge transport through superconductor/Anderson-insulator interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frydman, A.; Ovadyahu, Z.

1997-01-01

We report on a study of charge transport through superconductor-insulator-superconductor and normal metal endash insulator endash superconductor structures (SIS and NIS junctions, respectively) where the insulator is of the Anderson type. Devices which are characterized by a junction resistance larger than 10 kΩ show behavior which is typical of Giaever tunnel junctions. In structures having smaller resistance, several peculiar features are observed. In the SIS junctions, Josephson coupling is detected over distances much larger then the typical insulator localization length. In addition, a series of resistance peaks appears at voltages of 2Δ/n, where Δ is the superconducting gap. The NIS Junctions exhibit a large resistance dip at subgap bias. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings and suggest that they may result from the presence of high transmission channels through the barrier region. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Odd-frequency pairing in superconducting heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golubov, A A [Faculty of Science and Technology and MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Tanaka, Y [Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8603 (Japan); Asano, Y [Department of Applied Physics, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan); Tanuma, Y [Institute of Physics, Kanagawa University, 3-7-1, Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama 221-8686 (Japan)], E-mail: a.golubov@utwente.nl

2009-04-22

We review the theory of odd-frequency pairing in superconducting heterostructures, where an odd-frequency pairing component is induced near interfaces. A general description of the superconducting proximity effect in a normal metal or a ferromagnet attached to an unconventional superconductor (S) is given within quasiclassical kinetic theory for various types of symmetry state in S. Various possible symmetry classes in a superconductor are considered which are consistent with the Pauli principle: even-frequency spin-singlet even-parity (ESE) state, even-frequency spin-triplet odd-parity (ETO) state, odd-frequency spin-triplet even-parity (OTE) state and odd-frequency spin-singlet odd-parity (OSO) state. As an example, we consider a junction between a diffusive normal metal (DN) and a p-wave superconductor (even-frequency spin-triplet odd-parity symmetry), where the pairing amplitude in DN belongs to an odd-frequency spin-triplet even-parity symmetry class. We also discuss the manifestation of odd-frequency pairing in conventional superconductor/normal (S/N) proximity systems and its relation to the classical McMillan-Rowell oscillations.

Proximity effects in ferromagnet/superconductor structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, H.L.; Sun, G.Y.; Yang, L.Y.; Xing, D.Y.

2004-01-01

The Nambu spinor Green's function approach is applied to study proximity effects in ferromagnet/superconductor (FM/SC) structures. They include the induced superconducting order parameter and density of states (DOS) with superconducting feature on the FM side, and spin-dependent DOS within the energy gap on the SC side. The latter indicates an appearance of gapless superconductivity and a coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in a small regime near the interface. The influence of exchange energy in FM and barrier strength at interface on the proximity effects is discussed

Transport in Josephson heterostructures and numerical applications of bosonization for fermionic systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kandelaki, Ervand

2014-11-25

This Thesis reports on the scientific research conducted in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics and covers two rather independent topics. First, three different projects targeting heterostructures involving superconductors are discussed. Then, a project related to numerical methods for general fermionic interacting systems is presented. The Thesis is divided into four parts. In Part I of the present Thesis, we study the variation in the differential conductance G = dj/dV of a normal metal wire in a superconductor/normal metal heterostructure with a cross geometry under external microwave radiation applied to the superconducting parts. Our theoretical treatment is based on the quasiclassical Green's functions technique in the diffusive limit. Two limiting cases are considered: first, the limit of a weak proximity effect and low microwave frequency and second, the limit of a short dimension (short normal wire) and small irradiation amplitude. In Part II, we study the dynamics of Josephson junctions with a thin ferromagnetic layer F [superconductor-ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SFIFS) junctions]. In such junctions, the phase difference φ of the superconductors and magnetization M in the F layer are two dynamic parameters coupled to each other. We derive equations describing the dynamics of these two parameters and formulate the conditions of validity. The coupled Josephson plasma waves and oscillations of the magnetization M affect the form of the current-voltage (I - V) characteristics in the presence of a weak magnetic field (Fiske steps). We calculate the modified Fiske steps and show that the magnetic degree of freedom not only changes the form of the Fiske steps but also the overall view of the I - V curve (new peaks related to the magnetic resonance appear). The I - V characteristics are shown for different lengths of the junction including those which correspond to the current experimental situation. We also calculate the

Transport in Josephson heterostructures and numerical applications of bosonization for fermionic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandelaki, Ervand

2014-01-01

This Thesis reports on the scientific research conducted in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics and covers two rather independent topics. First, three different projects targeting heterostructures involving superconductors are discussed. Then, a project related to numerical methods for general fermionic interacting systems is presented. The Thesis is divided into four parts. In Part I of the present Thesis, we study the variation in the differential conductance G = dj/dV of a normal metal wire in a superconductor/normal metal heterostructure with a cross geometry under external microwave radiation applied to the superconducting parts. Our theoretical treatment is based on the quasiclassical Green's functions technique in the diffusive limit. Two limiting cases are considered: first, the limit of a weak proximity effect and low microwave frequency and second, the limit of a short dimension (short normal wire) and small irradiation amplitude. In Part II, we study the dynamics of Josephson junctions with a thin ferromagnetic layer F [superconductor-ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SFIFS) junctions]. In such junctions, the phase difference φ of the superconductors and magnetization M in the F layer are two dynamic parameters coupled to each other. We derive equations describing the dynamics of these two parameters and formulate the conditions of validity. The coupled Josephson plasma waves and oscillations of the magnetization M affect the form of the current-voltage (I - V) characteristics in the presence of a weak magnetic field (Fiske steps). We calculate the modified Fiske steps and show that the magnetic degree of freedom not only changes the form of the Fiske steps but also the overall view of the I - V curve (new peaks related to the magnetic resonance appear). The I - V characteristics are shown for different lengths of the junction including those which correspond to the current experimental situation. We also calculate the

Fabrication and transport studies of graphene-superconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiuning; Wu, Tailung; Tian, Jifa; Chen, Yong

2014-03-01

Recently, graphene based stacked heterostructures, e.g., graphene and boron nitride (BN) multi-layers, have attracted much attention as a system to study novel interaction-driven physics (e.g., excitonic condensation) and perform interesting measurements (eg. Coulomb drag and tunneling). The realm of graphene-superconductor heterostructures remains less unexplored, while such a system offers various interesting prospects (effects of superconductor vortices lattices on over-layering graphene and quantum Hall states, where novel phenomena such as anionic excitations have been predicted). We have used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based carrier films and a micro-manipulator to transfer mechanically exfoliated flakes and fabricated graphene/BN/NbSe2 structures to study the transport properties of graphene in close proximity to electrically isolated superconducting NbSe2 films. The NbSe2 film shows the superconducting transition temperature of ~7 K and upper critical field of ~3.5 T after device fabrication. We will present results from magneto-transport in graphene and graphene-NbSe2 Coulomb drag and tunneling measurements.

Superconducting spin valves based on epitaxial Fe/V-hybrid thin film heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nowak, Gregor

2010-12-10

screening layers to suppress the stray field effect, the concentration of the ferromagnetic component in the alloy should be high enough to avoid the generation of non-magnetic/paramagnetic layers. Paramagnetic layers induce pair breaking, thus reducing the quantum-mechanical transparency T{sub F} for the Cooper pair wave function at the FM/SC interface. 3. Ferromagnetic alloys should be chosen as to achieve a better band structure match between the ferromagnetic component and the superconductor. Thereby, T{sub F} will be increased, augmenting the SSV effect. 4. The distance between FM1 and FM2, i.e. the thickness of the superconductor d{sub S}, should be of the order of the Cooper pair coherence length ξ{sub S} ∼ d{sub S}. Ideally, (ξ{sub S})/(d{sub S}) ∼ 1 or larger (see 125), since then the Cooper pair wave function is most effectively influenced by both magnetic layers FM1 and FM2. In the AFM/FM/SC/FM heterostructures, which we prepared according to these guidelines, we could observe satisfying switching characteristics, and SSV effects up to ΔT{sub S} = 20 mK. In this study we have verified the magnetic and superconducting properties of the unusual sample containing a [Fe(2ML)/V(180ML)] superlattice by means of conventional SQUID magnetometry as well as polarized neutron scattering (PNR) method. In the PNR we found a magnetic splitting in the PNR curves for the normal and superconducting state of the sample. Further we found weak indications for a reduction of the magnetic splitting beyond the error bars in the superconducting state compared to the normal conducting state of the sample, what can be considered as a weak indication of the Inverse Proximity effect. However, the measured spin asymmetry difference of the magnetic splitting between the superconducting and normal conducting state of the sample is not clear enough to give an unambiguous answer on the presence or absence of the inverse proximity effect.

Topotactic synthesis of a new BiS2-based superconductor Bi2(O,F)S2

OpenAIRE

Okada, Tomoyuki; Ogino, Hiraku; Shimoyama, Jun-ichi; Kishio, Kohji

2015-01-01

A new BiS2-based superconductor Bi2(O,F)S2 was discovered. This is a layered compound consisting of alternate stacking structure of rock-salt-type BiS2 superconducting layer and fluorite-type Bi(O,F) blocking layer. Bi2(O,F)S2 was obtained as the main phase by topotactic fluorination of undoped Bi2OS2 using XeF2, which is the first topotactic synthesis of an electron-doped superconductor via reductive fluorination. With increasing F-content, a- and c-axis length increased and decreased, respe...

Magnetic pinning in superconductor-ferromagnet multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulaevskii, L. N.; Chudnovsky, E. M.; Maley, M. P.

2000-01-01

We argue that superconductor/ferromagnet multilayers of nanoscale period should exhibit strong pinning of vortices by the magnetic domain structure in magnetic fields below the coercive field when ferromagnetic layers exhibit strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The estimated maximum magnetic pinning energy for single vortex in such a system is about 100 times larger than the pinning energy by columnar defects. This pinning energy may provide critical currents as high as 10 6 -10 7 A/cm 2 at high temperatures (but not very close to T c ) at least in magnetic fields below 0.1 T. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Larmor diffraction in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritz, Robert; Pfleiderer, Christian [Physik Department E21, TU Muenchen, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Sokolov, Dmitry; Huxley, Andrew [School of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ (United Kingdom); Keller, Thomas [MPI fuer Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstr. 1, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

2010-07-01

Larmor Diffaction (LD) is a neutron resonance spin-echo technique which allows the study of the lattice constant as well the distribution of lattice constants. It was traditionally thought that neutron spin-echo measurements cannot be used in materials such as superconductors or ferromagnets, because they strongly depolarize a polarized neutron beam. In UGe{sub 2} we are able to demonstrate that this technique may be applied in ferromagnetic superconductors with a magnetic Ising anisotropy. UGe{sub 2} exhibits two ferromagnetic phases which are separated by a transition at temperature T{sub x}. With increasing hydrostatic pressure superconductivity emerges at the pressure for which T{sub x} is suppressed. Using LD we studied the temperature dependence of the lattice constant as well as the distribution of lattice constants for all three axis of UGe{sub 2} down to 0.5 K and at pressures up to 12 kbar.

Topotactic synthesis of a new BiS2-based superconductor Bi2(O,F)S2

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Tomoyuki; Ogino, Hiraku; Shimoyama, Jun-ichi; Kishio, Kohji

2015-02-01

A new BiS2-based superconductor, Bi2(O,F)S2, was discovered. It is a layered compound consisting of alternately stacked structure of rock-salt-type BiS2 superconducting layers and fluorite-type Bi(O,F) blocking layers. Bi2(O,F)S2 was obtained as the main phase by topotactic fluorination of undoped Bi2OS2 using XeF2. This is the first topotactic synthesis of an electron-doped superconductor via reductive fluorination. With increasing F-content, a- and c-axis lengths increased and decreased, respectively, and Tc increased to 5.1 K.

Magnetic pinning in superconductor-ferromagnet multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bulaevskii, L. N. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, CUNY Lehman College 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468-1589 (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Chudnovsky, E. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, CUNY Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468-1589 (United States); Maley, M. P. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2000-05-01

We argue that superconductor/ferromagnet multilayers of nanoscale period should exhibit strong pinning of vortices by the magnetic domain structure in magnetic fields below the coercive field when ferromagnetic layers exhibit strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The estimated maximum magnetic pinning energy for single vortex in such a system is about 100 times larger than the pinning energy by columnar defects. This pinning energy may provide critical currents as high as 10{sup 6}-10{sup 7} A/cm{sup 2} at high temperatures (but not very close to T{sub c}) at least in magnetic fields below 0.1 T. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Spin-polarized tunneling through a ferromagnetic insulator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok, M.; Kok, M.; Beukers, J.N.; Brinkman, Alexander

2009-01-01

The polarization of the tunnel conductance of spin-selective ferromagnetic insulators is modeled, providing a generalized concept of polarization including both the effects of electrode and barrier polarization. The polarization model is extended to take additional non-spin-polarizing insulating

Ferromagnetic-insulators-modulated transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Jun-Ji; Liao Wen-Hu

2014-01-01

Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n—n junction and n—p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ θ < π/2 and π/2 < θ ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n—n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n—p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs

Transport and pairing properties of helical edges with proximity induced superconductivity and ferromagnetism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keidel, Felix; Burset, Pablo; Trauzettel, Bjoern [Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, University of Wuerzburg, 97074 Wuerzburg (Germany); Crepin, Francois [Laboratoire de Physique Theorique de la Matiere Condensee, UPMC, Sorbonne Universites, 75252 Paris (France)

2016-07-01

The scientific interest in Quantum Spin Hall systems is far from declining. While these certainly are fascinating by themselves, there is plenty of new and exciting physics to arise when superconductivity and ferromagnetism are brought into the game. The strong constraint of helicity in the edge states of a two-dimensional topological insulator is responsible for an intimate relation between the allowed scattering processes in a hybrid junction and the parameters of the system, namely the superconducting order parameter and the magnetic field. In our work, we study a helical liquid in proximity to a conventional s-wave superconductor and ferromagnetic insulators by means of a Green's function analysis. The ferromagnet gives rise to sub-gap Andreev/Majorana bound states and non-local crossed Andreev reflection (CAR), both of which decisively affect the pairing and transport properties of the junction. As a result, the simple s-wave symmetry of the superconductor is enriched and unconventional odd-frequency triplet superconductivity emerges. Strikingly, we have identified a setup that favors CAR over electron co-tunneling and may allow for the indirect measurement of the symmetries of the superconducting order parameter.

Nonlinear thermoelectric effects in high-field superconductor-ferromagnet tunnel junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Kolenda

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Thermoelectric effects result from the coupling of charge and heat transport and can be used for thermometry, cooling and harvesting of thermal energy. The microscopic origin of thermoelectric effects is a broken electron–hole symmetry, which is usually quite small in metal structures. In addition, thermoelectric effects decrease towards low temperatures, which usually makes them vanishingly small in metal nanostructures in the sub-Kelvin regime.Results: We report on a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of thermoelectric effects in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures. We investigate the dependence of thermoelectric currents on the thermal excitation, as well as on the presence of a dc bias voltage across the junction.Conclusion: Large thermoelectric effects are observed in superconductor/ferromagnet and superconductor/normal-metal hybrid structures. The spin-independent signals observed under finite voltage bias are shown to be reciprocal to the physics of superconductor/normal-metal microrefrigerators. The spin-dependent thermoelectric signals in the linear regime are due to the coupling of spin and heat transport, and can be used to design more efficient refrigerators.

Non-equilibrium spin and charge transport in superconducting heterojunctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thalmann, Marcel; Rudolf, Marcel; Braun, Julian; Pietsch, Torsten; Scheer, Elke [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz (Germany)

2015-07-01

Ferromagnet Superconductance (F/S) junctions are rich in exciting quantum-physical-phenomena, which are still poorly understood but may provide bright prospects for new applications. In contrast to conventional normal-metal proximity systems, Andreev reflection is suppressed for singlet cooper pairs in F/S heterostructures. However, long-range triplet pairing may be observed in S/F systems with non-collinear magnetization or spin-active interfaces. Herein, we investigate non-equilibrium transport properties of lateral S/F heterojunctions, defined via electron beam lithography. In particular we focus microwave- and magneto-transport spectroscopy on conventional type-I (Al, Pb, Zn) and type-II (Nb) superconductors in combination with strong transition metal ferromagnets (Ni, Co, Fe). A cryogenic HF readout platform and advanced electronic filtering is developed and results on Al-based heterojunctions are shown.

Effect of disorder on S-wave superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosal, Amit; Randeria, Mohit; Trivedi, Nandini

1997-01-01

Experiment on conventional s-wave superconducting thin films have found a strong suppression of T c , with a subsequent transition from a superconductor (SC) to an insulator (I) with increasing disorder. Anderson proposed that even in the presence of disorder the Cooper pairs can be formed by pairing the time-reversed exact eigenstates of the non interacting disordered problem. Hence he argued that T c and the thermodynamic properties should be unaffected by disorder (Anderson's theorem). This is however valid for extremely small disorder. The aim here is to calculate the properties of a superconductor at high disorder, close to the SC-I transition

Microwave and dc response of an Abrikosov vortex lattice in ferromagnetic superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bespalov, A.A., E-mail: bespalovaa@gmail.com [Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Université Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798, F-33400 Talence (France); Mel’nikov, A.S. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Nizhny Novgorod State University, 22 Gagarin av., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Buzdin, A.I. [Université Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798, F-33400 Talence (France)

2014-08-15

Highlights: • We study the ac and dc responses of vortices in ferromagnetic superconductors. • Abrikosov vortex motion is damped due to radiation of magnons. • A frequency and vortex velocity threshold for magnon generation exists. • Magnon generation leads to resonant behavior of the surface impedance. • Resonances also appear on the I–V curve of the ferromagnetic superconductor. - Abstract: In magnetic superconductors the magnetic flux dynamics is influenced by the interaction of vortices with the magnetization. This interaction leads to the appearance of an additional damping force acting on the vortices. By solving the London and Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equations we analyze the ac and dc responses of a ferromagnetic superconductor in the mixed state. If the vortices are driven by an ac force, their viscosity is enhanced due to the generation of magnons. This viscosity enhancement affects the surface impedance of the sample. In the case of a dc driving current vortices start to radiate magnons when their velocity exceeds a threshold value. As a result, either a step-like feature or a series of peaks appear on the I–V curve.

Microwave and dc response of an Abrikosov vortex lattice in ferromagnetic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bespalov, A.A.; Mel’nikov, A.S.; Buzdin, A.I.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We study the ac and dc responses of vortices in ferromagnetic superconductors. • Abrikosov vortex motion is damped due to radiation of magnons. • A frequency and vortex velocity threshold for magnon generation exists. • Magnon generation leads to resonant behavior of the surface impedance. • Resonances also appear on the I–V curve of the ferromagnetic superconductor. - Abstract: In magnetic superconductors the magnetic flux dynamics is influenced by the interaction of vortices with the magnetization. This interaction leads to the appearance of an additional damping force acting on the vortices. By solving the London and Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equations we analyze the ac and dc responses of a ferromagnetic superconductor in the mixed state. If the vortices are driven by an ac force, their viscosity is enhanced due to the generation of magnons. This viscosity enhancement affects the surface impedance of the sample. In the case of a dc driving current vortices start to radiate magnons when their velocity exceeds a threshold value. As a result, either a step-like feature or a series of peaks appear on the I–V curve

Higher-order topological insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Khalaf, Eslam

2018-05-01

We study surface states of topological crystalline insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry. These fall into the category of "higher-order" topological insulators and superconductors which possess surface states that propagate along one-dimensional curves (hinges) or are localized at some points (corners) on the surface. We provide a complete classification of inversion-protected higher-order topological insulators and superconductors in any spatial dimension for the 10 symmetry classes by means of a layer construction. We discuss possible physical realizations of such states starting with a time-reversal-invariant topological insulator (class AII) in three dimensions or a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor (class DIII) in two or three dimensions. The former exhibits one-dimensional chiral or helical modes propagating along opposite edges, whereas the latter hosts Majorana zero modes localized to two opposite corners. Being protected by inversion, such states are not pinned to a specific pair of edges or corners, thus offering the possibility of controlling their location by applying inversion-symmetric perturbations such as magnetic field.

Odd-frequency pairing in superconducting heterostructures .

Science.gov (United States)

Golubov, A. A.; Tanaka, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Asano, Y.

2007-03-01

We present a general theory of the proximity effect in junctions between unconventional superconductors and diffusive normal metals (DN) or ferromagnets (DF). We consider all possible symmetry classes in a superconductor allowed by the Pauli principle: even-frequency spin-singlet even-parity state, even-frequency spin-triplet odd-parity state, odd-frequency spin-triplet even-parity state and odd-frequency spin-singlet odd-parity state. For each of the above states, symmetry and spectral properties of the induced pair amplitude in the DN (DF) are determined. The cases of junctions with spin-singlet s- and d-wave superconductors and spin-triplet p-wave superconductors are adressed in detail. We discuss the interplay between the proximity effect and midgap Andreev bound states arising at interfaces in unconventional (d- or p-wave) junctions. The most striking property is the odd-frequency symmetry of the pairing amplitude induced in DN (DF) in contacts with p-wave superconductors. This leads to zero-energy singularity in the density of states and to anomalous screening of an external magnetic field. Peculiarities of Josephson effect in d- or p-wave junctions are discussed. Experiments are suggested to detect an order parameter symmetry using heterostructures with unconventional superconductors.

Final Report. Novel Behavior of Ferromagnet/Superconductor Hybrid Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birge, Norman

2016-01-01

Final report for grant DE-FG02-06ER46341. This work has produced a most convincing experimental demonstration that spin-triplet supercurrent can appear in Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic materials, even when the superconducting electrodes are conventional, spin-singlet superconductors.

Final Report. Novel Behavior of Ferromagnet/Superconductor Hybrid Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birge, Norman [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)

2016-09-26

Final report for grant DE-FG02-06ER46341. This work has produced a most convincing experimental demonstration that spin-triplet supercurrent can appear in Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic materials, even when the superconducting electrodes are conventional, spin-singlet superconductors.

Modeling all-electrical detection of the inverse Edelstein effect by spin-polarized tunneling in a topological-insulator/ferromagnetic-metal heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Rik; Register, Leonard F.; Banerjee, Sanjay K.

2018-04-01

The spin-momentum locking of the surface states in a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) allows a charge current on the surface of the TI induced by an applied spin current onto the surface, which is known as the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE), that could be achieved either by injecting pure spin current by spin-pumping from a ferromagnetic metal (FM) layer or by injecting spin-polarized charge current by direct tunneling of electrons from the FM to the TI. Here, we present a theory of the observed IEE effect in a TI-FM heterostructure for the spin-polarized tunneling experiments. If an electrical current is passed from the FM to the surface of the TI, because of density-of-states polarization of the FM, an effective imbalance of spin-polarized electrons occurs on the surface of the TI. Due to the spin-momentum helical locking of the surface states in the TI, a difference of transverse charge accumulation appears on the TI surface in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the magnetization of the FM, which is measured as a voltage difference. Here, we derive the two-dimensional transport equations of electrons on the surface of a diffusive TI, coupled to a FM, starting from the quantum kinetic equation, and analytically solve the equations for a rectangular geometry to calculate the voltage difference.

Spin-torque generation in topological insulator based heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Fischer, Mark H.; Vaezi, Abolhassan; Manchon, Aurelien; Kim, Eun-Ah

2016-01-01

Heterostructures utilizing topological insulators exhibit a remarkable spin-torque efficiency. However, the exact origin of the strong torque, in particular whether it stems from the spin-momentum locking of the topological surface states or rather

Peculiar ferromagnetic insulator state in the low-hole-doped manganites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Algarabel, P.A.; Teresa, J.M. de; Blasco, J.; Ibarra, M.R.; Kapusta, Cz.; Sikora, M.; Zajac, D.; Riedi, P.C.; Ritter, C.

2003-01-01

In this work we show the very different nature of the ferromagnetic state of the low-hole-doped manganites with respect to other manganites showing colossal magnetoresistance. High-field measurements definitively prove the coexistence of ferromagnetic-metallic and ferromagnetic-insulating regions even when the sample is magnetically saturated, with the ground state being inhomogeneous. We have investigated La 0.9 Ca 0.1 MnO 3 as a prototype compound. A wide characterization by means of magnetic and magnetotransport measurements, neutron diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance has allowed us to establish that the ground state is based on the existence of disordered nanometric double-exchange metallic clusters that coexist with long-range superexchange-based ferromagnetic insulating regions. Under high magnetic field the system reaches magnetization saturation by aligning the magnetic clusters and the insulating matrix, but even if they grow in size, they do not reach the percolation limit

Novel superconducting state in ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe. Microscopic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity probed by 59Co-NQR measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Kenji; Hattori, Taisuke; Ihara, Yoshihiko; Nakai, Yusuke; Sato, Noriaki K.; Deguchi, Kazuhiko; Tamura, Nobuyuki; Satoh, Isamu

2010-01-01

We have investigated the relationship between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe from 59 Co nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements. Our experimental results indicate the microscopic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in UCoGe, and suggest a 'self-induced vortex state' in its superconducting state. We also review NQR experiments, which play an important role in this study. (author)

Fluxons in thin-film superconductor-insulator superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakai, S.; Bodin, P.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

In a system of thin alternating layers of superconductors and insulators the equations describing static and dynamic fluxon solutions are derived. The approach, represented by a useful compact matrix form, is intended to describe systems fabricated for example of niobium or niobium-nitride thin...... films; in the limit of ultrathin superconductor films it may give a model for describing fluxon motion in layered high-Tc superconductors. Numerical examples of current versus voltage curves to be expected in such an experiment are presented. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American...

S-I-N tunneling spectroscopy of MgB2 superconductor: evidence of two superconducting energy gaps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, Shashwati; Aswal, D.K.; Singh, Ajay; Gadkari, S.C.; Shah, K.; Gupta, S.K.; Sahni, V.C.

2002-01-01

The tunneling spectra of polycrystalline MgB 2 , have been recorded, at different temperatures between 29 K and T c , using planar superconductor- insulating-normal (S-I-N) tunneling spectroscopy. The planar S-I-N tunnel junctions have been fabricated by thermally evaporating Ag electrodes on MgB 2 surface. The naive layer, which forms at the surface of MgB 2 , due to atmospheric degradation, was employed as an insulating layer between Ag electrodes and MgB 2 . We have found presence of two clear superconducting energy gaps in MgB 2 . The magnitudes of these gaps at 29.5 K are 1.8 and 5.9 MeV, respectively. In the vicinity of T c , while larger energy gap obeyed BCS temperature dependence, the smaller energy gap deviated from BCS dependence. All the spectra exhibited zero-bias conductance, which decreased linearly with temperature and vanished at T c . (author)

Evidence for Crossed Andreev Reflections in (100)YBa2Cu3O7+δ-SrRuO3 superconductor-ferromagnet bilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asulin, I.; Yuli, O.; Millo, O.; Koren, G.

2005-01-01

Full Text:Since the ferromagnetic side of a superconductor-ferromagnet junction is spin polarized, Andreev reflections are suppressed. Consequently, the proximity induced superconductor order parameter in the ferromagnet is expected to decay rapidly, on the order of a nm, the typical coherence length in a ferromagnet. Our scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements on thin epitaxial (100)YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7+ δ-SrRuO 3 (YBaCuO-SrO) bilayers, where SrO is a ferromagnet, indeed show that on most of the junction area the superconductor order parameter vanishes in the SrO layers thicker than 8 nm. However, we find localized regions, arranged along narrow (< 10 nm) stripes, where the order parameter (superconductor-like gap structure) penetrates the ferromagnet over more than 20 nm. This is attributed to 'Crossed Andreev Reflections,' taking place at domain boundaries, where an electron from one magnetic domain is retro reflected as a hole with opposite spin in an adjacent domain. Our observation may account for the (not abundant) cases where a long-range proximity effect was found in superconductor-ferromagnet proximity systems

Influence of crossed fields in structures combining large grain, bulk (RE)BCO superconductors and soft ferromagnetic discs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philippe, M P; Fagnard, J F; Wéra, L; Vanderheyden, B; Vanderbemden, P; Morita, M; Nariki, S; Teshima, H; Caps, H

2016-01-01

Bulk (RE)BCO superconductors are able to trap record magnetic fields and can be used as powerful permanent magnets in various engineering applications such as rotating machines and magnetic bearings. When such superconducting (SC) “trapped field magnets” are combined to a ferromagnetic (FM) disc, the total magnetic moment is increased with respect to that of the superconductor alone. In the present work, we study experimentally the magnetic behaviour of such hybrid FM/SC structures when they are subjected to cycles of applied field that are orthogonal to their permanent magnetization, i.e. a “crossed-field” configuration. Experimental results show that the usual “crossed-field demagnetization” caused by the cycles of transverse field is strongly reduced in the presence of the ferromagnet. (paper)

Growth and characterization of epitaxial thin films and multiferroic heterostructures of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Devajyoti

Multiferroic materials exhibit unique properties such as simultaneous existence of two or more of coupled ferroic order parameters (ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity or their anti-ferroic counterparts) in a single material. Recent years have seen a huge research interest in multiferroic materials for their potential application as high density non-volatile memory devices. However, the scarcity of these materials in single phase and the weak coupling of their ferroic components have directed the research towards multiferroic heterostructures. These systems operate by coupling the magnetic and electric properties of two materials, generally a ferromagnetic material and a ferroelectric material via strain. In this work, horizontal heterostructures of composite multiferroic materials were grown and characterized using pulsed laser ablation technique. Alternate magnetic and ferroelectric layers of cobalt ferrite and lead zirconium titanate, respectively, were fabricated and the coupling effect was studied by X-ray stress analysis. It was observed that the interfacial stress played an important role in the coupling effect between the phases. Doped zinc oxide (ZnO) heterostructures were also studied where the ferromagnetic phase was a layer of manganese doped ZnO and the ferroelectric phase was a layer of vanadium doped ZnO. For the first time, a clear evidence of possible room temperature magneto-elastic coupling was observed in these heterostructures. This work provides new insight into the stress mediated coupling mechanisms in composite multiferroics.

Tunneling Spectroscopy Study of Spin-Polarized Quasiparticle Injection Effects in Cuparate/Manganite Heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, J. Y. T.; Yeh, N. C.; Vasquez, R. P.

1998-01-01

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy was performed at 4.2K on epitaxial thin-film heterostructures comprising YBa2Cu3O7 and La0.7Ca0.3MnO3, to study the microscopic effects of spin-polarized quasiparticle injection from the half-metallic ferromagnetic manganite on the high-Tc cuprate superconductor.

Intradot spin-flip Andreev reflection tunneling through a ferromagnet-quantum dot-superconductor system with ac field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Hongyan; Zhou Shiping

2008-01-01

We investigate Andreev reflection (AR) tunneling through a ferromagnet-quantum dot-superconductor (F-QD-S) system in the presence of an external ac field. The intradot spin-flip scattering in the QD is involved. Using the nonequilibrium Green function and BCS quasiparticle spectrum for superconductor, time-averaged AR conductance is formulated. The competition between the intradot spin-flip scattering and photon-assisted tunneling dominates the resonant behaviors of the time-averaged AR conductance. For weak intradot spin-flip scattering strengths, the AR conductance shows a series of equal interval resonant levels. However, the single-peak at main resonant level develops into a well-resolved double-peak resonance at a strong intradot spin-flip scattering strength. Remarkable, multiple-photon-assisted tunneling that generates photonic sideband peaks with a variable interval has been found. In addition, the AR conductance-bias voltage characteristic shows a transition between the single-peak to double-peak resonance as the ratio of the two tunneling strengths varies

Non-quasiparticle states in a half-metallic ferromagnet with antiferromagnetic s-d(f) interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Irkhin, V Yu

2015-04-22

Non-quasiparticle (incoherent) states which play an important role in the electronic structure of half-metallic ferromagnets (HMF) are investigated consistently in the case of antiferromagnetic s-d(f) exchange interaction. Their appropriate description in the limit of strong correlations requires a rearrangement of perturbation series in comparison with the usual Dyson equation. This consideration provides a solution of the Kondo problem in the HMF case and can be important for first-principle HMF calculations performed earlier for ferromagnetic s-d(f) interaction.

Particle-vortex duality in topological insulators and superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murugan, Jeff [The Laboratory for Quantum Gravity & Strings, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town,Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7700 (South Africa); School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Olden Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Nastase, Horatiu [Instituto de Física Teórica, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista,R. Dr. Bento T. Ferraz 271, Bl. II, Sao Paulo 01140-070, SP (Brazil)

2017-05-31

We investigate the origins and implications of the duality between topological insulators and topological superconductors in three and four spacetime dimensions. In the latter, the duality transformation can be made at the level of the path integral in the standard way, while in three dimensions, it takes the form of “self-duality in odd dimensions'. In this sense, it is closely related to the particle-vortex duality of planar systems. In particular, we use this to elaborate on Son’s conjecture that a three dimensional Dirac fermion that can be thought of as the surface mode of a four dimensional topological insulator is dual to a composite fermion.

Spin-orbit-coupled transport and spin torque in a ferromagnetic heterostructure

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xuhui; Ortiz Pauyac, Christian; Manchon, Aurelien

2014-01-01

Ferromagnetic heterostructures provide an ideal platform to explore the nature of spin-orbit torques arising from the interplay mediated by itinerant electrons between a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling and a ferromagnetic exchange interaction. For such a prototypic system, we develop a set of coupled diffusion equations to describe the diffusive spin dynamics and spin-orbit torques. We characterize the spin torque and its two prominent—out-of-plane and in-plane—components for a wide range of relative strength between the Rashba coupling and ferromagnetic exchange. The symmetry and angular dependence of the spin torque emerging from our simple Rashba model is in an agreement with experiments. The spin diffusion equation can be generalized to incorporate dynamic effects such as spin pumping and magnetic damping.

Spin-orbit-coupled transport and spin torque in a ferromagnetic heterostructure

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xuhui

2014-02-07

Ferromagnetic heterostructures provide an ideal platform to explore the nature of spin-orbit torques arising from the interplay mediated by itinerant electrons between a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling and a ferromagnetic exchange interaction. For such a prototypic system, we develop a set of coupled diffusion equations to describe the diffusive spin dynamics and spin-orbit torques. We characterize the spin torque and its two prominent—out-of-plane and in-plane—components for a wide range of relative strength between the Rashba coupling and ferromagnetic exchange. The symmetry and angular dependence of the spin torque emerging from our simple Rashba model is in an agreement with experiments. The spin diffusion equation can be generalized to incorporate dynamic effects such as spin pumping and magnetic damping.

Time evolution of a new superconducting state in long ferromagnetic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharmadurai, G.

1980-01-01

We examine the unique features associated with the onset of a time dependent superconducting state in long reentrant ferromagnetic superconductors due to the self-heating induced breakdown of the ferromagnetic normal state. After solving the relevant one-dimensional heat flow equations in an analytic approximation we estimate the duration of the resulting metastable superconducting state and discuss the qualitative aspects of the temporal behaviour of this new superconducting state. (orig.)

Creating and manipulating nonequilibrium spins in nanoscale superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolf, Michael J.; Kolenda, Stefan; Beckmann, Detlef [Institut fuer Nanotechnologie, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Huebler, Florian [Institut fuer Nanotechnologie, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Suergers, Christoph; Fischer, Gerda [Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Loehneysen, Hilbert von [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany); Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany)

2015-07-01

We report on nonlocal transport in superconductor hybrid structures, with ferromagnetic as well as normal-metal tunnel junctions attached to the superconductor. In the presence of a strong Zeeman splitting of the density of states, we find signatures of spin transport over distances of several μm, exceeding other length scales such as the coherence length, the normal-state spin-diffusion length, and the charge-imbalance length. Using a combination of ferromagnetic and normal-metal contacts, we demonstrate spin injection from a normal metal, and show a complete separation of charge and spin imbalance. An exchange splitting induced by the ferromagnetic insulator europium sulfide enables spin transport at very small applied magnetic fields, and therefore paves the way to manipulating spin currents by local exchange fields.

Quantitative magneto-optical investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, G; Brisbois, J; Pinheiro, L B G L; Müller, J; Blanco Alvarez, S; Devillers, T; Dempsey, N M; Scheerder, J E; Van de Vondel, J; Melinte, S; Vanderbemden, P; Motta, M; Ortiz, W A; Hasselbach, K; Kramer, R B G; Silhanek, A V

2018-02-01

We present a detailed quantitative magneto-optical imaging study of several superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures, including Nb deposited on top of thermomagnetically patterned NdFeB and permalloy/niobium with erasable and tailored magnetic landscapes imprinted in the permalloy layer. The magneto-optical imaging data are complemented with and compared to scanning Hall probe microscopy measurements. Comprehensive protocols have been developed for calibrating, testing, and converting Faraday rotation data to magnetic field maps. Applied to the acquired data, they reveal the comparatively weaker magnetic response of the superconductor from the background of larger fields and field gradients generated by the magnetic layer.

Quantitative magneto-optical investigation of superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, G.; Brisbois, J.; Pinheiro, L. B. G. L.; Müller, J.; Blanco Alvarez, S.; Devillers, T.; Dempsey, N. M.; Scheerder, J. E.; Van de Vondel, J.; Melinte, S.; Vanderbemden, P.; Motta, M.; Ortiz, W. A.; Hasselbach, K.; Kramer, R. B. G.; Silhanek, A. V.

2018-02-01

We present a detailed quantitative magneto-optical imaging study of several superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures, including Nb deposited on top of thermomagnetically patterned NdFeB and permalloy/niobium with erasable and tailored magnetic landscapes imprinted in the permalloy layer. The magneto-optical imaging data are complemented with and compared to scanning Hall probe microscopy measurements. Comprehensive protocols have been developed for calibrating, testing, and converting Faraday rotation data to magnetic field maps. Applied to the acquired data, they reveal the comparatively weaker magnetic response of the superconductor from the background of larger fields and field gradients generated by the magnetic layer.

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, Georg Hermann

2012-01-01

We report on the fabrication of superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (Nb/AlO x /Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 /Nb) Josephson junctions (SIFS JJs) with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, and high quality factors. For these junctions, a transition from 0- to π-coupling is observed for a thickness d F =6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd 0.82 Ni 0.18 has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes up to about 400 GHz provides valuable information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, at high frequencies the damping is explained by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. They allow to study the junction dynamics, in particular the switching probability from the zero-voltage into the voltage state with and without microwave irradiation. The experiments with microwave irradiation are well explained within semi-classical models and numerical simulations. In contrast, at mK temperature the switching dynamics without applied microwaves clearly shows secondary quantum effects. Here, we could observe for the first time macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer. This observation excludes fluctuations of the critical current as a consequence of an unstable magnetic domain structure of the ferromagnetic interlayer and affirms the suitability of SIFS Josephson junctions for quantum information processing.

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wild, Georg Hermann

2012-03-04

We report on the fabrication of superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (Nb/AlO{sub x}/Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18}/Nb) Josephson junctions (SIFS JJs) with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, and high quality factors. For these junctions, a transition from 0- to {pi}-coupling is observed for a thickness d{sub F}=6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18} interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd{sub 0.82}Ni{sub 0.18} has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes up to about 400 GHz provides valuable information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, at high frequencies the damping is explained by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. They allow to study the junction dynamics, in particular the switching probability from the zero-voltage into the voltage state with and without microwave irradiation. The experiments with microwave irradiation are well explained within semi-classical models and numerical simulations. In contrast, at mK temperature the switching dynamics without applied microwaves clearly shows secondary quantum effects. Here, we could observe for the first time macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer. This observation excludes fluctuations of the critical current as a consequence of an unstable magnetic domain structure of the ferromagnetic interlayer and affirms the suitability of SIFS Josephson junctions for quantum information processing.

Magnon-induced superconductivity in a topological insulator coupled to ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Hugdal, Henning G.; Rex, Stefan; Nogueira, Flavio S.; Sudbø, Asle

2018-05-01

We study the effective interactions between Dirac fermions on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator due to the proximity coupling to the magnetic fluctuations in a ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic insulator. Our results show that the magnetic fluctuations can mediate attractive interactions between Dirac fermions of both Amperean and BCS types. In the ferromagnetic case, we find pairing between fermions with parallel momenta, so-called Amperean pairing, whenever the effective Lagrangian for the magnetic fluctuations does not contain a quadratic term. The pairing interaction also increases with increasing Fermi momentum and is in agreement with previous studies in the limit of high chemical potential. If a quadratic term is present, the pairing is instead of BCS type above a certain chemical potential. In the antiferromagnetic case, BCS pairing occurs when the ferromagnetic coupling between magnons on the same sublattice exceeds the antiferromagnetic coupling between magnons on different sublattices. Outside this region in parameter space, we again find that Amperean pairing is realized.

Holographic entanglement entropy in two-order insulator/superconductor transitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Yan, E-mail: yanpengphy@163.com; Liu, Guohua

2017-04-10

We study holographic superconductor model with two orders in the five dimensional AdS soliton background away from the probe limit. We disclose properties of phase transitions mostly from the holographic topological entanglement entropy approach. Our results show that the entanglement entropy is useful in investigating transitions in this general model and in particular, there is a new type of first order phase transition in the insulator/superconductor system. We also give some qualitative understanding and obtain the analytical condition for this first order phase transition to occur. As a summary, we draw the complete phase diagram representing effects of the scalar charge on phase transitions.

Microwave spectroscopy and electronic transport properties of ferromagnetic Josephson junctions and superconducting spin-valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thalmann, Marcel; Rudolf, Marcel; Pietsch, Torsten [Zukunftskolleg and Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz (Germany)

2016-07-01

Hybrid superconducting nanostructures recently attracted tremendous interest, due to their great potential in dissipation-less spin-electronics with unprecedented switching rates. The practical realisation of such devices, however, requires a complete understanding of the transfer and dynamics of spin- and charge currents between superconducting (S) and ferromagnetic (F) circuit elements, as well as the coupling between spin- and charge degrees of freedom in these systems. We investigate novel transport phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrid nanostructures under non-equilibrium conditions. Microwave spectroscopy is used to elucidate fundamental questions related to the complex interplay of competing order parameters and the question of relaxation mechanisms of non-equilibrium distributions with respect to spin, charge and energy. Recent experiments on two complimentary device structures are discussed: (I) in diffusive S/F/S Josephson junctions with non-sinusoidal current-phase relationship and (II) local and non-local transport measurements and microwave spectroscopy in F/S/F lateral spin-valves.

Phenomenological description of anisotropy effects in some ferromagnetic superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shopova, Diana V., E-mail: sho@issp.bas.bg [TCCM Research Group, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, BG-1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Todorov, Michail D. [Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Sofia, 1000 Sofia (Bulgaria)

2015-07-03

We study phenomenologically the role of anisotropy in ferromagnetic superconductors UGe{sub 2}, URhGe, and UCoGe for the description of their phase diagrams. We use the Ginzburg–Landau free energy in its uniform form as we will consider only spatially independent solutions. This is an expansion of previously derived results where the effect of Cooper-pair and crystal anisotropies is not taken into account. The three compounds are separately discussed with the special stress on UGe{sub 2}. The main effect comes from the strong uniaxial anisotropy of magnetization while the anisotropy of Cooper pairs and crystal anisotropy only slightly change the phase diagram in the vicinity of Curie temperature. The limitations of this approach are also discussed. - Highlights: • Anisotropic Landau energy for description of ferromagnetic superconductors is proposed. • Meissner phases are described with their existence and stability conditions. • The application of the model to UGe{sub 2} is discussed. • The limitations to apply the model for description of experimental data are explained.

Scanning X-ray microscopy of superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahl, Claudia; Ruoss, Stephen; Weigand, Markus; Schuetz, Gisela [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart (Germany); Zahn, Patrick; Bayer, Jonas [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart (Germany); Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University (Germany)

2016-07-01

The magnetic flux distribution arising from a high-T{sub c} superconductor is detected and visualized with high spatial resolution using scanning x-ray microscopy (SXM). Therefore, we introduce a sensor layer, namely, an amorphous, soft-magnetic CoFeB cover layer. The magnetic stray fields of the supercurrents lead to a local reorientation of the magnetic moments in the ferromagnet, which is visualized using the large x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) effect of the Co and Fe L3-edge. We show that the XMCD contrast in the sensor layer corresponds to the in-plane magnetic flux distribution of the superconductor and can hence be used to image magnetic structures in superconductors with high spatial resolution. Using the total electron yield (TEY) mode the surface structure and the magnetic domains can be imaged simultaneously and can be correlated. The measurements are carried out at our scanning x-ray microscope MAXYMUS at Bessy II, Berlin with the new low temperature setup.

Transparent Semiconductor-Superconductor Interface and Induced Gap in an Epitaxial Heterostructure Josephson Junction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kjaergaard, M.; Suominen, H. J.; Nowak, M.P.; Akhmerov, A.R.; Shabani, J.; Palmstrøm, C. J.; Nichele, F.; Marcus, C.M.

2017-01-01

Measurement of multiple Andreev Reflection (MAR) in a Josephson junction made from an InAs quantum well heterostructure with epitaxial aluminum is used to quantify a highly transparent effective semiconductor-superconductor interface with near-unity transmission. The observed temperature

P-wave holographic superconductor/insulator phase transitions affected by dark matter sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogatko, Marek; Wysokinski, Karol I.

2016-01-01

The holographic approach to building the p-wave superconductors results in three different models: the Maxwell-vector, the SU(2) Yang-Mills and the helical. In the probe limit approximation, we analytically examine the properties of the first two models in the theory with dark matter sector. It turns out that the effect of dark matter on the Maxwell-vector p-wave model is the same as on the s-wave superconductor studied earlier. For the non-Abelian model we study the phase transitions between p-wave holographic insulator/superconductor and metal/superconductor. Studies of marginally stable modes in the theory under consideration allow us to determine features of p-wave holographic droplet in a constant magnetic field. The dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the coupling constant α to the dark matter sector is affected by the dark matter density ρ_D. For ρ_D>ρ the transition temperature is a decreasing function of α. The critical chemical potential μ_c for the quantum phase transition between insulator and metal depends on the chemical potential of dark matter μ_D and for μ_D=0 is a decreasing function of α.

Magnetic field induced superconductor-insulator transitions for ultra-thin Bi films on the different underlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makise, K; Kawaguti, T; Shinozaki, B

2009-01-01

This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for ultra-thin Bi films in magnetic fields. The quench-condensed (q-c) Bi film onto insulating underlayers have been interpreted to be homogeneous. In contrast, the Bi film without underlayers has been regarded as a granular film. The electrical transport properties of ultra-thin metal films near the S-I transition depend on the structure of the film. In order to confirm the effect of the underlayer to the homogeneity of the superconducting films, we investigate the characteristics of S-I transitions of q-c nominally homogeneous Bi films on underlayers of two insulating materials, SiO, and Sb. Under almost the same deposition condition except for the material of underlayer, we prepared the Bi films by repeating the additional deposition and performed in-situ electrical measurement. It is found that the transport properties near the S-I transitions show the remarkable difference between two films on different underlayers. As for Bi films on SiO, it turned out that the temperature dependence of resistance per square R sq (T) of the field-tuned transition and the thickness-tuned transition shows similar behavior; it was a thermally activated form. On the other hand, the R sq (T) of Bi films on Sb for thickness-tuned S-I transition showed logarithmic temperature dependence, but that for field-tuned S-I transition showed a thermally activated form.

Vortex Flipping in Superconductor-Ferromagnet Spin Valve Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Patino, Edgar J.; Aprili, Marco; Blamire, Mark; Maeno, Yoshiteru

2014-03-01

We report in plane magnetization measurements on Ni/Nb/Ni/CoO and Co/Nb/Co/CoO spin valve structures with one of the ferromagnetic layers pinned by an antiferromagnetic layer. In samples with Ni, below the superconducting transition Tc, our results show strong evidence of vortex flipping driven by the ferromagnets magnetization. This is a direct consequence of proximity effect that leads to vortex supercurrents leakage into the ferromagnets. Here the polarized electron spins are subject to vortices magnetic field occasioning vortex flipping. Such novel mechanism has been made possible for the first time by fabrication of the F/S/F/AF multilayered spin valves with a thin-enough S layer to barely confine vortices inside as well as thin-enough F layers to align and control the magnetization within the plane. When Co is used there is no observation of vortex flipping effect. This is attributed to Co shorter coherence length. Interestingly instead a reduction in pinning field of about 400 Oe is observed when the Nb layer is in superconducting state. This effect cannot be explained in terms of vortex fields. In view of these facts any explanation must be directly related to proximity effect and thus a remarkable phenomenon that deserves further investigation. Programa Nacional de Ciencias Basicas COLCIENCIAS (No. 120452128168).

Some thermodynamical properties of normal (or ferromagnetic) metal / superconductor heterojunctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cayssol, Jerome

2003-01-01

We have investigated the orbital magnetism of a ballistic hybrid normal-superconductor ring. We have obtained the flux dependent excitation spectrum for arbitrary normal and superconductor lengths. We have introduced a new method to evaluate the current harmonics. We have described the cross-over from the, 'h/eh/e-periodic persistent current to the', h/2e-periodic Josephson current. In a second study, we have calculated the effect of intrinsic ordinary reflexion on the Josephson current in a ballistic superconductor-ferromagnetic-superconductor. The spectrum is strongly modified by gap openings but the current and the 0-π transition are only slightly modified up to very high spin polarisation. In a third study, we analyse the contain of some solutions of Usadel equation. The standard perturbation theory dressed by cooperons enables us to interpret those solutions in terms of diffusive paths connecting Andreev reflexion events. (author) [fr

Critical current oscillations in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor structure taking into account s-d scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vedyaev, A.V.; Ryzhanova, N.V.; Pugach, N.G.

2007-01-01

One calculated the critical current in the Josephson contact with the transition metal slightly ferromagnetic alloy interlayer. One solved the Gorkov equations taking into account s-d-scattering in a ferromagnet. The account of the mentioned scattering breaking down the Cooper pairs is shown to enable to ensure the conformity with the experiment [ru

Magnetic characterisation of large grain, bulk Y–Ba–Cu–O superconductor–soft ferromagnetic alloy hybrid structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philippe, M.P.; Fagnard, J.-F.; Kirsch, S.; Xu, Z.; Dennis, A.R.; Shi, Y.-H.; Cardwell, D.A.; Vanderheyden, B.; Vanderbemden, P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Large grain, bulk YBaCuO superconductor (SC) combined with ferromagnetic elements. • The flux lines curve outwards through the ferromagnet in the remanent state. • The trapped field in the SC is enhanced by the presence of the ferromagnet. • The effects of the SC and the ferromagnet add when the ferromagnet is saturated. - Abstract: Large grain, bulk Y–Ba–Cu–O (YBCO) high temperature superconductors (HTS) have significant potential for use in a variety of practical applications that incorporate powerful quasi-permanent magnets. In the present work, we investigate how the trapped field of such magnets can be improved by combining bulk YBCO with a soft FeNi, ferromagnetic alloy. This involves machining the alloy into components of various shapes, such as cylinders and rings, which are attached subsequently to the top surface of a solid, bulk HTS cylinder. The effect of these modifications on the magnetic hysteresis curve and trapped field of the bulk superconductor at 77 K are then studied using pick-up coil and Hall probe measurements. The experimental data are compared to finite element modelling of the magnetic flux distribution using Campbell’s algorithm. Initially we establish the validity of the technique involving pick-up coils wrapped around the bulk superconductor to obtain its magnetic hysteresis curve in a non-destructive way and highlight the difference between the measured signal and the true magnetization of the sample. We then consider the properties of hybrid ferromagnet/superconductor (F/S) structures. Hall probe measurements, together with the results of the model, establish that flux lines curve outwards through the ferromagnet, which acts, effectively, like a magnetic short circuit. Magnetic hysteresis curves show that the effects of the superconductor and the ferromagnet simply add when the ferromagnet is saturated fully by the applied field. The trapped field of the hybrid structure is always larger than that of the

Search for Spin Filtering By Electron Tunneling Through Ferromagnetic EuS Barriers in Pbs

Science.gov (United States)

Figielski, T.; Morawski, A.; Wosinski, T.; Wrotek, S.; Makosa, A.; Lusakowska, E.; Story, T.; Sipatov, A. Yu.; Szczerbakow, A.; Grasza, K.;

Spin-transport-phenomena in metals, semiconductors, and insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Althammer, Matthias Klaus

2012-07-19

Assuming that one could deterministically inject, transport, manipulate, store and detect spin information in solid state devices, the well-established concepts of charge-based electronics could be transferred to the spin realm. This thesis explores the injection, transport, manipulation and storage of spin information in metallic conductors, semiconductors, as well as electrical insulators. On the one hand, we explore the spin-dependent properties of semiconducting zinc oxide thin films deposited via laser-molecular beam epitaxy (laser-MBE). After demonstrating that the zinc oxide films fabricated during this thesis have excellent structural, electrical, and optical properties, we investigate the spin-related properties by optical pump/probe, electrical injection/optical detection, and all electrical spin valve-based experiments. The two key results from these experiments are: (i) Long-lived spin states with spin dephasing times of 10 ns at 10 K related to donor bound excitons can be optically addressed. (ii) The spin dephasing times relevant for electrical transport-based experiments are {<=} 2 ns at 10 K and are correlated with structural quality. On the other hand we focus on two topics of current scientific interest: the comparison of the magnetoresistance to the magnetothermopower of conducting ferromagnets, and the investigation of pure spin currents generated in ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal hybrid structures. We investigate the magnetoresistance and magnetothermopower of gallium manganese arsenide and Heusler thin films as a function of external magnetic field orientation. Using a series expansion of the resistivity and Seebeck tensors and the inherent symmetry of the sample's crystal structure, we show that a full quantitative extraction of the transport tensors from such experiments is possible. Regarding the spin currents in ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal hybrid structures we studied the spin mixing conductance in yttrium iron garnet

Effects of surface exchange anisotropy in Heisenberg ferromagnetic insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selzer, S.; Majlis, N.

1982-03-01

We consider an fcc semi-infinite ferromagnetic insulator displaying an anisotropic exchange interaction between spins on the (111) surface plane of the form Jsub(parallel)[Ssub(i)sup(x)Ssub(j)sup(x)+Ssub(i)sup(y)Ssub(j)sup(y )+etaSsub(i)sup(z)Ssub(j)sup(z)], assuming all other interactions isotropic. A self-consistent RPA calculation is performed, with a Green function method valid for any spin S, up to the bulk transition temperature Tsub(c)sup(b), by imposing that the magnetization of the third layer equals the bulk value. For eta sufficiently large, the surface magnetization is non-zero for T>Tsub(c)sup(b), up to a transition temperature Tsub(c)sup(s)(eta) whenever eta>=etasub(c)>1, where Tsub(c)sup(s)(etasub(c))=Tsub(c)sup(b). For T>Tsub(c)sup(b) the system is equivalent to a film of three layers, where the magnetization of the third one is identically zero as a boundary condition. A discontinuity of the derivative in the curve of the magnetization of the first two layers vs. temperature is found at Tsub(c)sup(b). The results show clearly a cross-over from Heisenberg to Ising behaviour at the surface. (author)

Influence of soft ferromagnetic sections on the magnetic flux density profile of a large grain, bulk Y–Ba–Cu–O superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philippe, M P; Wéra, L; Fagnard, J-F; Vanderheyden, B; Vanderbemden, P; Ainslie, M D; Dennis, A R; Shi, Y-H; Cardwell, D A

2015-01-01

Bulk, high temperature superconductors have significant potential for use as powerful permanent magnets in a variety of practical applications due to their ability to trap record magnetic fields. In this paper, soft ferromagnetic sections are combined with a bulk, large grain Y–Ba–Cu–O high temperature superconductor to form superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures. We study how the ferromagnetic sections influence the shape of the profile of the trapped magnetic induction at the surface of each structure and report the surface magnetic flux density measured by Hall probe mapping. These configurations have been modelled using a 2D axisymmetric finite element method based on the H-formulation and the results show excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experimental measurements. The model has also been used to study the magnetic flux distribution and predict the behaviour for other constitutive laws and geometries. The results show that the ferromagnetic material acts as a magnetic shield, but the flux density and its gradient are enhanced on the face opposite to the ferromagnet. The thickness and saturation magnetization of the ferromagnetic material are important and a characteristic ferromagnet thickness d* is derived: below d*, saturation of the ferromagnet occurs, and above d*, a weak thickness-dependence is observed. The influence of the ferromagnet is observed even if its saturation magnetization is lower than the trapped flux density of the superconductor. Conversely, thin ferromagnetic discs can be driven to full saturation even though the outer magnetic field is much smaller than their saturation magnetization. (paper)

Compact terahertz passive spectrometer with wideband superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, K; Kohjiro, S; Yamada, T; Shimizu, N; Wakatsuki, A

2012-02-01

We developed a compact terahertz (THz) spectrometer with a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer, aiming to realize a portable and highly sensitive spectrometer to detect dangerous gases at disaster sites. The receiver cryostat which incorporates the SIS mixer and a small cryocooler except for a helium compressor has a weight of 27 kg and dimensions of 200 mm × 270 mm × 690 mm. In spite of the small cooling capacity of the cryocooler, the SIS mixer is successfully cooled lower than 4 K, and the temperature variation is suppressed for the sensitive measurement. By adopting a frequency sweeping system using photonic local oscillator, we demonstrated a spectroscopic measurement of CH(3)CN gas in 0.2-0.5 THz range.

Magnetic tunable confinement of the superconducting condensate in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aladyshkin, A.Yu.; Gillijns, W.; Silhanek, A.V.; Moshchalkov, V.V.

2008-01-01

The effect of a nonuniform magnetic field induced by a ferromagnet on the magnetoresistance of thin-film superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid structures was investigated experimentally. Two different magnetic textures with out-of-plane magnetization were considered: a plain ferromagnetic film with bubble domains and a regular array of ferromagnetic dots. The stray fields of the structures are able to affect the spatial profile of the superconducting condensate, leading to a modification of the dependence of the critical temperature T c on an external magnetic field H. We showed how the standard linear T c (H) dependence with a single maximum at H=0 can be continuously transformed into so-called reentrant phase boundary with two T c peaks. We demonstrated that both domain-wall superconductivity and field-induced superconductivity are different manifestations of the magnetic confinement effect in various magnetic patterns

Angular dependence and symmetry of Rashba spin torque in ferromagnetic heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Ortiz Pauyac, Christian

2013-06-26

In a ferromagnetic heterostructure, the interplay between Rashba spin-orbit coupling and exchange splitting gives rise to a current-driven spin torque. In a realistic device setup, we investigate the Rashba spin torque in the diffusive regime and report two major findings: (i) a nonvanishing torque exists at the edges of the device even when the magnetization and effective Rashba field are aligned; (ii) anisotropic spin relaxation rates driven by the Rashba spin-orbit coupling assign the spin torque a general expression T = T y (θ) m × (y × m) + T y (θ) y × m + T z (θ) m × (z × m) + T z (θ) z × m, where the coefficients T, y, z depend on the magnetization direction. Our results agree with recent experiments. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Angular dependence and symmetry of Rashba spin torque in ferromagnetic heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Ortiz Pauyac, Christian; Wang, Xuhui; Chshiev, Mairbek; Manchon, Aurelien

2013-01-01

In a ferromagnetic heterostructure, the interplay between Rashba spin-orbit coupling and exchange splitting gives rise to a current-driven spin torque. In a realistic device setup, we investigate the Rashba spin torque in the diffusive regime and report two major findings: (i) a nonvanishing torque exists at the edges of the device even when the magnetization and effective Rashba field are aligned; (ii) anisotropic spin relaxation rates driven by the Rashba spin-orbit coupling assign the spin torque a general expression T = T y (θ) m × (y × m) + T y (θ) y × m + T z (θ) m × (z × m) + T z (θ) z × m, where the coefficients T, y, z depend on the magnetization direction. Our results agree with recent experiments. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Magnon diffusion theory for the spin Seebeck effect in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Rezende, Sergio M.; Azevedo, Antonio; Rodríguez-Suárez, Roberto L.

2018-05-01

In magnetic insulators, spin currents are carried by the elementary excitations of the magnetization: spin waves or magnons. In simple ferromagnetic insulators there is only one magnon mode, while in two-sublattice antiferromagnetic insulators (AFIs) there are two modes, which carry spin currents in opposite directions. Here we present a theory for the diffusive magnonic spin current generated in a magnetic insulator layer by a thermal gradient in the spin Seebeck effect. We show that the formulations describing magnonic perturbation using a position-dependent chemical potential and those using a magnon accumulation are completely equivalent. Then we develop a drift–diffusion formulation for magnonic spin transport treating the magnon accumulation governed by the Boltzmann transport and diffusion equations and considering the full boundary conditions at the surfaces and interfaces of an AFI/normal metal bilayer. The theory is applied to the ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet and to the AFIs MnF2 and NiO, providing good quantitative agreement with experimental data.

Metal-insulator transition in AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs heterostructures with large spacer width

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, A.

1991-10-01

Analytical results are presented for the mobility of a two-dimensional electron gas in a heterostructure with a thick spacer layer α. Due to multiple-scattering effects a metal-insulator transition occurs at a critical electron density Nc=N1/2i/(4π1/2α) (Ni is the impurity density). The transport mean free path l(t) (calculated in Born approximation) at the metal-insulator transition is l(t)c=2α. A localization criterion in terms of the renormalized single-particle mean free path l(sr) is presented: kFcl(sr)c=(1/2)1/2 (kFc is the Fermi wave number at the critical density). I compare the theoretical results with recent experimental results found in AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs heterostructures with large spacer width: 1200<α<2800 Å. Remote impurity doping and homogeneous background doping are considered. The only fitting parameter used for the theoretical results is the background doping density NB=6×1013 cm-3. My theory is in fair agreement with the experimental results.

Impurity-induced states in superconducting heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dong E.; Rossi, Enrico; Lutchyn, Roman M.

2018-04-01

Heterostructures allow the realization of electronic states that are difficult to obtain in isolated uniform systems. Exemplary is the case of quasi-one-dimensional heterostructures formed by a superconductor and a semiconductor with spin-orbit coupling in which Majorana zero-energy modes can be realized. We study the effect of a single impurity on the energy spectrum of superconducting heterostructures. We find that the coupling between the superconductor and the semiconductor can strongly affect the impurity-induced states and may induce additional subgap bound states that are not present in isolated uniform superconductors. For the case of quasi-one-dimensional superconductor/semiconductor heterostructures we obtain the conditions for which the low-energy impurity-induced bound states appear.

Magnetoanisotropic spin-triplet Andreev reflection in ferromagnet-Ising superconductor junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Peng; Zhou, Yan-Feng; Yang, Ning-Xuan; Sun, Qing-Feng

2018-04-01

We theoretically study the electronic transport through a ferromagnet-Ising superconductor junction. A tight-binding Hamiltonian describing the Ising superconductor is presented. Then by combining the nonequilibrium Green's function method, the expressions of Andreev reflection coefficient and conductance are obtained. A strong magnetoanisotropic spin-triplet Andreev reflection is shown, and the magnetoanisotropic period is π instead of 2 π as in the conventional magnetoanisotropic system. We demonstrate a significant increase of the spin-triplet Andreev reflection for the single-band Ising superconductor. Furthermore, the dependence of the Andreev reflection on the incident energy and incident angle are also investigated. A complete Andreev reflection can occur when the incident energy is equal to the superconducting gap, regardless of the Fermi energy (spin polarization) of the ferromagnet. For the suitable oblique incidence, the spin-triplet Andreev reflection can be strongly enhanced. In addition, the conductance spectroscopies of both zero bias and finite bias are studied, and the influence of gate voltage, exchange energy, and spin-orbit coupling on the conductance spectroscopy are discussed in detail. The conductance exhibits a strong magnetoanisotropy with period π as the Andreev reflection coefficient. When the magnetization direction is parallel to the junction plane, a large conductance peak always emerges at the superconducting gap. This work offers a comprehensive and systematic study of the spin-triplet Andreev reflection and has an underlying application of π -periodic spin valve in spintronics.

1D ferromagnetic edge contacts to 2D graphene/h-BN heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Karpiak, Bogdan; Dankert, André; Cummings, Aron W.; Power, Stephen R.; Roche, Stephan; Dash, Saroj P.

2018-03-01

We report the fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) ferromagnetic edge contacts to two-dimensional (2D) graphene/h-BN heterostructures. While aiming to study spin injection/detection with 1D edge contacts, a spurious magnetoresistance signal was observed, which is found to originate from the local Hall effect in graphene due to fringe fields from ferromagnetic edge contacts and in the presence of charge current spreading in the nonlocal measurement configuration. Such behavior has been confirmed by the absence of a Hanle signal and gate-dependent magnetoresistance measurements that reveal a change in sign of the signal for the electron- and hole-doped regimes, which is in contrast to the expected behavior of the spin signal. Calculations show that the contact-induced fringe fields are typically on the order of hundreds of mT, but can be reduced below 100 mT with careful optimization of the contact geometry. There may be an additional contribution from magnetoresistance effects due to tunneling anisotropy in the contacts, which needs further investigation. These studies are useful for optimization of spin injection and detection in 2D material heterostructures through 1D edge contacts.

Visualizing supercurrents in 0-{pi} ferromagnetic Josephson tunnel junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldobin, Edward; Guerlich, Christian; Gaber, Tobias; Koelle, Dieter; Kleiner, Reinhold [Physikalisches Institut and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena, Universitaet Tuebingen (Germany); Weides, Martin; Kohlstedt, Hermann [Institute of Solid State Physics, Reserch Center Juelich (Germany)

2009-07-01

So-called 0 and {pi} Josephson junctions can be treated as having positive and negative critical currents. This implies that the same phase shift applied to a Josephson junction causes counterflow of supercurrents in 0 and in {pi} junctions connected in parallel provided they are short in comparison with Josephson penetration depth {lambda}{sub J}. We have fabricated several 0, {pi}, 0-{pi}, 0-{pi}-0 and 20 x (0-{pi}-) planar superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor Josephson junctions and studied the spatial supercurrent density distribution j{sub s}(x,y) across the junction area using low temperature scanning electron microscopy. At zero magnetic field we clearly see counterflow of the supercurrents in 0 and {pi} regions. The picture also changes consistently in the applied magnetic field.

Majorana zero modes in superconductor-semiconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Lutchyn, R. M.; Bakkers, E. P. A. M.; Kouwenhoven, L. P.; Krogstrup, P.; Marcus, C. M.; Oreg, Y.

2018-05-01

Realizing topological superconductivity and Majorana zero modes in the laboratory is a major goal in condensed-matter physics. In this Review, we survey the current status of this rapidly developing field, focusing on proposals for the realization of topological superconductivity in semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures. We examine materials science progress in growing InAs and InSb semiconductor nanowires and characterizing these systems. We then discuss the observation of robust signatures of Majorana zero modes in recent experiments, paying particular attention to zero-bias tunnelling conduction measurements and Coulomb blockade experiments. We also outline several next-generation experiments probing exotic properties of Majorana zero modes, including fusion rules and non-Abelian exchange statistics. Finally, we discuss prospects for implementing Majorana-based topological quantum computation.

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-Tc superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Zigang; Wang, Jiasu; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya; Wang, Suyu

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Ferromagnetic materials guide the flux distribution of the PMG to bulk positions. ► With ferromagnetic materials, guidance performance can be enhanced greatly. ► A new HTS Maglev system with onboard ferromagnetic materials is designed. ► The design can meet large guidance force requirements for practical applications. -- Abstract: Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves

Voltage-controlled ferromagnetism and magnetoresistance in LaCoO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Chengqing; Park, Keun Woo; Yu, Edward T.; Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A.; Jordan-Sweet, Jean L.

2013-01-01

A LaCoO 3 /SrTiO 3 heterostructure grown on Si (001) is shown to provide electrically switchable ferromagnetism, a large, electrically tunable magnetoresistance, and a vehicle for achieving and probing electrical control over ferromagnetic behavior at submicron dimensions. Fabrication of devices in a field-effect transistor geometry enables application of a gate bias voltage that modulates strain in the heterostructure via the converse piezoelectric effect in SrTiO 3 , leading to an artificial inverse magnetoelectric effect arising from the dependence of ferromagnetism in the LaCoO 3 layer on strain. Below the Curie temperature of the LaCoO 3 layer, this effect leads to modulation of resistance in LaCoO 3 as large as 100%, and magnetoresistance as high as 80%, both of which arise from carrier scattering at ferromagnetic-nonmagnetic interfaces in LaCoO 3 . Finite-element numerical modeling of electric field distributions is used to explain the dependence of carrier transport behavior on gate contact geometry, and a Valet-Fert transport model enables determination of spin polarization in the LaCoO 3 layer. Piezoresponse force microscopy is used to confirm the existence of piezoelectric response in SrTiO 3 grown on Si (001). It is also shown that this structure offers the possibility of achieving exclusive-NOR logic functionality within a single device

Electrical detection of ferromagnetic resonance in ferromagnet/n-GaAs heterostructures by tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, C.; Boyko, Y.; Geppert, C. C.; Christie, K. D.; Stecklein, G.; Crowell, P. A., E-mail: crowell@physics.umn.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States); Patel, S. J. [Department of Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Palmstrøm, C. J. [Department of Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States)

2014-11-24

We observe a dc voltage peak at ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in samples consisting of a single ferromagnetic (FM) layer grown epitaxially on the n-GaAs (001) surface. The FMR peak is detected as an interfacial voltage with a symmetric line shape and is present in samples based on various FM/n-GaAs heterostructures, including Co{sub 2}MnSi/n-GaAs, Co{sub 2}FeSi/n-GaAs, and Fe/n-GaAs. We show that the interface bias voltage dependence of the FMR signal is identical to that of the tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) over most of the bias range. Furthermore, we show how the precessing magnetization yields a dc FMR signal through the TAMR effect and how the TAMR phenomenon can be used to predict the angular dependence of the FMR signal. This TAMR-induced FMR peak can be observed under conditions where no spin accumulation is present and no spin-polarized current flows in the semiconductor.

Dielectric and diamagnetic susceptibilities near percolative superconductor-insulator transitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Loh, Yen Lee; Karki, Pragalv

2017-10-25

Coarse-grained superconductor-insulator composites exhibit a superconductor-insulator transition governed by classical percolation, which should be describable by networks of inductors and capacitors. We study several classes of random inductor-capacitor networks on square lattices. We present a unifying framework for defining electric and magnetic response functions, and we extend the Frank-Lobb bond-propagation algorithm to compute these quantities by network reduction. We confirm that the superfluid stiffness scales approximately as [Formula: see text] as the superconducting bond fraction p approaches the percolation threshold p c . We find that the diamagnetic susceptibility scales as [Formula: see text] below percolation, and as [Formula: see text] above percolation. For models lacking self-capacitances, the electric susceptibility scales as [Formula: see text]. Including a self-capacitance on each node changes the critical behavior to approximately [Formula: see text].

Temperature dependence of electric field tunable ferromagnetic resonance lineshape in multiferroic heterostructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fenglong Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Herein, we experimentally investigate the effect of temperature on the electric field tunable ferromagnetic resonance (FMR in a ferroelectric/ferromagnetic heterostructure, and demonstrate the tuning of abnormal change in FMR using the polarization of the ferroelectric layer above 200 K. The FMR was found to be almost unchanged under different electric field strength at 100 K owing to frozen polarization, which causes extremely weak magnetoelectric coupling. More interestingly, negative effective linewidth was observed when an electric field greater than 10 kV/cm was applied above 220 K. The simultaneous electrical control of magnetization and its damping via FMR based on linear magnetoelectric coupling are directly relevant to use of composite multiferroics for a wide range of devices.

Nanostructures based on superconducting Nb and ferromagnetic CuNi alloy for elaboration of spin-valve core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morari, Roman

2013-01-01

The main goal of our research group is the elaboration of superconducting spin-switch (valve) based on Ferromagnetic/Superconductor/Ferromagnetic core. We could realize all building blocks necessary for the fabrication of the core structure of the superconducting spin valve, consisting of two mirror symmetric bilayers. In other words, the spin valve consists of a F/S * /F trilayer, which can be regarded as a package of a F/S and S/F bilayer so that S * =2S in the trilayer. For such a trilayer, the theory predicts that the critical temperature depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layers. To enable a reversal of one of the magnetizations of the layers with respect to the other by an external magnetic field, the coercive forces of the F layers have to be different due to either intrinsic properties or to an antiferromagnetic pinning layer delivering an exchange bias. The main points of our study are presented here. (author)

Effects of disorder on the intrinsically hole-doped iron-based superconductor KC a2F e4A s4F2 by cobalt substitution

Science.gov (United States)

Ishida, Junichi; Iimura, Soshi; Hosono, Hideo

2017-11-01

In this paper, the effects of cobalt substitution on the transport and electronic properties of the recently discovered iron-based superconductor KC a2F e4A s4F2 , with Tc=33 K , are reported. This material is an unusual superconductor showing intrinsic hole conduction (0.25 holes /F e2 + ). Upon doping of Co, the Tc of KC a2(Fe1-xC ox) 4A s4F2 gradually decreased, and bulk superconductivity disappeared when x ≥0.25 . Conversion of the primary carrier from p type to n type upon Co-doping was clearly confirmed by Hall measurements, and our results are consistent with the change in the calculated Fermi surface. Nevertheless, neither spin density wave (SDW) nor an orthorhombic phase, which are commonly observed for nondoped iron-based superconductors, was observed in the nondoped or electron-doped samples. The electron count in the 3 d orbitals and structural parameters were compared with those of other iron-based superconductors to show that the physical properties can be primarily ascribed to the effects of disorder.

Simulation of magnetic tunnel junction in ferromagnetic/insulator/semiconductor structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kostrov, Alexander I.; Stempitsky, Viktor R.; Kazimirchik, Vladimir N.

2008-07-01

In this work, we present a physical model and electrical macromodel for simulation of Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) effect based on Ferromagnetic/Insulator/Semiconductor (FIS) nanostructure. A modified Brinkman model has been proposed by including the voltage-dependent density of states of the ferromagnetic electrodes in order to explain the bias dependence magnitoresistance. The model takes into account injection of carriers in the semiconductor and Shottky barrier, electron tunneling through thin insulator and spin-transfer torque writing approach in memory cell. These very promising features should constitute the third generation of Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). Besides, the model can efficiently be used to design magnetic CMOS circuits. The behavioral macro-model has been developed by means of Verilog-AMS language and implemented on the Cadence Virtuoso platform with Spectre simulator.

Electronic structure of ferromagnet-insulator interfaces: Fe/MgO and Co/MgO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, M.

2007-07-11

In this thesis the electronic structure of Fe/MgO{sub x} and Co/MgO{sub x} ferromagnet-insulator interfaces, representing material systems which are widely used in magnetic tunnel junctions, is studied by means of spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The photoemission studies focus particularly on the response of the ferromagnetic electronic system in contact with MgO of varying stoichiometries, as this reflects the mechanisms of metal-oxide bonding at real ferromagnet-insulator interfaces. The correlation between chemical bonding and electronic structure formation is analyzed by combining information from core- and valence-band photoemission spectroscopy. The spectral features are compared to band structure calculations, which are performed using the SPR-KKR method. The Fe/MgO and Co/MgO systems are prepared by molecular beam epitaxy under ultrahigh vacuum conditions on well-defined (4 x 6) GaAs(001) substrates. A structural analysis by means of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) reveals their body-centered cubic crystalline structure, whereas the chemical characterization by Auger electron spectroscopy is used to quantify the chemical environment at the sample surfaces. The magnetic analysis, using the magneto-optical Kerr effect, reveals the uniaxial anisotropy of the ferromagnetic layers. A crucial parameter is given by the MgO degree of oxidation, which is addressed by means of core-level spectroscopy and quantified by suitable fitting procedures of the Mg 2p core level. The results of the photoemission experiments show, that the electronic structure of the Fe/MgO and Co/MgO ferromagnet/insulator interfaces and, consequently, the interfacial spin polarization are sensitively controlled by the interface chemistry. In particular, three distinct scenarios are identified: the nearly stoichiometric, the oxygen-deficient and the over-oxidized ferromagnet/MgO interface. Each case is defined by innate characteristics of the electronic structure at

''Soft'' Anharmonic Vortex Glass in Ferromagnetic Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radzihovsky, Leo; Ettouhami, A. M.; Saunders, Karl; Toner, John

2001-01-01

Ferromagnetic order in superconductors can induce a spontaneous vortex (SV) state. For external field H=0 , rotational symmetry guarantees a vanishing tilt modulus of the SV solid, leading to drastically different behavior than that of a conventional, external-field-induced vortex solid. We show that quenched disorder and anharmoinc effects lead to elastic moduli that are wave-vector dependent out to arbitrarily long length scales, and non-Hookean elasticity. The latter implies that for weak external fields H , the magnetic induction scales universally like B(H)∼B(0)+cH α , with α∼0.72 . For weak disorder, we predict the SV solid is a topologically ordered glass, in the ''columnar elastic glass'' universality class

Selective UV radiation detection on the basis of low-dimensional ZnCdS/ZnMgS/GaP and ZnCdS/ZnS/GaP heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Averin, S. V., E-mail: sva278@ire216.msk.su; Kuznetzov, P. I.; Zhitov, V. A.; Zakharov, L. Yu.; Kotov, V. M.; Alkeev, N. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Fryazino Branch, Kotel’nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics (Russian Federation); Gladisheva, N. B. [Pulsar State Plant (Russian Federation)

2015-11-15

The detecting properties of periodic heterostructures with ZnCdS quantum wells separated by ZnMgS or ZnS barrier layers are studied. Heterostructures are grown on semi-insulating GaP substrates by metal organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). On their basis, metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) diodes with interdigital Schottky contacts 3 μm, distances between them of 3 μm, and a total detector area of 100 × 100 μm are fabricated. The detectors have low dark currents (10{sup –12} A); at low bias voltages, they provide a narrow- band response (full-width at half-maximum of FWHM = 18 nm at a wavelength of 350 nm) which is controlled by the ZnCdS quantum-well composition. As bias is increased to 70 V, the maximum detector sensitivity shifts by a wavelength of 450 nm, which is caused by penetration of the external-bias electric field into the semi-insulating GaP substrate. In this case, the narrow-band response of the detector at a wavelength of 350 nm is retained, i.e., the two-color detection of light is provided.

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-Tc superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zigang; Wang, Jiasu; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya; Wang, Suyu

2013-02-01

Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves.

Electronic Structure Evolution across the Peierls Metal-Insulator Transition in a Correlated Ferromagnet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. A. Bhobe

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Transition metal compounds often undergo spin-charge-orbital ordering due to strong electron-electron correlations. In contrast, low-dimensional materials can exhibit a Peierls transition arising from low-energy electron-phonon-coupling-induced structural instabilities. We study the electronic structure of the tunnel framework compound K_{2}Cr_{8}O_{16}, which exhibits a temperature-dependent (T-dependent paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic-metal transition at T_{C}=180  K and transforms into a ferromagnetic insulator below T_{MI}=95  K. We observe clear T-dependent dynamic valence (charge fluctuations from above T_{C} to T_{MI}, which effectively get pinned to an average nominal valence of Cr^{+3.75} (Cr^{4+}∶Cr^{3+} states in a 3∶1 ratio in the ferromagnetic-insulating phase. High-resolution laser photoemission shows a T-dependent BCS-type energy gap, with 2G(0∼3.5(k_{B}T_{MI}∼35  meV. First-principles band-structure calculations, using the experimentally estimated on-site Coulomb energy of U∼4  eV, establish the necessity of strong correlations and finite structural distortions for driving the metal-insulator transition. In spite of the strong correlations, the nonintegral occupancy (2.25 d-electrons/Cr and the half-metallic ferromagnetism in the t_{2g} up-spin band favor a low-energy Peierls metal-insulator transition.

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-T{sub c} superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Zigang, E-mail: zgdeng@gmail.com [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power (TPL), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, Jiasu [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power (TPL), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, Suyu [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory (ASCLab), Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2013-02-14

Highlights: ► Ferromagnetic materials guide the flux distribution of the PMG to bulk positions. ► With ferromagnetic materials, guidance performance can be enhanced greatly. ► A new HTS Maglev system with onboard ferromagnetic materials is designed. ► The design can meet large guidance force requirements for practical applications. -- Abstract: Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves.

Microstructure of (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs digital ferromagnetic heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, X.; Trampert, A.; Guo, X.X.; Kolovos-Vellianitis, D.; Daeweritz, L.; Ploog, K.H.

2005-01-01

We report on the microstructure of (Ga,Mn)As digital ferromagnetic heterostructures grown on GaAs (001) substrates by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy. The Mn concentration and the As 4 /Ga beam equivalent pressure (BEP) ratio are varied in the samples containing periods of Mn sheets separated by thin GaAs spacer layers. Transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that decreasing the Mn doping concentration and reducing the BEP ratio lead to smaller composition fluctuations of Mn and more homogeneous (Ga,Mn)As layers with abrupt interfaces. Planar defects are found as the dominant defect in these heterostructures and their density is related to the magnitude of the composition fluctuation. These defects show a noticeable anisotropy in the morphologic distribution parallel to the orthogonal [110] and [110] direction. Along the [110] direction, they are stacking faults, which are preferentially formed in V-shaped pairs and nucleate at the interfaces between (Ga,Mn)As and GaAs layers. Along the [110] direction, the planar defects are isolated thin twin lamellae. The character of the planar defects and their configuration are analyzed in detail

Reentrant Superspin Glass Phase in a La_{0.82}Ca_{0.18}MnO_{3} Ferromagnetic Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Anil Kumar

2014-03-01

Full Text Available We report results of the magnetization and ac susceptibility measurements down to very low fields on a single crystal of the perovskite manganite, La_{0.82}Ca_{0.18}MnO_{3}. This composition falls in the intriguing ferromagnetic insulator region of the manganite phase diagram. In contrast to earlier beliefs, our investigations reveal that magnetically (and in every other sense, this is a single-phase system with a ferromagnetic ordering temperature of around 170 K. However, this ferromagnetic state is magnetically frustrated, and the system exhibits pronounced glassy dynamics below 90 K. Based on measured dynamical properties, we propose that this quasi-long-ranged ferromagnetic phase, and the associated superspin glass behavior, is the true magnetic state of the system, rather than being a macroscopic mixture of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, as often suggested. Our results provide an understanding of the quantum phase transition from an antiferromagnetic insulator to a ferromagnetic metal via this ferromagnetic insulating state as a function of x in La_{1−x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3}, in terms of the possible formation of magnetic polarons.

Unusual metal-insulator transition in disordered ferromagnetic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muttalib, K.A.; Wölfle, P.; Misra, R.; Hebard, A.F.

2012-01-01

We present a theoretical interpretation of recent data on the conductance near and farther away from the metal-insulator transition in thin ferromagnetic Gd films of thickness b≈2-10 nm. For increasing sheet resistances a dimensional crossover takes place from d=2 to d=3 dimensions, since the large phase relaxation rate caused by scattering of quasiparticles off spin wave excitations renders the dephasing length L φ ≲b at strong disorder. The conductivity data in the various regimes obey fractional power-law or logarithmic temperature dependence. One observes weak localization and interaction induced corrections at weaker disorder. At strong disorder, near the metal-insulator transition, the data show scaling and collapse onto two scaling curves for the metallic and insulating regimes. We interpret this unusual behavior as proof of two distinctly different correlation length exponents on both sides of the transition.

Two-dimensional Semiconductor-Superconductor Hybrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suominen, Henri Juhani

This thesis investigates hybrid two-dimensional semiconductor-superconductor (Sm-S) devices and presents a new material platform exhibiting intimate Sm-S coupling straight out of the box. Starting with the conventional approach, we investigate coupling superconductors to buried quantum well....... To overcome these issues we integrate the superconductor directly into the semiconducting material growth stack, depositing it in-situ in a molecular beam epitaxy system under high vacuum. We present a number of experiments on these hybrid heterostructures, demonstrating near unity interface transparency...

Ferromagnetic resonance study of sputtered NiFe/V/NiFe heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alayo, W., E-mail: willian.rodriguez@ufpel.edu.br [Departamento de Física – IFM, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, 96010-900 Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Pelegrini, F. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 74001-970 (Brazil); Baggio-Saitovitch, E. [Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-180 (Brazil)

2015-03-01

The Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19}/V/Ni{sub 81}Fe{sub 19} heterostructures has been produced by magnetron sputtering and analyzed by ferromagnetic resonance. Two systems were investigated: the non symmetrical NiFe(50 Å)/V(t)/NiFe(30 Å) trilayers and the symmetrical NiFe(80 Å)/V(t)/NiFe(80 Å) trilayers, with variable ultrathin V thickness t. Ferromagnetic exchange coupling was evidenced for t below 10 Å by the excitation of the optic mode, in the case of the non symmetrical samples, and by the observation of a single resonance mode for the symmetrical trilayers. For larger V thickness, all samples exhibited two modes, which were attributed to the resonance of the individual NiFe layers with different effective magnetizations. The analysis with the equilibrium and resonance conditions provided the exchange coupling constants and effective magnetizations. - Highlights: • We present a study of symmetrical and non symmetrical NiFe/V/NiFe trilayers deposited on Si single crystals by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) at room temperature. • For the non symmetrical trilayers, the FMR spectra show the optic and acoustic modes for samples with very thin V layer thicknesses, evidencing ferromagnetic exchange coupling, whereas, for larger V thickness, the spectra exhibited two well resolved modes associated to each independent NiFe layer. For the symmetrical trilayers, strong ferromagnetic exchange coupling is evidenced by the observation of a single resonance mode. • The analysis with the equilibrium condition and dispersion relation provides the exchange coupling constants and effective magnetizations.

Charge transport in 2DEG/s-wave superconductor junction with Dresselhaus-type spin-orbit coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawa, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.

2007-01-01

We study spin-dependent charge transport in superconducting junctions. We consider ballistic two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG)/s-wave superconductor junctions with Dresselhaus-type spin-orbit coupling (DSOC). We calculate the conductance normalized by that in the normal state of superconductor in order to study the effect of DSOC in 2DEG on conductance, changing the height of insulating barrier. We find the DSOC suppresses the conductance for low insulating barrier, while it can slightly enhance the conductance for high insulating barrier. It has a reentrant dependence on DSOC for middle strength insulating barrier. The effect of DSOC is weaken as the insulating barrier becomes high

The Origin of Tc Enhancement in Heterostructure Cuprate Superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doron L. Bergman

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Recent experiments on heterostructures composed of two or more films of cuprate superconductors of different oxygen doping levels have shown a remarkable Tc enhancement (up to 50% relative to single compound films. We provide a simple explanation of the enhancement which arises naturally from a collection of experimental works. We show that the enhancement could be caused by a structural change in the lattice, namely an increase in the distance of the apical oxygen from the copper-oxygen plane. This increase modifies the effective off-site interaction in the plane which in turn enhances the d-wave superconductivity order parameter. To illustrate this point we study the extended Hubbard model using the fluctuation exchange approximation.

arXiv Gauge Topological Nature of the Superconductor-Insulator Transition

CERN Document Server

Diamantini, M.C.; Lukyanchuk, I.; Vinokur, V.M.

It has long been believed that, at absolute zero, electrons can form only one quantum coherent state, a superconductor. Yet, several two dimensional superconducting systems were found to harbor the superinsulating state with infinite resistance, a mirror image of superconductivity, and a metallic state often referred to as Bose metal, characterized by finite longitudinal and vanishing Hall resistances. The nature of these novel and mysterious quantum coherent states is the subject of intense study.Here, we propose a topological gauge description of the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) that enables us to identify the underlying mechanism of superinsulation as Polyakov's linear confinement of Cooper pairs via instantons. We find a criterion defining conditions for either a direct SIT or for the SIT via the intermediate Bose metal and demonstrate that this Bose metal phase is a Mott topological insulator in which the Cooper pair-vortex liquid is frozen by Aharonov-Bohm interactions.

Pb5Bi24Se41: A new member of the homologous series forming topological insulator heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segawa, Kouji; Taskin, A.A.; Ando, Yoichi

2015-01-01

We have synthesized Pb 5 Bi 24 Se 41 , which is a new member of the (PbSe) 5 (Bi 2 Se 3 ) 3m homologous series with m=4. This series of compounds consist of alternating layers of the topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 and the ordinary insulator PbSe. Such a naturally-formed heterostructure has recently been elucidated to give rise to peculiar quasi-two-dimensional topological states throughout the bulk, and the discovery of Pb 5 Bi 24 Se 41 expands the tunability of the topological states in this interesting homologous series. The trend in the resistivity anisotropy in this homologous series suggests an important role of hybridization of the topological states in the out-of-plane transport. - Graphical abstract: X-ray diffraction profiles taken on cleaved surfaces of single-crystal samples of the (PbSe) 5 (Bi 2 Se 3 ) 3m homologous series with various m values up to 4, which realizes topological insulator heterostructures. Schematic crystal structure of the new phase, m=4, is also shown. - Highlights: • We have synthesized a new member of the homologous series related to topological insulators. • In this compound, a heterostructure of topological and ordinary insulators naturally forms. • Resistivity anisotropy suggests an important role of hybridization of the topological states. • This compound expands the tunability of the topological states via chemical means

Voltage-controlled ferromagnetism and magnetoresistance in LaCoO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Chengqing; Park, Keun Woo; Yu, Edward T. [Microelectronics Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Rd., Austin, Texas 78758 (United States); Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A. [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1600, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Jordan-Sweet, Jean L. [IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States)

2013-11-14

A LaCoO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} heterostructure grown on Si (001) is shown to provide electrically switchable ferromagnetism, a large, electrically tunable magnetoresistance, and a vehicle for achieving and probing electrical control over ferromagnetic behavior at submicron dimensions. Fabrication of devices in a field-effect transistor geometry enables application of a gate bias voltage that modulates strain in the heterostructure via the converse piezoelectric effect in SrTiO{sub 3}, leading to an artificial inverse magnetoelectric effect arising from the dependence of ferromagnetism in the LaCoO{sub 3} layer on strain. Below the Curie temperature of the LaCoO{sub 3} layer, this effect leads to modulation of resistance in LaCoO{sub 3} as large as 100%, and magnetoresistance as high as 80%, both of which arise from carrier scattering at ferromagnetic-nonmagnetic interfaces in LaCoO{sub 3}. Finite-element numerical modeling of electric field distributions is used to explain the dependence of carrier transport behavior on gate contact geometry, and a Valet-Fert transport model enables determination of spin polarization in the LaCoO{sub 3} layer. Piezoresponse force microscopy is used to confirm the existence of piezoelectric response in SrTiO{sub 3} grown on Si (001). It is also shown that this structure offers the possibility of achieving exclusive-NOR logic functionality within a single device.

Theory of strain-controlled magnetotransport and stabilization of the ferromagnetic insulating phase in manganite thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Anamitra; Cole, William S; Woodward, Patrick; Randeria, Mohit; Trivedi, Nandini

2013-04-12

We show that applying strain on half-doped manganites makes it possible to tune the system to the proximity of a metal-insulator transition and thereby generate a colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) response. This phase competition not only allows control of CMR in ferromagnetic metallic manganites but can be used to generate CMR response in otherwise robust insulators at half-doping. Further, from our realistic microscopic model of strain and magnetotransport calculations within the Kubo formalism, we demonstrate a striking result of strain engineering that, under tensile strain, a ferromagnetic charge-ordered insulator, previously inaccessible to experiments, becomes stable.

Spin supercurrent in Josephson contacts with noncollinear ferromagnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shomali, Zahra; Zareyan, Malek; Belzig, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

We present a theoretical study of the Josephson coupling of two superconductors that are connected through a diffusive contact consisting of noncollinear ferromagnetic domains. The leads are conventional s-wave superconductors with a phase difference of ψ. Firstly, we consider a contact with two domains with magnetization vectors misoriented by an angle θ. Using the quantum circuit theory, we found that in addition to the charge supercurrent, which shows a 0-π transition relative to the angle θ, a spin supercurrent with a spin polarization normal to the magnetization vectors flows between the domains. While the charge supercurrent is odd in ψ and even in θ, the spin supercurrent is even in ψ and odd in θ. Furthermore, with asymmetric insulating barriers at the interfaces of the junction, the system may experience an antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition for ψ=π. Secondly, we discuss the spin supercurrent in an extended magnetic texture with multiple domain walls. We find the position-dependent spin supercurrent. While the direction of the spin supercurrent is always perpendicular to the plane of the magnetization vectors, the magnitude of the spin supercurrent strongly depends on the phase difference between the superconductors and the number of domain walls. In particular, our results reveal the high sensitivity of spin- and charge-transport in the junction to the number of domain walls in the ferromagnet. We show that superconductivity in coexistence with noncollinear magnetism can be used in a Josephson nanodevice to create a controllable spin supercurrent acting as a spin transfer torque on a system. Our results demonstrate the possibility of coupling the superconducting phase to the magnetization dynamics and, hence, constituting a quantum interface, for example between the magnetization and a superconducting qubit.

Probing odd-triplet contributions to the long-ranged proximity effect by scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diesch, Simon; Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang; Scheer, Elke [Universitaet Konstanz, Konstanz (Germany); Suergers, Christoph; Beckmann, Detlef [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2015-07-01

In conventional superconductors, electrons are bound in singlet Cooper pairs, i.e. with opposite spin. More recently, experiments on superconductor-ferromagnet-systems have shown Cooper pairs tunneling through ferromagnetic layers, indicating Cooper pairs of equal spin, thus corresponding to a long-range triplet proximity effect. Most experimental evidence for triplet superconductivity comes from observations of the thickness dependence of the Josephson current through a ferromagnetic barrier, but there is an increasing interest in obtaining direct spectroscopic evidence. This project aims at analyzing the electronic density of states of a thin diffusive normal metal layer (Ag) coupled to a superconductor (Al) across a ferromagnetic insulator (EuS) using a scanning tunneling microscope in spectroscopy mode at 280 mK. For this purpose, we fabricated EuS films of different thicknesses and acquired spectroscopic data at different magnetic fields. We observe significant broadening of the superconductive energy gap and a variety of sub-gap structures including zero-bias conductance peaks induced by the presence of the ferromagnet.

Magnons coherent transmission and its heat transport at ultrathin insulating ferromagnetic nanojunctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghantous M. Abou

2012-06-01

Full Text Available A model calculation is presented for the magnons coherent transmission and corresponding heat transport at magnetic insulating nanojunctions. The system consists of a ferromagnetically ordered ultrathin insulating junction between two semi-infinite ferromagnetically ordered leads. Spin dynamics are analyzed using the equations of motion for the spin precession displacements, valid for the range of temperatures of interest. Coherent scattering cross-sections at the junction boundary are calculated using the phase field matching theory, for all the incidence angles on the boundary from the lead bands, for arbitrary angles of incidence, at variable temperatures, and for different nano thicknesses of the ultrathin junction. The model is general; it is applied in particular to the Fe/Gd/Fe system with a sandwiched ferromagnetic Gd junction. It yields also the thermal conductivity due to the magnons coherent transmission between the two leads when these are maintained at slightly different temperatures. The calculation is carried out for state of the art values of the exchange constants, and elucidates the relation between the coherent scattering transmission of magnons and their thermal conductivity, for different thicknesses.

Fabrication of high quality GaAs-on-insulator via ion-cut of epitaxial GaAs/Ge heterostructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Yongwei; Zhang, Miao [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Deng, Chuang; Men, Chuanling [School of Energy and Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093 (China); Chen, Da [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Zhu, Lei; Yu, Wenjie; Wei, Xing [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Di, Zengfeng, E-mail: zfdi@mail.sim.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Wang, Xi [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • GaAs-on-insulator has been achieved by integrating of epitaxy, ion-cut and selective chemical etching. • Superior to the direct ion-cut of bulk GaAs layer with the H implantation fluence 2.0 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −2}, the fabrication of GaAs-on-insulator by the transfer of GaAs/Ge heterostructure only needs H implantation fluence as low as 0.8 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −2}. • The crystalline quality of the top GaAs layer of the final GaAs-on-insulator wafer is not affected by the implantation process and comparable to the as-grown status. - Abstract: Due to the extraordinary electron mobility, III–V compounds are considered as the ideal candidate channel materials for future electronic devices. In this study, a novel approach for the fabrication of high-crystalline quality GaAs-on-insulator has been proposed by integrating of ion-cut and selective chemical etching. GaAs layer with good crystalline quality has been epitaxially grown on Ge by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). With H implantation and wafer bonding process, the GaAs/Ge heterostructure is transferred onto silicon dioxide wafer after the proper thermal treatment. Superior to the direct ion-cut of GaAs layer, which requires the H implantation fluence as high as 2.0 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −2}, the transfer of GaAs/Ge heterostructure in the present study only needs the implantation of 0.8 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −2} H ions. GaAs-on-insulator structure was successfully achieved by the selective chemical etching of defective Ge layer using SF{sub 6} plasma. As the GaAs/Ge heterostructure can be easily epitaxy grown on silicon platform, the proposed approach for GaAs-on-insulator manufacturing is rather compatible with mature Si integrated circuits (ICs) technology and thus can be integrated to push the microelectronic technology to post-Si era.

Fabrication of high quality GaAs-on-insulator via ion-cut of epitaxial GaAs/Ge heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Yongwei; Zhang, Miao; Deng, Chuang; Men, Chuanling; Chen, Da; Zhu, Lei; Yu, Wenjie; Wei, Xing; Di, Zengfeng; Wang, Xi

2015-01-01

Highlights: • GaAs-on-insulator has been achieved by integrating of epitaxy, ion-cut and selective chemical etching. • Superior to the direct ion-cut of bulk GaAs layer with the H implantation fluence 2.0 × 10 17 cm −2 , the fabrication of GaAs-on-insulator by the transfer of GaAs/Ge heterostructure only needs H implantation fluence as low as 0.8 × 10 17 cm −2 . • The crystalline quality of the top GaAs layer of the final GaAs-on-insulator wafer is not affected by the implantation process and comparable to the as-grown status. - Abstract: Due to the extraordinary electron mobility, III–V compounds are considered as the ideal candidate channel materials for future electronic devices. In this study, a novel approach for the fabrication of high-crystalline quality GaAs-on-insulator has been proposed by integrating of ion-cut and selective chemical etching. GaAs layer with good crystalline quality has been epitaxially grown on Ge by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). With H implantation and wafer bonding process, the GaAs/Ge heterostructure is transferred onto silicon dioxide wafer after the proper thermal treatment. Superior to the direct ion-cut of GaAs layer, which requires the H implantation fluence as high as 2.0 × 10 17 cm −2 , the transfer of GaAs/Ge heterostructure in the present study only needs the implantation of 0.8 × 10 17 cm −2 H ions. GaAs-on-insulator structure was successfully achieved by the selective chemical etching of defective Ge layer using SF 6 plasma. As the GaAs/Ge heterostructure can be easily epitaxy grown on silicon platform, the proposed approach for GaAs-on-insulator manufacturing is rather compatible with mature Si integrated circuits (ICs) technology and thus can be integrated to push the microelectronic technology to post-Si era

Proximity coupling in superconductor-graphene heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gil-Ho; Lee, Hu-Jong

2018-05-01

This review discusses the electronic properties and the prospective research directions of superconductor-graphene heterostructures. The basic electronic properties of graphene are introduced to highlight the unique possibility of combining two seemingly unrelated physics, superconductivity and relativity. We then focus on graphene-based Josephson junctions, one of the most versatile superconducting quantum devices. The various theoretical methods that have been developed to describe graphene Josephson junctions are examined, together with their advantages and limitations, followed by a discussion on the advances in device fabrication and the relevant length scales. The phase-sensitive properties and phase-particle dynamics of graphene Josephson junctions are examined to provide an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of Josephson coupling via graphene. Thereafter, microscopic transport of correlated quasiparticles produced by Andreev reflections at superconducting interfaces and their phase-coherent behaviors are discussed. Quantum phase transitions studied with graphene as an electrostatically tunable 2D platform are reviewed. The interplay between proximity-induced superconductivity and the quantum-Hall phase is discussed as a possible route to study topological superconductivity and non-Abelian physics. Finally, a brief summary on the prospective future research directions is given.

Magnetic profiles in ferromagnetic/superconducting superlattices.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

te Velthuis, S. G. E.; Hoffmann, A.; Santamaria, J.; Materials Science Division; Univ. Complutense de Madrid

2007-02-28

The interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity has been of longstanding fundamental research interest to scientists, as the competition between these generally mutually exclusive types of long-range order gives rise to a rich variety of physical phenomena. A method of studying these exciting effects is by investigating artificially layered systems, i.e. alternating deposition of superconducting and ferromagnetic thin films on a substrate, which enables a straight-forward combination of the two types of long-range order and allows the study of how they compete at the interface over nanometer length scales. While originally studies focused on low temperature superconductors interchanged with metallic ferromagnets, in recent years the scope has broadened to include superlattices of high T{sub c} superconductors and colossal magnetoresistance oxides. Creating films where both the superconducting as well as the ferromagnetic layers are complex oxide materials with similar crystal structures (Figure 1), allows the creation of epitaxial superlattices, with potentially atomically flat and ordered interfaces.

Superconductor-Insulator transition in a single Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonin, E.B.; PenttilA, J.S.; Parts, O.; Hakonen, P.J.; Paalanen, M.A.

1999-01-01

For ultra small Josephson junctions, when quantum effects become important, dissipative phase transition (DPT) has been predicted. The physical origin of this transition is the suppression of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the phase by tile interaction with dissipative quantum-mechanical environment. Macroscopic quantum tunneling destroys superconductivity of a junction, whereas suppression of tunneling restores superconductivity. Hence, this transition is often called a superconductor-insulator transition (SIT). SIT was predicted for various systems, but its detection in a single Josephson junction is of principal importance since it is the simplest system where this transition is expected, without any risk of being masked by other physical processes, as is possible in more complicated systems like regular or' random Josephson junction arrays. In this Letter we present results of our measurements on R = dV/dI vs. I curves, for a variety of single small isolated Josephson junctions, shunted and un shunted, with different values of capacitance C and normal state tunneling resistance RT. We have detected a crossover. between two types of RI-curves with an essentially different behavior at small currents. On the basis of this crossover, we are able to map out the whole phase diagram for a Josephson junction. The position of the observed phase boundary did not agree with that expected from the original theory. However, the theory revised to take into account a finite accuracy of our voltage measurements (viz., the minimum voltage which we are able to detect), explains well the observed phase diagram. Our important conclusion is that the concept of dissipative phase transition (DPT) and superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) are not completely identical as assumed before. Both are accompanied by the sign change of the thermo resistance, which is traditionally considered as a signature of SIT. Thus any DPT is SIT, but not vice versa. We argue that the real signature

Theoretical studies of unconventional superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groensleth, Martin Sigurd

2008-07-01

This thesis presents four research papers. In the first three papers we have derived analytical results for the transport properties in unconventional superconductors and ferromagnetic systems with multiple broken symmetries. In Paper I and parts of Paper II we have studied tunneling transport between two non-unitary ferromagnetic spin-triplet superconductors, and found a novel interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity manifested in the Josephson effect as a spin- and charge-current in the absence of an applied voltage across the junction. The critical amplitudes of these currents can be adjusted by the relative magnetization direction on each side of the junction. Furthermore, in Paper II, we have found a way of controlling a spin-current between two ferromagnets with spin-orbit coupling. Paper III considers a junction consisting of a ferromagnet and a non-unitary ferromagnetic superconductor, and we show that the conductance spectra contains detailed information about the superconducting gaps and pairing symmetry of the Cooper-pairs. In the last paper we present a Monte Carlo study of an effective Hamiltonian describing orbital currents in the CuO2 layers of high-temperature superconductive cuprates. The model features two intrinsically anisotropic Ising models, coupled through an anisotropic next-nearest neighbor interaction, and an Ashkin-Teller nearest neighbor fourth order coupling. We have studied the specific heat anomaly, as well as the anomaly in the staggered magnetization associated with the orbital currents and its susceptibility. We have found that in a limited parameter regime, the specific heat anomaly is substantially suppressed, while the susceptibility has a non-analytical peak across the order-disorder transition. The model is therefore a candidate for describing the breakup of hidden order when crossing the pseudo-gap line on the under-doped side in the phase diagram of high-temperature superconductors. (Author) 64 refs., figs

Levitation properties of maglev systems using soft ferromagnets

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chen-Guang; Zhou, You-He

2015-03-01

Soft ferromagnets are widely used as flux-concentration materials in the design of guideways for superconducting magnetic levitation transport systems. In order to fully understand the influence of soft ferromagnets on the levitation performance, in this work we apply a numerical model based on the functional minimization method and the Bean’s critical state model to study the levitation properties of an infinitely long superconductor immersed in the magnetic field created by a guideway of different sets of infinitely long parallel permanent magnets with soft ferromagnets between them. The levitation force, guidance force, magnetic stiffness and magnetic pole density are calculated considering the coupling between the superconductor and soft ferromagnets. The results show that the levitation performance is closely associated with the permanent magnet configuration and with the location and dimension of the soft ferromagnets. Introducing the soft ferromagnet with a certain width in a few configurations always decreases the levitation force. However, for most configurations, the soft ferromagnets contribute to improve the levitation performance only when they have particular locations and dimensions in which the optimized location and thickness exist to increase the levitation force the most. Moreover, if the superconductor is laterally disturbed, the presence of soft ferromagnets can effectively improve the lateral stability for small lateral displacement and reduce the degradation of levitation force.

Thermal spin current generation and spin transport in Pt/magnetic-insulator/Py heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ching-Tzu; Safranski, Christopher; Krivorotov, Ilya; Sun, Jonathan

Magnetic insulators can transmit spin current via magnon propagation while blocking charge current. Furthermore, under Joule heating, magnon flow as a result of the spin Seeback effect can generate additional spin current. Incorporating magnetic insulators in a spin-orbit torque magnetoresistive memory device can potentially yield high switching efficiencies. Here we report the DC magneto-transport studies of these two effects in Pt/magnetic-insulator/Py heterostructures, using ferrimagnetic CoFexOy (CFO) and antiferromagnet NiO as the model magnetic insulators. We observe the presence and absence of the inverse spin-Hall signals from the thermal spin current in Pt/CFO/Py and Pt/NiO/Py structures. These results are consistent with our spin-torque FMR linewidths in comparison. We will also report investigations into the magnetic field-angle dependence of these observations.

Bias induced up to 100% spin-injection and detection polarizations in ferromagnet/bilayer-hBN/graphene/hBN heterostructures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gurram, Mallikarjuna; Omar, Siddharta; van Wees, Bart

2017-01-01

We study spin transport in a fully hBN encapsulated monolayer-graphene van der Waals heterostructure at room temperature. A top-layer of bilayer-hBN is used as a tunnel barrier for spin-injection and detection in graphene with ferromagnetic cobalt electrodes. We report surprisingly large and

Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Studies of the Mott Insulator to Superconductor Evolution in Ca2-xNaxCuO2Cl2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Kyle Michael

2005-09-02

It is widely believed that many of the exotic physical properties of the high-T{sub c} cuprate superconductors arise from the proximity of these materials to the strongly correlated, antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state. Therefore, one of the fundamental questions in the field of high-temperature superconductivity is to understand the insulator-to-superconductor transition and precisely how the electronic structure of Mott insulator evolves as the first holes are doped into the system. This dissertation presents high-resolution, doping dependent angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) studies of the cuprate superconductor Ca{sub 2-x}Na{sub x}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}, spanning from the undoped parent Mott insulator to a high-temperature superconductor with a T{sub c} of 22 K. A phenomenological model is proposed to explain how the spectral lineshape, the quasiparticle band dispersion, and the chemical potential all progress with doping in a logical and self-consistent framework. This model is based on Franck-Condon broadening observed in polaronic systems where strong electron-boson interactions cause the quasiparticle residue, Z, to be vanishingly small. Comparisons of the low-lying states to different electronic states in the valence band strongly suggest that the coupling of the photohole to the lattice (i.e. lattice polaron formation) is the dominant broadening mechanism for the lower Hubbard band states. Combining this polaronic framework with high-resolution ARPES measurements finally provides a resolution to the long-standing controversy over the behavior of the chemical potential in the high-T{sub c} cuprates. This scenario arises from replacing the conventional Fermi liquid quasiparticle interpretation of the features in the Mott insulator by a Franck-Condon model, allowing the reassignment of the position of the quasiparticle pole. As a function of hole doping, the chemical potential shifts smoothly into the valence band while spectral weight is transferred

Investigation of thin films, heterostructures and devices of ceramic superconductors by means of high-resolution electron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Chunlin.

1993-08-01

In this thesis a systematic study of the microstructure of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin films is presented by means of high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Most of the efforts are focused on the characterization of heterostructures of superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and non-superconducting PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films deposited on step-edge substrates. These specially designed structures exhibit a great potential for the electronic application of high-Tc superconductors and for the investigation of the basic electric properties of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 superconductor. (orig.) [de

Quantum corral effects on competing orders and electronic states in chiral d + id or f-wave superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Xian-Jun

2018-03-07

Self-consistent calculations are performed to characterize the quantum corral effects on the electronic states of chiral d + id or f-wave superconductors in this paper. A variety of spatial structures of competing orders are revealed in the presence of ferromagnetic nano-corrals, and superconducting islands are found to be absent in the case of small corrals while being seen for large corrals. Compared with the local suppression of superconductivity by a magnetic impurity inside the corral, surprisingly, an additional remarkable feature, i.e., obvious oscillations or enhancement of superconductivity around a non-magnetic impurity, is observed inside the magnetic corral. This is important in view of applications, especially in view of the demand for devices to locally produce strong superconductivity. Meanwhile, the charge density displays obvious modulations due to quantum confinement but in contrast, the spin density pattern exhibits its robustness against the corral effect. Furthermore, we explore the local density of states so as to be directly checked by experiments. We demonstrate that a magnetic corral can suppress the formation of quasi-particle bound states induced by an impurity inside the corral in the chiral d + id state while the f-wave case shows different behaviors. These results also propose a new route to make a distinction between the two competing pairing states in triangular-lattice superconductors.

Pseudo spin-valve behavior in oxide ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang, B.S.H.; Bell, C.; Tomov, R.I.; Durrell, J.H.; Blamire, M.G.

2005-01-01

La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 /YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ /La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 heterostructural devices with double coercivity have been fabricated. The superconducting critical current (I c ) and critical temperature in both parallel (P) and antiparallel (AP) magnetic configurations remained unchanged within our measurement limits. This observation is contrary to results obtained elsewhere using similar metallic systems. A pseudo spin-valve magnetoresistive (MR) characteristic was observed at bias current (I bias )∼I c at temperatures below the onset of superconductivity. The effect increased with decreasing temperature and I bias and can be explained using the assumption of the electron spin-charge separation

Interaction of ultra soft magnetic materials with the high-T{sub c} superconductor YBCO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahl, Claudia; Treiber, Sebastian; Schuetz, Gisela [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Walker, Patrick [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany)

2013-07-01

We have grown bilayers of optimally doped YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-δ} (YBCO) and ferromagnetic CoFeB on single-crystalline substrates by pulsed laser deposition and sputtering. These heterostructures are typically composed of about 100 nm YBCO and several 10 nm of CoFeB. Regarding the superconductor, the properties of the YBCO film change as a consequence of the vicinity of the ferromagnet. In detail we investigated the critical current density as a function of temperature, applied field and time as well as the transition temperature by SQUID magnetization measurements and quantitative magneto-optical measurements. The amorphous material CoFeB exhibits an in plane anisotropy and a very low coercivity. From magneto-optical images we find that the flux line lattice of the superconductor is mapped into the magnet and still visible as significant magnetic out-of-plane contrast at room temperature. We discuss this phenomenon as a new route to high-resolution mapping of the flux line distribution on a nanometer scale.

Temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetisation of ferromagnetic insulators: Does it obey the 3/2-5/2-β law?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuz'min, M.D.; Tishin, A.M.

2005-01-01

Temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetisation is analysed for three archetypal ferromagnetic insulators, EuS, EuO and CrBr 3 . The main point is the shape, rather than scale, of the curve M s (T). As far as the available data enable us to judge, this shape is adequately described by the simple ''3/2-5/2-β'' expression (m=[1-sτ 3/2 -(1-s)τ 5/2 ] β ), proposed previously for metallic ferromagnets, and depends on a single dimensionless parameter s. The lack of direct experimental data makes this conclusion a preliminary one. In order to resolve the question definitively, accurate magnetic measurements on single crystals are required as a matter of priority

Ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in heterostructures of electron doped europium monoxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stollenwerk, Tobias

2013-09-15

In the present work, we develop and solve a self-consistent theory for the description of the simultaneous ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in electron doped Europium monoxide. We investigate two different types of electron doping, Gadolinium impurities and Oxygen vacancies. Besides the conduction band occupation, we can identify low lying spin fluctuations on magnetic impurities as the driving force behind the doping induced enhancement of the Curie temperature. Moreover, we predict the signatures of these magnetic impurities in the spectra of scanning tunneling microscope experiments. By extending the theory to allow for inhomogeneities in one spatial direction, we are able to investigate thin films and heterostructures of Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide. Here, we are able to reproduce the experimentally observed decrease of the Curie temperature with the film thickness. This behavior is attributed to missing coupling partners of the localized 4f moments as well as to an electron depletion at the surface which leads to a reduction of the number of itinerant electrons. By investigating the influence of a metallic substrate onto the phase transition in Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide, we find that the Curie temperature can be increased up to 20%. However, as we show, the underlying mechanism of metal-interface induced charge carrier accumulation is inextricably connected to a suppression of the semiconductor-metal transition.

Ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in heterostructures of electron doped europium monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stollenwerk, Tobias

2013-09-01

In the present work, we develop and solve a self-consistent theory for the description of the simultaneous ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in electron doped Europium monoxide. We investigate two different types of electron doping, Gadolinium impurities and Oxygen vacancies. Besides the conduction band occupation, we can identify low lying spin fluctuations on magnetic impurities as the driving force behind the doping induced enhancement of the Curie temperature. Moreover, we predict the signatures of these magnetic impurities in the spectra of scanning tunneling microscope experiments. By extending the theory to allow for inhomogeneities in one spatial direction, we are able to investigate thin films and heterostructures of Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide. Here, we are able to reproduce the experimentally observed decrease of the Curie temperature with the film thickness. This behavior is attributed to missing coupling partners of the localized 4f moments as well as to an electron depletion at the surface which leads to a reduction of the number of itinerant electrons. By investigating the influence of a metallic substrate onto the phase transition in Gadolinium doped Europium monoxide, we find that the Curie temperature can be increased up to 20%. However, as we show, the underlying mechanism of metal-interface induced charge carrier accumulation is inextricably connected to a suppression of the semiconductor-metal transition.

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolowski-Tinten, K; Shen, X; Zheng, Q; Chase, T; Coffee, R; Jerman, M; Li, R K; Ligges, M; Makasyuk, I; Mo, M; Reid, A H; Rethfeld, B; Vecchione, T; Weathersby, S P; Dürr, H A; Wang, X J

2017-09-01

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels.

Dynamical Conductivity across the Disorder-Tuned Superconductor-Insulator Transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mason Swanson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We calculate the dynamical conductivity σ(ω and the bosonic (pair spectral function P(ω from quantum Monte Carlo simulations across clean and disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transitions (SITs. We identify characteristic energy scales in the superconducting and insulating phases that vanish at the transition due to enhanced quantum fluctuations, despite the persistence of a robust fermionic gap across the SIT. Disorder leads to enhanced absorption in σ(ω at low frequencies compared to the SIT in a clean system. Disorder also expands the quantum critical region, due to a change in the universality class, with an underlying T=0 critical point with a universal low-frequency conductivity σ^{*}≃0.5(4e^{2}/h.

EDITORIAL: Focus on Iron-Based Superconductors FOCUS ON IRON-BASED SUPERCONDUCTORS

Science.gov (United States)

Hosono, Hideo; Ren, Zhi-An

2009-02-01

Superconductivity is the most dramatic and clear cut phenomenon in condensed matter physics. Realization of room temperature superconductors, which would lead to the revolution of our society, is an ultimate goal for researchers. The discovery of high Tc cuprate superconductors in 1986 by Bednorz and Müller triggered intensive research worldwide and the maximum critical temperature has been raised above 100 K. Scientific research on this break-through material clarified a new route to high Tc materials, carrier doping to a Mott insulator with anti-ferromagnetic ordering. High superconductivity occurs in the neighborhood of Mott-insulators and Fermi-metals. Such a view, which was completely new, now stands as a guiding principle for exploring new high Tc materials. Many theoretical approaches to the mechanism for cuprate superconductors have been carried out to understand this unexpected material and to predict new high Tc materials. In 2006 a new superconductor based on iron, LaFeOP, was discovered by a group at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Iron, as a ferromagnet, was believed to be the last element for the realization of superconductivity because of the way ferromagnetism competes against Cooper pair formation. Unexpectedly, however, the critical temperature remained at 4-6 K irrespective of hole/electron-doping. A large increase in the Tc to 26 K was then found in LaFe[O1-xFx]As by the same group (and was published on 23 February 2008, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society). The Tc of this material was further raised to 43 K under a pressure of 2 GPa and scientists in China then achieved a Tc of 56 K at ambient pressure by replacing La with other rare earth ions with smaller radius—a critical temperature that is second only to the high Tc cuprates. This fast progress has revitalized research within superconductivity and in 2008 there were more than seven international symposia specifically on Fe(Ni)-based superconductors. Through the rapid

Spin current and spin transfer torque in ferromagnet/superconductor spin valves

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, Evan; Valls, Oriol T.

2018-05-01

Using fully self-consistent methods, we study spin transport in fabricable spin valve systems consisting of two magnetic layers, a superconducting layer, and a spacer normal layer between the ferromagnets. Our methods ensure that the proper relations between spin current gradients and spin transfer torques are satisfied. We present results as a function of geometrical parameters, interfacial barrier values, misalignment angle between the ferromagnets, and bias voltage. Our main results are for the spin current and spin accumulation as functions of position within the spin valve structure. We see precession of the spin current about the exchange fields within the ferromagnets, and penetration of the spin current into the superconductor for biases greater than the critical bias, defined in the text. The spin accumulation exhibits oscillating behavior in the normal metal, with a strong dependence on the physical parameters both as to the structure and formation of the peaks. We also study the bias dependence of the spatially averaged spin transfer torque and spin accumulation. We examine the critical-bias effect of these quantities, and their dependence on the physical parameters. Our results are predictive of the outcome of future experiments, as they take into account imperfect interfaces and a realistic geometry.

Single ferromagnetic fluctuations in UCoGe revealed by 73Ge- and 59Co-NMR studies

Science.gov (United States)

Manago, Masahiro; Ishida, Kenji; Aoki, Dai

2018-02-01

73Ge and 59Co nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements have been performed on a 73Ge-enriched single-crystalline sample of the ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe in the paramagnetic state. The 73Ge NQR parameters deduced from NQR and NMR are close to those of another isostructural ferromagnetic superconductor URhGe. The Knight shifts of the Ge and Co sites are well scaled to each other when the magnetic field is parallel to the b or c axis. The hyperfine coupling constants of Ge are estimated to be close to those of Co. The large difference of spin susceptibilities between the a and b axes could lead to the different response of the superconductivity and ferromagnetism with the field parallel to these directions. The temperature dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates 1 /T1 at the two sites is similar to each other above 5 K. These results indicate that the itinerant U-5 f electrons are responsible for the ferromagnetism in this compound, consistent with previous studies. The similarities and differences in the three ferromagnetic superconductors are discussed.

Ba2NiOsO6 : A Dirac-Mott insulator with ferromagnetism near 100 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Hai L.; Calder, Stuart

2016-01-01

In this study, the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ba 2 NiOsO 6 (T mag ~ 100 K) was synthesized at 6 GPa and 1500 °C. It crystallizes into a double perovskite structure [Fm - 3m; a = 8.0428 (1) Å], where the Ni 2+ and Os 6+ ions are perfectly ordered at the perovskite B site. We show that the spin-orbit coupling of Os 6+ plays an essential role in opening the charge gap. The magnetic state was investigated by density functional theory calculations and powder neutron diffraction. The latter revealed a collinear ferromagnetic order in a > 21 kOe magnetic field at 5 K. The ferromagnetic gapped state is fundamentally different from that of known dilute magnetic semiconductors such as (Ga,Mn)As and (Cd,Mn)Te (T mag < 180 K), the spin-gapless semiconductor Mn 2 CoAl (T mag ~ 720 K), and the ferromagnetic insulators EuO (T mag ~ 70 K) and Bi 3 Cr 3 O 11 (T mag ~ 220 K). It is also qualitatively different from known ferrimagnetic insulators and semiconductors, which are characterized by an antiparallel spin arrangement. Our finding of the ferromagnetic semiconductivity of Ba 2 NiOsO 6 should increase interest in the platinum group oxides, because this alternative class of materials should be useful in the development of spintronic, quantum magnetic, and related devices.

Magnetic and Transport Properties of Heterostructured Films of Prussian Blue Analogues and Manganites

Science.gov (United States)

Quintero, P. A.; Jeen, H.; Knowles, E. S.; Biswas, A.; Meisel, M. W.; Andrus, M. J.; Talham, D. R.

2011-03-01

The magnetic and transport properties of heterostructured films consisting of Prussian blue analogues, Aj M' k [M(CN)6 ]l . n H2 O (M' M-PBA), where A is an alkali ion and M' ,M are transition metals, and manganites have been studied. Specifically, NiCr-PBA and CoFe-PBA films of ~ 100 ~nm thickness have been deposited on perovskite (La 1-y Pr y)0.67 Ca 0.33 Mn O3 (LPCMO) manganese films of ~ 30 ~nm thickness. The effect of the ferromagnetic NiCr-PBA, Tc ~ 70 ~K, and the photo-controllable ferrimagnetic CoFe-PBA, Tc ~ 20 ~K, on the I-V properties of the LPCMO will be reported, where special attention will be given to the changes of the transition temperatures of the ferromagnetic metallic (FMM) and the charge-ordered insulating (COI) phases in the LPCMO substrate. ** Supported by NSF DMR-0701400 (MWM), DMR-0804452 (AB), DMR-1005581 (DRT), DMR-0654118 (NHMFL), and by scholarship from the Organization of American States (PAQ). D.M.~Pajerowski et al., J.~Am.~Chem. Soc. 132 (2010) 4058.

Upper critical field and vortices in S/F bilayers exhibiting the quasi-onedimensional FFLO-like state

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lenk, Daniel; Hemmida, Mamoun; Kehrle, Jan; Zdravkov, Vladimir I.; Ullrich, Aladin; Obermeier, Guenther; Mueller, Claus; Loidl, Alois; Krug von Nidda, Hans-Albrecht; Horn, Siegfried; Tidecks, Reinhard [Institut fuer Physik, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany); Morari, Roman [Institut fuer Physik, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany); D. Ghitsu Institute of Electronic Engineering and Nanotechnologies ASM, Kishinev (Moldova, Republic of); Sidorenko, Anatolie S. [D. Ghitsu Institute of Electronic Engineering and Nanotechnologies ASM, Kishinev (Moldova, Republic of); Tagirov, Lenar [Institut fuer Physik, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany); Solid State Physics Department, Kazan Federal University (Russian Federation)

2015-07-01

We investigate the temperature dependence of the upper critical field, B{sub c2}, in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) bilayers as a function of the F-layer thickness, d{sub F}, by resistance measurements. We extracted GL coherence lengths and estimated an effective thickness of the superconducting layer by evaluating the perpendicular coherence length at the 3D-2D crossover temperature in the parallel B{sub c2}. We found an unexpected non-monotonous behavior of the effective thickness as a function of d{sub F}. Moreover, we investigated the anisotropy of B{sub c2} by microwave absorption. The results show a deviation from Tinkham's prediction for thin films, which we attribute to the additional anisotropy induced by the quasi-1D FFLO-like state. Thus, we propose a new type of vortex, developing in the S/F bilayer in magnetic fields applied close to parallel.

La2/3Sr1/3MnO3-La0.1Bi0.9MnO3 heterostructures for spin filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Gajek, M.; Bibes, M.; Varela, M.; Fontcuberta, J.; Herranz, G.; Fusil, S.; Bouzehouane, K.; Barthélémy, A.; Fert, A.

2006-04-01

We have grown heterostructures associating half-metallic La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) bottom electrodes and ferromagnetic La0.1Bi0.9MnO3 (LBMO) tunnel barriers. The layers in the heterostructures have good structural properties and top LBMO films (4 nm thick) have a very low roughness when deposited onto LSMO/SrTiO3(1.6 nm) templates. The LBMO films show an insulating behavior and a ferromagnetic character that are both preserved down to very low thicknesses. They are thus suitable for being used as tunnel barriers. Spin-dependent transport measurements performed on tunnel junctions defined from LSMO/SrTiO3/LBMO/Au samples show a magnetoresistance of up to ~90% at low temperature and bias. This evidences a spin-filtering effect by the LBMO layer, with a spin-filtering efficiency of ~35%.

Neutron-scattering studies of magnetic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, S.K.; Crabtree, G.W.; Hinks, D.G.; Mook, H.A.; Pringle, O.A.

1982-01-01

Results obtained in the last few years obtained by neutron diffraction on the nature of the magnetic ordering in magnetic superconductors are reviewed. Emphasis is given to studies of the complex intermediate phase in ferromagnetic superconductors where both superconductivity and ferromagnetism appear to coexist

Efficient charge-spin conversion and magnetization switching through the Rashba effect at topological-insulator/Ag interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Shuyuan; Wang, Aizhu; Wang, Yi; Ramaswamy, Rajagopalan; Shen, Lei; Moon, Jisoo; Zhu, Dapeng; Yu, Jiawei; Oh, Seongshik; Feng, Yuanping; Yang, Hyunsoo

2018-01-01

We report the observation of efficient charge-to-spin conversion in the three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) B i2S e3 and Ag bilayer by the spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance technique. The spin-orbit-torque ratio in the B i2S e3/Ag /CoFeB heterostructure shows a significant enhancement as the Ag thickness increases to ˜2 nm and reaches a value of 0.5 for 5 nm Ag, which is ˜3 times higher than that of B i2S e3/CoFeB at room temperature. The observation reveals the interfacial effect of B i2S e3/Ag exceeds that of the topological surface states (TSSs) in the B i2S e3 layer and plays a dominant role in the charge-to-spin conversion in the B i2S e3/Ag /CoFeB system. Based on first-principles calculations, we attribute our observation to the large Rashba splitting bands which wrap the TSS band and have the same net spin polarization direction as the TSS of B i2S e3 . Subsequently, we demonstrate Rashba-induced magnetization switching in B i2S e3/Ag /Py with a low current density of 5.8 ×105A /c m2 .

Topological properties and correlation effects in oxide heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Satoshi

2015-03-01

Transition-metal oxides (TMOs) have long been one of the main subjects of material science because of their novel functionalities such as high-Tc superconductivity in cuprates and the colossal magnetoresistance effect in manganites. In recent years, we have seen tremendous developments in thin film growth techniques with the atomic precision, resulting in the discovery of a variety of electronic states in TMO heterostructures. These developments motivate us to explore the possibility of novel quantum states of matter such as topological insulators (TIs) in TMO heterostructures. In this talk, I will present our systematic theoretical study on unprecedented electronic states in TMO heterostructures. An extremely simple but crucial observation is that, when grown along the [111] crystallographic axis, bilayers of perovskite TMOs form buckled honeycomb lattices of transition-metal ions, similar to graphene. Thus, with the relativistic spin-orbit coupling and proper band filling, two-dimensional TI states or spin Hall insulators are anticipated. Based on tight-binding modeling and density-functional theory calculations, possible candidate materials for TIs are identified. By means of the dynamical-mean-field theory and a slave-boson mean field theory, correlation effects, characteristics of TMOs, are also examined. I will further discuss future prospects in topological phenomena in TMO heterostructures and related systems. The author thanks D. Xiao, W. Zhu, Y. Ran, R. Arita, Y. Nomura and N. Nagaosa for their fruitful discussions and collaboration. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

Exotic topological insulator states and topological phase transitions in Sb2Se3-Bi2Se3 heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qianfan

2012-03-27

Topological insulator is a new state of matter attracting tremendous interest due to its gapless linear dispersion and spin momentum locking topological states located near the surface. Heterostructures, which have traditionally been powerful in controlling the electronic properties of semiconductor devices, are interesting for topological insulators. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of the topological state in Sb 2Se 3-Bi 2Se 3 heterostructures by first-principle simulation and discovered that an exotic topological state exists. Surprisingly, the state migrates from the nontrivial Bi 2Se 3 into the trivial Sb 2Se 3 region and spreads across the entire Sb 2Se 3 slab, extending beyond the concept of "surface" state while preserving all of the topological surface state characteristics. This unusual topological state arises from the coupling between different materials and the modification of electronic structure near Fermi energy. Our study demonstrates that heterostructures can open up opportunities for controlling the real-space distribution of the topological state and inducing quantum phase transitions between topologically trivial and nontrivial states. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Composition and strain effects in Type I and Type II heterostructure ZnSe/Cd(Zn)S and ZnSe/Cd1-xZnxS core/shell quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Gheshlaghi, Negar; Pisheh, Hadi Sedaghat; Ünlü, Hilmi

2017-11-01

We investigated the effect of ternary shell alloy composition on the bandgap and diameter of core of ZnSe / Cd1 - x Znx S heterostructure core/shell quantum dots, which were synthesized by using a simple colloidal technique. Characterization by using the x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopic techniques indicate that (i) there is a transition of ZnSe / Cd0.6 Zn0.4 S Type-I heterostructure (electrons and holes tend to localize in core) to ZnSe / Cd0.75 Zn0.25 S quasi-Type-II heterostructures (holes tend to localized in the core and electrons are delocalized) and (ii) then after large red shift and Stock-shift in PL emission spectra but not a distinct absorption peak in UV spectra become noticeable in ZnSe/Cd0.75Zn0.25 S quasi-Type II and ZnSe/CdS Type II heterostructures (electrons are localized in core and holes are localized in shell). Furthermore, the increase of Cd:S ratio in shell alloy composition shifts the XRD peaks to lower 2θ degrees which corresponds to tensile strain in the ZnSe core. Finally, the hydrostatic interfacial strain has effect on the squeezing or stretching the capped core: A decrease of compressive force on core from ZnSe/ZnS to tensile force in ZnSe/CdS with increase in Cd:S ratio indicates that transition of compressive strain to tensile strain takes place with the transition from Type-I to II heterostructure.

Superconductor-insulator transitions in 2D: the experimental situation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markovic, N.; Christiansen, C.; Mack, A.; Goldman, A.M.

2000-01-01

Superconductor-insulator (SI) transitions in ultrathin films have attracted significant attention over the last decade because of the possibility that they are quantum phase transitions. Magnetic field, film thickness, or carrier concentration can be used as control parameters. The bosonic pictures of these transitions proposed some years ago are only in qualitative agreement with experiment. In particular, the critical resistance appears not to be universal, and there are variations in the values of critical exponents. It has been concluded that in real films fermionic degrees of freedom must be taken into account. There are also indications that the phase diagram may include a significant metallic phase separating the superconducting and insulating phases, and that the transition may have a significant percolative aspect. The experimental situation will be broadly reviewed with attention paid to issues relating to materials and measurements. (orig.)

Superconductors with excess quasiparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elesin, V.F.; Kopaev, Y.V.

1981-01-01

This review presents a systematic kinetic theory of nonequilibrium phenomena in superconductors with excess quasiparticles created by electromagnetic or tunnel injection. The energy distributions of excess quasiparticles and of nonequilibrium phonons, dependence of the order parameter on the power and frequency (or intensity) of the electromagnetic field, magnetic properties of nonequilibrium superconductors, I-V curves of superconductor-insulator-superconductor junctions, and other properties are described in detail. The stability of superconducting states far from thermodynamic equilibrium is investigated and it is shown that characteristic instabilities leading to the formation of nonuniform states of a new type or phase transitions of the first kind are inherent to superconductors with excess quasiparticles. The results are compared with experimental data

Gate-voltage control of equal-spin Andreev reflection in half-metal/semiconductor/superconductor junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Xiuqiang, E-mail: xianqiangzhe@126.com [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Meng, Hao, E-mail: menghao1982@shu.edu.cn [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001 (China)

2016-04-22

With the Blonder–Tinkham–Klapwijk (BTK) approach, we investigate conductance spectrum in Ferromagnet/Semiconductor/Superconductor (FM/Sm/SC) double tunnel junctions where strong Rashba spin–orbit interaction (RSOI) is taken into account in semiconductors. For the half-metal limit, we find that the in-gap conductance becomes finite except at zero voltage when inserting a ferromagnetic insulator (FI) at the Sm/SC interface, which means that the appearance of a long-range triplet states in the half-metal. This is because of the emergence of the unconventional equal-spin Andreev reflection (ESAR). When the FI locates at the FM/Sm interface, however, we find the vanishing in-gap conductance due to the absence of the ESAR. Moreover, the non-zero in-gap conductance shows a nonmonotonic dependence on RSOI which can be controlled by applying an external gate voltage. Our results can be used to generate and manipulate the long-range spin triplet correlation in the nascent field of superconducting spintronics. - Highlights: • We study the equal-spin Andreev reflection in half-metal/semiconductor/superconductor (HM/Sm/SC) junctions. • The equal-spin Andreev reflection appearance when inserting a ferromagnetic insulator at the Sm/SC interface. • The finite in-gap conductance is attributed to the emergence of the equal-spin Andreev reflection. • The finite in-gap conductance shows a nonmonotonic dependence on Rashba spin–orbit interaction. • The finite in-gap conductance can be controlled by applying an external gate voltage.

Similarities between normal- and super-currents in topological insulator magnetic tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soodchomshom, Bumned; Chantngarm, Peerasak

2010-01-01

This work compares the normal-current in a NM/Fi/NM junction with the super-current in a SC/Fi/SC junction, where both are topological insulator systems. NM and Fi are normal region and ferromagnetic region of thickness d with exchange energy m playing a role of the mass of the Dirac electrons and with the gate voltage V G , respectively. SC is superconducting region induced by a s-wave superconductor. We show that, interestingly, the critical super-current passing through a SC/Fi/SC junction behaves quite similar to the normal-current passing through a NM/Fi/NM junction. The normal-current and super-current exhibit N-peak oscillation, found when currents are plotted as a function of the magnetic barrier strength χ ∼ md/hv F . With the barrier strength Z ∼ V G d/hv F , the number of peaks N is determined through the relation Z ∼ Nπ + σπ (with 0 < σ≤1 for χ < Z). The normal- and the super-currents also exhibit oscillating with the same height for all of peaks, corresponding to the Dirac fermion tunneling behavior. These anomalous oscillating currents due to the interplay between gate voltage and magnetic field in the barrier were not found in graphene-based NM/Fi/NM and SC/Fi/SC junctions. This is due to the different magnetic effect between the Dirac fermions in topological insulator and graphene.

Theory of the low-voltage impedance of superconductor-- p insulator--normal metal tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemberger, T.R.

1984-01-01

A theory for the low-voltage impedance of a superconductor-- p insulator--normal metal tunnel junction is developed that includes the effects of charge imbalance and of quasiparticle fluctuations. A novel, inelastic, charge-imbalance relaxation process is identified that is associated with the junction itself. This new process leads to the surprising result that the charge-imbalance component of the dc resistance of a junction becomes independent of the electron-phonon scattering rate as the insulator resistance decreases

Enhanced superconductivity and superconductor to insulator transition in nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Shilpam; Amaladass, E.P. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Sharma, Neha [Surface & Nanoscience Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Harimohan, V. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Amirthapandian, S. [Materials Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Mani, Awadhesh, E-mail: mani@igcar.gov.in [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

2017-06-01

Disorder driven superconductor to insulator transition via intermediate metallic regime is reported in nano-crystalline thin films of molybdenum. The nano-structured thin films have been deposited at room temperature using DC magnetron sputtering at different argon pressures. The grain size has been tuned using deposition pressure as the sole control parameter. A variation of particle sizes, room temperature resistivity and superconducting transition has been studied as a function of deposition pressure. The nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films are found to have large carrier concentration but very low mobility and electronic mean free path. Hall and conductivity measurements have been used to understand the effect of disorder on the carrier density and mobilities. Ioffe-Regel parameter is shown to correlate with the continuous metal-insulator transition in our samples. - Highlights: • Thin films of molybdenum using DC sputtering have been deposited on glass. • Argon background pressure during sputtering was used to tune the crystallite sizes of films. • Correlation in deposition pressure, disorder and particle sizes has been observed. • Disorder tuned superconductor to insulator transition along with an intermediate metallic phase has been observed. • Enhancement of superconducting transition temperature and a dome shaped T{sub C} vs. deposition pressure phase diagram has been observed.

Theory of superconducting spintronic SIsFS devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakurskiy, S.V.; Klenov, N.V.; Soloviev, I.I.; Kupriyanov, M.Yu.; Bol'ginov, V.V.; Ryazanov, V.V.; Vernik, I.V.; Mukhanov, O.A.; Golubov, A.A.

2013-01-01

Full text: Motivated by recent progress in developments of cryogenic memory compatible with single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits we have performed a theoretical study of magnetic SIsFS Josephson junctions, where 'S' is a bulk superconductor, 's' is a thin superconducting film, 'F' is a metallic ferromagnet and 'I' is an insulator. We calculate the Josephson current as a function of s and F layers thickness, temperature and exchange energy of F film. We outline several modes of operation of these junctions and demonstrate their unique ability to have high I C R N product in the π-state, comparable to that in SIS tunnel junctions commonly used in SFQ circuits. We develop a model describing switching of the Josephson critical current in these devices by external magnetic field. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data for Nb-Al/AlOx-Nb-Pd0:99Fe0:01-Nb junctions. This work is supported by RFBR No. 12-02-90010-Bel a .

Magnetoresistance in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7 F/S/F trilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pena, V.; Visani, C.; Bruno, F.; Garcia-Barriocanal, J.; Arias, D.; Rivera, A.; Sefrioui, Z.; Leon, C.; Te Velthuis, S.G.E.; Hoffmann, A.; Nemes, N.; Garcia-Hernandez, M.; Martinez, J.L.; Santamaria, J.

2007-01-01

We report large magnetoresistance in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet structures made of La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 at temperatures along the resistive transition. We find that the magnetoresistance phenomenon is independent on the orientation of electric current versus field. Furthermore, the effect is also independent on the sweep rate of the magnetic field. This excludes interpretations in terms of spontaneous vortices or anisotropic magnetoresistance of the ferromagnetic layers and supports the view that the magnetoresistance phenomenon originates at the spin-dependent transport of quasiparticles transmitted from the ferromagnetic electrodes into the superconductor

Heterostructured ZnS/InP nanowires for rigid/flexible ultraviolet photodetectors with enhanced performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kai; Ding, Jia; Lou, Zheng; Chai, Ruiqing; Zhong, Mianzeng; Shen, Guozhen

2017-10-19

Heterostructured ZnS/InP nanowires, composed of single-crystalline ZnS nanowires coated with a layer of InP shell, were synthesized via a one-step chemical vapor deposition process. As-grown heterostructured ZnS/InP nanowires exhibited an ultrahigh I on /I off ratio of 4.91 × 10 3 , a high photoconductive gain of 1.10 × 10 3 , a high detectivity of 1.65 × 10 13 Jones and high response speed even in the case of very weak ultraviolet light illumination (1.87 μW cm -2 ). The values are much higher than those of previously reported bare ZnS nanowires owing to the formation of core/shell heterostructures. Flexible ultraviolet photodetectors were also fabricated with the heterostructured ZnS/InP nanowires, which showed excellent mechanical flexibility, electrical stability and folding endurance besides excellent photoresponse properties. The results elucidated that the heterostructured ZnS/InP nanowires could find good applications in next generation flexible optoelectronic devices.

Longitudinal conductivity of LaF3/SrF2 multilayer heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergentev, Tikhon; Banshchikov, Alexander; Filimonov, Alexey; Koroleva, Ekaterina; Sokolov, Nikolay; Wurz, Marc Christopher

2016-01-01

LaF 3 /SrF 2 multilayer heterostructures with thicknesses of individual layers in the range 5-100 nm have been grown on MgO(100) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. The longitudinal conductivity of the films has been measured using impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 10 -1 -10 6  Hz and a temperature range 300-570 K. The ionic DC conductivities have been determined from Nyquist impedance diagrams and activation energies from the Arrhenius-Frenkel equation. An increase of the DC conductivity has been observed to accompany decreased layer thickness for various thicknesses as small as 25 nm. The greatest conductivity has been shown for a multilayer heterostructure having thicknesses of 25 nm per layer. The structure has a conductivity two orders of magnitude greater than pure LaF 3 bulk material. The increasing conductivity can be understood as a redistribution of charge carriers through the interface due to differing chemical potentials of the materials, by strong lattice-constant mismatch, and/or by formation of a solid La 1-x Sr x F 3-x solution at the interface during the growth process.

High-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Transition Metal Implanted Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

2005-07-01

Mn)As and Its Heterostructures,” Acta Physica Polonica A, 94 (2):155–164 (August 1998). 79. Ohno, Y., D. K. Young, B. Beschoten, F. Matsukura, H. Ohno...reactive molecular-beam epitaxy,” Physical Review B , 67 (16):16205 (April 2003). 26. Dietl, T. “From Magnetic Polarons to Ferromagnetism,” Acta Physica ...samples,” Physica B , 308-310 :985–988 (December 2001). 15. Bradley, F. N. Materials for Magnetic Functions (First Edition). New York: Hayden, 1971. 16

Exotic topological insulator states and topological phase transitions in Sb2Se3-Bi2Se3 heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qianfan; Zhang, Zhiyong; Zhu, Zhiyong; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Cui, Yi

2012-01-01

in controlling the electronic properties of semiconductor devices, are interesting for topological insulators. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of the topological state in Sb 2Se 3-Bi 2Se 3 heterostructures by first-principle simulation and discovered

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the superconductor-insulator transition in the dual vortex representation

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Hasan; Gazit, Snir; Randeria, Mohit; Trivedi, Nandini

The superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in two dimensions is a paradigm for quantum criticality that has been observed experimentally in Josephson junction arrays, superconducting thin films, and cold atoms trapped in an optical lattice. The conventional picture of the transition is in terms of the condensation of bosonic degrees of freedom (Cooper pairs in superconductors). Interestingly, the transition has a dual description, where the insulating phase is a Bose condensate of vortices. We study the SIT numerically by means of a large-scale quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulation in the vortex representation. This provides direct access to both the boson and vortex degrees of freedom and allows us to numerically test the duality and quantify deviations from self-duality. Our main focus is on critical properties such as the vortex and the boson phase stiffness. We compare our results to previous studies in the bosonic representation. We acknowledge support from Grant DOE-BES DE-FG02-07ER46423 (HK, NT).

An Angle Resolved Photoemission Study of a Mott Insulator and Its Evolution to a High Temperature Superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ronning, Filip

2002-03-19

One of the most remarkable facts about the high temperature superconductors is their close proximity to an antiferromagnetically ordered Mott insulating phase. This fact suggests that to understand superconductivity in the cuprates we must first understand the insulating regime. Due to material properties the technique of angle resolved photoemission is ideally suited to study the electronic structure in the cuprates. Thus, a natural starting place to unlocking the secrets of high Tc would appears to be with a photoemission investigation of insulating cuprates. This dissertation presents the results of precisely such a study. In particular, we have focused on the compound Ca{sub 2-x}Na{sub x}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}. With increasing Na content this system goes from an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator with a Neel transition of 256K to a superconductor with an optimal transition temperature of 28K. At half filling we have found an asymmetry in the integrated spectral weight, which can be related to the occupation probability, n(k). This has led us to identify a d-wave-like dispersion in the insulator, which in turn implies that the high energy pseudogap as seen by photoemission is a remnant property of the insulator. These results are robust features of the insulator which we found in many different compounds and experimental conditions. By adding Na we were able to study the evolution of the electronic structure across the insulator to metal transition. We found that the chemical potential shifts as holes are doped into the system. This picture is in sharp contrast to the case of La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} where the chemical potential remains fixed and states are created inside the gap. Furthermore, the low energy excitations (ie the Fermi surface) in metallic Ca{sub 1.9}Na{sub 0.1}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} is most well described as a Fermi arc, although the high binding energy features reveal the presence of shadow bands. Thus, the results in this dissertation provide a

Superconductors at the nanoscale. From basic research to applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woerdenweber, Roger [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Peter Gruenberg Inst.; Moshchalkov, Victor [KU Leuven (Belgium). Inst. for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry; Bending, Simon [Bath Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics; Tafuri, Francesco (ed.) [Seconda Univ. di Napoli, Aversa (Italy)

2017-07-01

By covering theory, design, and fabrication of nanostructured superconducting materials, this monograph is an invaluable resource for research and development. This book contains the following chapters: Tutorial on nanostructured superconductors; Imaging vortices in superconductors: from the atomic scale to macroscopic distances; Probing vortex dynamics on a single vortex level by scanning ac-susceptibility microscopy; STM studies of vortex cores in strongly confined nanoscale superconductors; Type-1.5 superconductivity; Direct visualization of vortex patterns in superconductors with competing vortex-vortex interactions; Vortex dynamics in nanofabricated chemical solution deposition high-temperature superconducting films; Artificial pinning sites and their applications; Vortices at microwave frequencies; Physics and operation of superconducting single-photon devices; Josephson and charging effect in mesoscopic superconducting devices; NanoSQUIDs: Basics and recent advances; Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} intrinsic Josephson junction stacks as emitters of terahertz radiation; Interference phenomena in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids; Spin-orbit interactions, spin currents, and magnetization dynamics in superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids; Superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids.

An active homopolar magnetic bearing with high temperature superconductor (HTS) coils and ferromagnetic cores

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, G. V.; Dirusso, E.; Provenza, A. J.

1995-01-01

A proof-of-feasibility demonstration showed that high temperature superconductor (HTS) coils can be used in a high-load, active magnetic bearing in liquid nitrogen. A homopolar radial bearing with commercially wound HTS (Bi 2223) bias and control coils produced over 200 lb (890 N) radial load capacity (measured non-rotating) and supported a shaft to 14000 rpm. The goal was to show that HTS coils can operate stably with ferromagnetic cores in a feedback controlled system at a current density similar to that in Cu in liquid nitrogen. Design compromises permitted use of circular coils with rectangular cross section. Conductor improvements will eventually permit coil shape optimization, higher current density and higher bearing load capacity. The bias coil, wound with non-twisted, multifilament HTS conductor, required negligible power to carry its direct current. The control coils were wound with monofilament HTS sheathed in Ag. These dissipated negligible power for direct current (i.e. for steady radial load components). When an alternating current (AC) was added, the AC component dissipated power which increased rapidly with frequency and quadratically with AC amplitude. In fact at frequencies above about 2 hz, the effective resistance of the control coil conductor actually exceeds that of the silver which is in electrical parallel with the oxide superconductor. This is at least qualitatively understandable in the context of a Bean-type model of flux and current penetration into a Type II superconductor. Fortunately the dynamic currents required for bearing stability are of small amplitude. These results show that while twisted multifilament conductor is not needed for stable levitation, twisted multifilaments will be required to reduce control power for sizable dynamic loads, such as those due to unbalance.

Carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Story, T.

2007-01-01

In semiconductor spintronics the key materials issue concerns ferromagnetic semiconductors that would, in particular, permit an integration (in a single multilayer heterostructure) of standard electronic functions of semiconductors with magnetic memory function. Although classical semiconductor materials, such as Si or GaAs, are nonmagnetic, upon substitutional incorporation of magnetic ions (typically of a few atomic percents of Mn 2+ ions) and very heavy doping with conducting carriers (at the level of 10 20 - 10 21 cm -3 ) a ferromagnetic transition can be induced in such diluted magnetic semiconductors (also known as semimagnetic semiconductors). In the lecture the spectacular experimental observations of carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism will be discussed for three model semiconductor crystals. p - Ga 1-x Mn x As currently the most actively studied and most perspective ferromagnetic semiconductor of III-V group, in which ferromagnetism appears due to Mn ions providing both local magnetic moments and acting as acceptor centers. p - Sn 1-x Mn x Te and p - Ge 1-x Mn x Te classical diluted magnetic semiconductors of IV-VI group, in which paramagnet-ferromagnet and ferromagnet-spin glass transitions are found for very high hole concentration. n - Eu 1-x Gd x Te mixed magnetic crystals, in which the substitution of Gd 3+ ions for Eu 2+ ions creates very high electron concentration and transforms antiferromagnetic EuTe (insulating compound) into ferromagnetic n-type semiconductor alloy. For each of these materials systems the key physical features will be discussed concerning: local magnetic moments formation, magnetic phase diagram as a function of magnetic ions and carrier concentration as well as Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy engineering. Various theoretical models proposed to explain the effect of carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors will be briefly discussed involving mean field approaches based on Zener and RKKY

Imaging of topological magnetic pinning in superconductor-ferrimagnet bilayer with scanning Hall microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchevsky, M; Higgins, M J; Bhattacharya, S; Fratello, V J

2011-01-01

In a superconducting film deposited on ferromagnetic substrate with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, vortex matter is confined by the magnetic potential landscape. Using scanning Hall microscopy we visualize flux accumulation and removal in a superconductor-ferrimagnet (S/F) bilayer prepared by rf sputtering of thin niobium film on bismuth-doped rare-earth iron garnet. Penetration of the perpendicular magnetic field in the S/F bilayer follows magnetic domain boundaries and is laterally guided by the garnet magnetization component along the field direction. Upon field removal, localization of the remnant flux at the disclination points of the labyrinthine domain pattern is observed. Our experiments show evidence for strong vortex pinning due the special topology of the domain pattern. Ac magnetic imaging of the transport current distribution in the bilayer reveals complex flow paths commensurate with the magnetic domain boundaries. Topological magnetic pinning can be a useful tool for enhancement and control of critical current in thin film superconductors.

Imaging of topological magnetic pinning in superconductor-ferrimagnet bilayer with scanning Hall microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchevsky, M [Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 12344 (United States); Higgins, M J [Princeton High School, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Bhattacharya, S [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Fratello, V J, E-mail: mmartchevskii@lbl.gov [Integrated Photonics, Inc., Hillsborough, NJ 08844 (United States)

2011-02-15

In a superconducting film deposited on ferromagnetic substrate with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, vortex matter is confined by the magnetic potential landscape. Using scanning Hall microscopy we visualize flux accumulation and removal in a superconductor-ferrimagnet (S/F) bilayer prepared by rf sputtering of thin niobium film on bismuth-doped rare-earth iron garnet. Penetration of the perpendicular magnetic field in the S/F bilayer follows magnetic domain boundaries and is laterally guided by the garnet magnetization component along the field direction. Upon field removal, localization of the remnant flux at the disclination points of the labyrinthine domain pattern is observed. Our experiments show evidence for strong vortex pinning due the special topology of the domain pattern. Ac magnetic imaging of the transport current distribution in the bilayer reveals complex flow paths commensurate with the magnetic domain boundaries. Topological magnetic pinning can be a useful tool for enhancement and control of critical current in thin film superconductors.

Topological phases in superconductor-noncollinear magnet interfaces with strong spin-orbit coupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menke, H.; Schnyder, A.P. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Toews, A. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2016-07-01

Majorana fermions are predicted to emerge at interfaces between conventional s-wave superconductors and non-collinear magnets. In these heterostructures, the spin moments of the non-collinear magnet induce a low-energy band of Shiba bound states in the superconductor. Depending on the type of order of the magnet, the band structure of these bound states can be topologically nontrivial. Thus far, research has focused on systems where the influence of spin-orbit coupling can be neglected. Here, we explore the interplay between non-collinear (or non-coplanar) spin textures and Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction. This situation is realized, for example, in heterostructures between helical magnets and heavy elemental superconductors, such as Pb. Using a unitary transformation in spin space, we show that the effects of Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling are equivalent to the effects of the non-collinear spin texture of the helical magnet. We explore the topological phase diagram as a function of spin-orbit coupling, spin texture, and chemical potential, and find many interesting topological phases, such as p{sub x}-, (p{sub x} + p{sub y})-, and (p{sub x} + i p{sub y})-wave states. Conditions for the formation and the nature of Majorana edge channels are examined. Furthermore, we study the topological edge currents of these phases.

Ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductor heterojunction systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lee, B.; Jungwirth, Tomáš; MacDonald, A. H.

2002-01-01

Roč. 17, - (2002), s. 393-403 ISSN 0268-1242 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/98/0085; GA MŠk OC P5.10 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : ferromagnetic semiconductors * heterostructures Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.241, year: 2002

Magnetism and charge transfer in PrNiO{sub 3}-La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bluschke, Martin; Frano, Alex [Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart (Germany); Helmholz-Zentrum Berlin (Germany); Schierle, Enrico; Weschke, Eugen [Helmholz-Zentrum Berlin (Germany); Hepting, Matthias; Minola, Matteo; Christiani, Georg; Logvenov, Gennady; Benckiser, Eva; Keimer, Bernhard [Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart (Germany)

2015-07-01

Heterostructures of the bulk antiferromagnet PrNiO{sub 3} (PNO) and the bulk ferromagnetic metal La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} (LCMO) are grown by pulsed laser deposition on LaSrAlO{sub 4} substrates for a systematic series of superlattice geometries. A characterization of the structural, magnetization, and transport properties is combined with the results of soft x-ray absorption and resonant scattering measurements to understand how the bulk properties of the individual components are modified via epitaxial strain and heterostructuring. In particular the PNO-LCMO interface is studied. A net transfer of electrons from Mn to Ni sites is observed near the interface. In addition the saturation magnetization and Curie temperature of the ferromagnetic response are found to be reduced compared to bulk LCMO. The antiferromagnetic order characteristic of bulk PNO is observed in superlattices containing 8 unit cells of PNO per bilayer, but suppressed below the detection limit for thinner 4 unit cell layers. Finally a transition between metallic and insulating behaviour in PNO is observed as the layer thickness is reduced from 12 to 4 unit cells, whereas the LCMO layers studied (4-18 unit cells) were insulating in all cases.

Dissipative current in SIFS Josephson junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasenko, A.; Kawabata, S.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Kupriyanov, M. Yu; Hekking, F.W.J.

2010-01-01

We investigate superconductor/insulator/ferromagnet/superconductor (SIFS) tunnel Josephson junctions in the dirty limit, using the quasiclassical theory. We consider the case of a strong tunnel barrier such that the left S layer and the right FS bilayer are decoupled. We calculate quantitatively the

The improved damping of superconductor bearings for 35 kWh superconductor flywheel energy storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Y.H.; Park, B.J.; Jung, S.Y.; Han, S.C.; Lee, W.R.; Bae, Y.C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We made a 35 kWh superconductor flywheel energy storage system. ► The damping coefficient of the superconductor bearing was increased over 3000 N s/m. ► The source of damping was discussed. -- Abstract: A 35 kWh Superconductor Flywheel Energy Storage system (SFES) using hybrid bearing sets, which is composed of a high temperature superconductor (HTS) bearing and an active magnet damper (AMD), has been developed at KEPCO Research Institute (KEPRI). Damping is a source of energy loss but necessary for the stability of the flywheel system. We found that the damping of HTS bearings can be improved by thermal insulating bolts, which play a role of passive type external damper. To investigate the source of the increased damping, damping coefficients were measured with HTS bearings using insulating bolts made of three kinds of polymer materials. The damping coefficient was raised over 3000 N s/m in the case of PEEK bolts. The value was almost a quarter of the AMD. In this study, thermoelastic and Coulomb friction damping mechanisms are discussed. The main damping mechanism was the thermoelastic damping of the bolts themselves. And interfacial gap between the insulating bolt and metal chamber, which increased during the cooling process, was considered to be the cause of the anisotropic damping coefficients. Finally, the effects of the HTS bearings on the first critical speed are shown

Realization of the Axion Insulator State in Quantum Anomalous Hall Sandwich Heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Di; Jiang, Jue; Shin, Jae-Ho; Wang, Wenbo; Wang, Fei; Zhao, Yi-Fan; Liu, Chaoxing; Wu, Weida; Chan, Moses H. W.; Samarth, Nitin; Chang, Cui-Zu

2018-02-01

The "magnetoelectric effect" arises from the coupling between magnetic and electric properties in materials. The Z2 invariant of topological insulators (TIs) leads to a quantized version of this phenomenon, known as the topological magnetoelectric (TME) effect. This effect can be realized in a new topological phase called an "axion insulator" whose surface states are all gapped but the interior still obeys time reversal symmetry. We demonstrate such a phase using electrical transport measurements in a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) sandwich heterostructure, in which two compositionally different magnetic TI layers are separated by an undoped TI layer. Magnetic force microscopy images of the same sample reveal sequential magnetization reversals of the top and bottom layers at different coercive fields, a consequence of the weak interlayer exchange coupling due to the spacer. When the magnetization is antiparallel, both the Hall resistance and Hall conductance show zero plateaus, accompanied by a large longitudinal resistance and vanishing longitudinal conductance, indicating the realization of an axion insulator state. Our findings thus show evidence for a phase of matter distinct from the established QAH state and provide a promising platform for the realization of the TME effect.

Optimization of a superconducting linear levitation system using a soft ferromagnet

Science.gov (United States)

Agramunt-Puig, Sebastia; Del-Valle, Nuria; Navau, Carles; Sanchez, Alvaro

2013-04-01

The use of guideways that combine permanent magnets and soft ferromagnetic materials is a common practice in magnetic levitation transport systems (maglevs) with bulk high-temperature superconductors. Theoretical tools to simulate in a realistic way both the behavior of all elements (permanent magnets, soft ferromagnet and superconductor) and their mutual effects are helpful to optimize the designs of real systems. Here we present a systematic study of the levitation of a maglev with translational symmetry consisting of a superconducting bar and a guideway with two identic permanent magnets and a soft ferromagnetic material between them. The system is simulated with a numerical model based on the energy minimization method that allows to analyze the mutual interaction of the superconductor, assumed to be in the critical state, and a soft ferromagnet with infinite susceptibility. Results indicate that introducing a soft ferromagnet within the permanent magnets not only increases the levitation force but also improves the stability. Besides, an estimation of the relative sizes and shapes of the soft ferromagnet, permanent magnets and the superconductor in order to obtain large levitation force with full stability is provided.

Mechanics of a composite structure of GFRP insulators and superconductors with a gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, H.; Imagawa, S.; Nishimura, A.

1997-01-01

Superconducting coils in large scale magnet applications such as the Large Helical Device (LHD) are subjected to large electromagnetic force at the interfaces between conductors and electrical insulators. The insulators do not always contact the superconductor surfaces completely. This may cause a reduction of coil rigidity. Nonlinear behavior was observed in the compressive load-displacement curves in some experiments of coil packs. The nonlinear curves were found to be well fitted by an exponential function. We considered this nonlinearity as a surface contact problem and devised some analytical models to evaluate the rigidity reduction in terms of gap length. The results of this analysis also support the exponential function

α-K2AgF4: Ferromagnetism induced by the weak superexchange of different eg orbitals from the nearest neighbor Ag ions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoli; Zhang, Guoren; Jia, Ting; Zeng, Zhi; Lin, H. Q.

2016-05-01

We study the abnormal ferromagnetism in α-K2AgF4, which is very similar to high-TC parent material La2CuO4 in structure. We find out that the electron correlation is very important in determining the insulating property of α-K2AgF4. The Ag(II) 4d9 in the octahedron crystal field has the t2 g 6 eg 3 electron occupation with eg x2-y2 orbital fully occupied and 3z2-r2 orbital partially occupied. The two eg orbitals are very extended indicating both of them are active in superexchange. Using the Hubbard model combined with Nth-order muffin-tin orbital (NMTO) downfolding technique, it is concluded that the exchange interaction between eg 3z2-r2 and x2-y2 from the first nearest neighbor Ag ions leads to the anomalous ferromagnetism in α-K2AgF4.

α-K2AgF4: Ferromagnetism induced by the weak superexchange of different eg orbitals from the nearest neighbor Ag ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoli Zhang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We study the abnormal ferromagnetism in α-K2AgF4, which is very similar to high-TC parent material La2CuO4 in structure. We find out that the electron correlation is very important in determining the insulating property of α-K2AgF4. The Ag(II 4d9 in the octahedron crystal field has the t 2 g 6 e g 3 electron occupation with eg x2-y2 orbital fully occupied and 3z2-r2 orbital partially occupied. The two eg orbitals are very extended indicating both of them are active in superexchange. Using the Hubbard model combined with Nth-order muffin-tin orbital (NMTO downfolding technique, it is concluded that the exchange interaction between eg 3z2-r2 and x2-y2 from the first nearest neighbor Ag ions leads to the anomalous ferromagnetism in α-K2AgF4.

Non-magnetic compensation in ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs and Ga1-xMnxP synthesized by ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scarpulla, M.A.; Stone, P.R.; Sharp, I.D.; Haller, E.E.; Dubon, O.D.; Beeman, J.W.; Yu, K.M.

2008-02-05

The electronic and magnetic effects of intentional compensation with non-magnetic donors are investigated in the ferromagnetic semiconductors Ga1-xMnxAs and Ga1-xMnxP synthesized using ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting (II-PLM). It is demonstrated that compensation with non-magnetic donors and MnI have similarqualitative effects on materials properties. With compensation TC decreases, resistivity increases, and stronger magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall effect attributed to skew scattering are observed. Ga1-xMnxAs can be controllably compensated with Te through a metal-insulator transition through which the magnetic and electrical properties vary continuously. The resistivity of insulating Ga1-xMnxAs:Te can be described by thermal activation to the mobility edge and simply-activated hopping transport. Ga1-xMnxP doped with S is insulating at all compositions but shows decreasing TC with compensation. The existence of a ferromagnetic insulating state in Ga1-xMnxAs:Te and Ga1-xMnxP:S having TCs of the same order as the uncompensated materials demonstrates that localized holes are effective at mediating ferromagnetism in ferromagnetic semiconductors through the percolation of ferromagnetic 'puddles' which at low temperatures.

Anomalous second ferromagnetic phase transition in Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} topological insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Min, E-mail: zmzmi1987@163.com; Liu, Ligang; Yang, Hui

2016-09-05

We report the observation of ferromagnetism in topological insulator Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} single crystal. The structural, magnetic, and microstructure properties of Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} are investigated. The existence of complicated ferromagnetic ordering, indicates the anomalous second ferromagnetic phase transition below 30 K. Well-defined ferromagnetic hysteresis in the magnetization was found in the sample. The origin of bulk ferromagnetism in Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} is concerned with three aspects: Co cluster, RKKY interactions, and the spin texture of Co impurities. - Highlights: • The bulk ferromagnetism have been found in the C{sub o0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} single crystal. • The anomalous second ferromagnetic phase transition is found below 30 K. • The origin of bulk ferromagnetism in Co{sub 0.08}Bi{sub 1.92}Se{sub 3} is concerned with three aspects.

First principles description of the insulator-metal transition in europium monoxide

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hao

2012-02-01

Europium monoxide, EuO, is a ferromagnetic insulator. Its electronic structure under pressure and doping is investigated by means of density functional theory. We employ spin polarized electronic structure calculations including onsite electron-electron interaction for the localized Eu 4f and 5d electrons. Our results show that under pressure the ferromagnetism is stable, both for hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure, while the compound undergoes an insulator-metal transition. The insulator-metal transition in O deficient and Gd doped EuO is reproduced for an impurity concentration of 6.25%. A 10 monolayer thick EuO(1 0 0) thin film is predicted to be an insulator with a narrow band gap of 0.08 eV. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical properties of resistive switches based on Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films prepared by RF co-sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marquez H, A.; Hernandez R, E.; Zapata T, M. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Calzada Legaria No. 694, Col. Irrigacion, 11500 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Guillen R, J. [Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Tampico, Puerto Industrial, Altamira 89600, Tamaulipas (Mexico); Cruz, M. P. [UNAM, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnologia, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, 22860 Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico); Calzadilla A, O. [Universidad de la Habana, Facultad de Fisica-IMRE, San Lazaro y L. Municipio Plaza de la Revolucion, La Habana, Cuba (Cuba); Melendez L, M., E-mail: amarquez@ipn.m [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, A. P. 14-740, 07000 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

2010-07-01

In this work, was proposed the use of Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3}(0{<=}x{<=}1) thin films for the construction of metal-insulator-metal heterostructures; and their great potential for the development of non-volatile resistance memories (ReRAM) is shown. The deposition of Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films was done by the RF co-sputtering technique using two magnetron sputtering cathodes with BaTiO{sub 3} and SrTiO{sub 3} targets. The chemical composition (x parameter) in the deposited Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films was varied through the RF powder applied to the targets. The constructed metal-insulator-metal heterostructures were Al/Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3}/nichrome. The I-V measurements of the heterostructures showed that their hysteretic characteristics change depending on the Ba/Sr ratio of the Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films; the Ba/Sr ratio was determined by employing the energy dispersive spectroscopy; Sem micrographs showed that Ba{sub 1-{chi}S}r{sub {chi}T}iO{sub 3} thin films were uniform without cracks or pinholes. Additionally, the analysis of the X-ray diffraction results indicated the substitutional incorporation of Sr into the BaTiO{sub 3} lattice and the obtainment of crystalline films for the entire range of the x values. (Author)

Dimensionality crossover in vortex dynamics of magnetically coupled F-S-F hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karapetrov, G; Belkin, A; Iavarone, M; Yefremenko, V; Pearson, J E; Novosad, V; Divan, R; Cambel, V

2011-01-01

We report on the vortex dynamics in magnetically coupled F-S-F trilayers extracted from the analysis of the resistance-current isotherms. The superconducting thin film that is conventionally in the 2D vortex limit exhibits quite different behavior when sandwiched between ferromagnetic layers. The value of the dynamic critical exponent strongly increases in the F-S-F case due to screening of the stray vortex field by the adjacent ferromagnetic layers, leading to an effective dimensional crossover in vortex dynamics. Furthermore, the directional pinning by the magnetic stripe domains induces anisotropy in the vortex glass transition temperature and causes metastable avalanche behavior at strong driving currents.

Tunneling density of states as a function of thickness in superconductor/ strong ferromagnet bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reymond, S.

2010-04-29

We have made an experimental study of the tunneling density of states (DOS) in strong ferromagnetic thin films (CoFe) in proximity with a thick superconducting film (Nb) as a function of d{sub F}, the ferromagnetic thickness. Remarkably, we find that as d{sub F} increases, the superconducting DOS exhibits a scaling behavior in which the deviations from the normal-state conductance have a universal shape that decreases exponentially in amplitude with characteristic length d* {approx} 0.4 nm. We do not see oscillations in the DOS as a function of d{sub F}, as expected from predictions based on the Usadel equations, although an oscillation in T{sub c}(d{sub F}) has been seen in the same materials.

Layer-dependent ferromagnetism in a van der Waals crystal down to the monolayer limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bevin; Clark, Genevieve; Navarro-Moratalla, Efrén; Klein, Dahlia R; Cheng, Ran; Seyler, Kyle L; Zhong, Ding; Schmidgall, Emma; McGuire, Michael A; Cobden, David H; Yao, Wang; Xiao, Di; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo; Xu, Xiaodong

2017-06-07

Since the discovery of graphene, the family of two-dimensional materials has grown, displaying a broad range of electronic properties. Recent additions include semiconductors with spin-valley coupling, Ising superconductors that can be tuned into a quantum metal, possible Mott insulators with tunable charge-density waves, and topological semimetals with edge transport. However, no two-dimensional crystal with intrinsic magnetism has yet been discovered; such a crystal would be useful in many technologies from sensing to data storage. Theoretically, magnetic order is prohibited in the two-dimensional isotropic Heisenberg model at finite temperatures by the Mermin-Wagner theorem. Magnetic anisotropy removes this restriction, however, and enables, for instance, the occurrence of two-dimensional Ising ferromagnetism. Here we use magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy to demonstrate that monolayer chromium triiodide (CrI 3 ) is an Ising ferromagnet with out-of-plane spin orientation. Its Curie temperature of 45 kelvin is only slightly lower than that of the bulk crystal, 61 kelvin, which is consistent with a weak interlayer coupling. Moreover, our studies suggest a layer-dependent magnetic phase, highlighting thickness-dependent physical properties typical of van der Waals crystals. Remarkably, bilayer CrI 3 displays suppressed magnetization with a metamagnetic effect, whereas in trilayer CrI 3 the interlayer ferromagnetism observed in the bulk crystal is restored. This work creates opportunities for studying magnetism by harnessing the unusual features of atomically thin materials, such as electrical control for realizing magnetoelectronics, and van der Waals engineering to produce interface phenomena.

Spin and Charge Transport in 2D Materials and Magnetic Insulator/Metal Heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Amamou, Walid

Spintronic devices are very promising for future information storage, logic operations and computation and have the potential to replace current CMOS technology approaching the scaling limit. In particular, the generation and manipulation of spin current enables the integration of storage and logic within the same circuit for more powerful computing architectures. In this thesis, we examine the manipulation of spins in 2D materials such as graphene and metal/magnetic insulator heterostructures. In particular, we investigate the feasibility for achieving magnetization switching of a nanomagnet using graphene as a nonmagnetic channel material for All Spin Logic Device applications. Using in-situ MBE deposition of nanomagnet on graphene spin valve, we demonstrate the presence of an interfacial spin dephasing at the interface between the graphene and the nanomagnet. By introducing a Cu spacer between the nanomagnet and graphene, we demonstrate that this interfacial effect is related to an exchange interaction between the spin current and the disordered magnetic moment of the nanomagnet in the first monolayer. In addition to the newly discovered interfacial spin relaxation effect, the extracted contact resistance area product of the nanomagnet/graphene interface is relatively high on the order of 1Omicrom2. In practice, reducing the contact resistance will be as important as eliminating the interfacial relaxation in order to achieve magnetization switching. Furthermore, we examine spin manipulation in a nonmagnetic Pt using an internal magnetic exchange field produced by the adjacent magnetic insulator CoFe2O4 grown by MBE. Here, we report the observation of a strong magnetic proximity effect of Pt deposited on top of a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) inverse spinel material Cobalt Ferrite (CFO, CoFe 2O4). The CFO was grown by MBE and its magnetization was characterized by Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) demonstrating the strong out of plane magnetic

Optimization of a superconducting linear levitation system using a soft ferromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agramunt-Puig, Sebastia; Del-Valle, Nuria; Navau, Carles; Sanchez, Alvaro

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Study of the levitation of a superconducting bar over different magnetic guideways. ► A soft ferromagnet within permanent magnets improves levitation stability. ► We study the best geometry for large levitation force with full stability. -- Abstract: The use of guideways that combine permanent magnets and soft ferromagnetic materials is a common practice in magnetic levitation transport systems (maglevs) with bulk high-temperature superconductors. Theoretical tools to simulate in a realistic way both the behavior of all elements (permanent magnets, soft ferromagnet and superconductor) and their mutual effects are helpful to optimize the designs of real systems. Here we present a systematic study of the levitation of a maglev with translational symmetry consisting of a superconducting bar and a guideway with two identic permanent magnets and a soft ferromagnetic material between them. The system is simulated with a numerical model based on the energy minimization method that allows to analyze the mutual interaction of the superconductor, assumed to be in the critical state, and a soft ferromagnet with infinite susceptibility. Results indicate that introducing a soft ferromagnet within the permanent magnets not only increases the levitation force but also improves the stability. Besides, an estimation of the relative sizes and shapes of the soft ferromagnet, permanent magnets and the superconductor in order to obtain large levitation force with full stability is provided

Optimization of a superconducting linear levitation system using a soft ferromagnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agramunt-Puig, Sebastia; Del-Valle, Nuria; Navau, Carles, E-mail: carles.navau@uab.cat; Sanchez, Alvaro

2013-04-15

Highlights: ► Study of the levitation of a superconducting bar over different magnetic guideways. ► A soft ferromagnet within permanent magnets improves levitation stability. ► We study the best geometry for large levitation force with full stability. -- Abstract: The use of guideways that combine permanent magnets and soft ferromagnetic materials is a common practice in magnetic levitation transport systems (maglevs) with bulk high-temperature superconductors. Theoretical tools to simulate in a realistic way both the behavior of all elements (permanent magnets, soft ferromagnet and superconductor) and their mutual effects are helpful to optimize the designs of real systems. Here we present a systematic study of the levitation of a maglev with translational symmetry consisting of a superconducting bar and a guideway with two identic permanent magnets and a soft ferromagnetic material between them. The system is simulated with a numerical model based on the energy minimization method that allows to analyze the mutual interaction of the superconductor, assumed to be in the critical state, and a soft ferromagnet with infinite susceptibility. Results indicate that introducing a soft ferromagnet within the permanent magnets not only increases the levitation force but also improves the stability. Besides, an estimation of the relative sizes and shapes of the soft ferromagnet, permanent magnets and the superconductor in order to obtain large levitation force with full stability is provided.

Cooper Pairs in Insulators?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valles, James

2008-01-01

Nearly 50 years elapsed between the discovery of superconductivity and the emergence of the microscopic theory describing this zero resistance state. The explanation required a novel phase of matter in which conduction electrons joined in weakly bound pairs and condensed with other pairs into a single quantum state. Surprisingly, this Cooper pair formation has also been invoked to account for recently uncovered high-resistance or insulating phases of matter. To address this possibility, we have used nanotechnology to create an insulating system that we can probe directly for Cooper pairs. I will present the evidence that Cooper pairs exist and dominate the electrical transport in these insulators and I will discuss how these findings provide new insight into superconductor to insulator quantum phase transitions.

Tuning metal-insulator behavior in LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures integrated directly on Si(100) through control of atomic layer thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi-Majlan, Kamyar; Chen, Tongjie; Lim, Zheng Hui; Conlin, Patrick; Hensley, Ricky; Chrysler, Matthew; Su, Dong; Chen, Hanghui; Kumah, Divine P.; Ngai, Joseph H.

2018-05-01

We present electrical and structural characterization of epitaxial LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures integrated directly on Si(100). By reducing the thicknesses of the heterostructures, an enhancement in carrier-carrier scattering is observed in the Fermi liquid behavior, followed by a metal to insulator transition in the electrical transport. The insulating behavior is described by activated transport, and its onset occurs near an occupation of 1 electron per Ti site within the SrTiO3, providing evidence for a Mott driven transition. We also discuss the role that structure and gradients in strain could play in enhancing the carrier density. The manipulation of Mott metal-insulator behavior in oxides grown directly on Si opens the pathway to harnessing strongly correlated phenomena in device technologies.

Observation of large low field magnetoresistance in ramp-edge tunneling junctions based on doped manganite ferromagnetic electrodes and a SrTiO{sub 3} insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, C.; Jia, Q.X.; Fan, Y.; Hundley, M.F.; Reagor, D.W.; Hawley, M.E.; Peterson, D.E.

1998-07-01

The authors report the fabrication of ferromagnet-insulator-ferromagnet junction devices using a ramp-edge geometry based on (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3})MnO{sub 3} ferromagnetic electrodes and a SrTiO{sub 3} insulator. The multilayer thin films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition and the devices were patterned using photolithography and ion milling. As expected from the spin-dependent tunneling, the junction magnetoresistance depends on the relative orientation of the magnetization in the electrodes. The maximum junction magnetoresistance (JMR) of 30% is observed below 300 Oe at low temperatures (T < 100 K).

Ferromagnetic barrier-induced negative differential conductance on the surface of a topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Xing-Tao

2014-01-01

The effect of the negative differential conductance of a ferromagnetic barrier on the surface of a topological insulator is theoretically investigated. Due to the changes of the shape and position of the Fermi surfaces in the ferromagnetic barrier, the transport processes can be divided into three kinds: the total, partial, and blockade transmission mechanisms. The bias voltage can give rise to the transition of the transport processes from partial to blockade transmission mechanisms, which results in a considerable effect of negative differential conductance. With appropriate structural parameters, the current-voltage characteristics show that the minimum value of the current can reach to zero in a wide range of the bias voltage, and then a large peak-to-valley current ratio can be obtained. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

What can Andreev bound states tell us about superconductors?

Science.gov (United States)

Millo, Oded; Koren, Gad

2018-08-06

Zero-energy Andreev bound states, which manifest themselves in the tunnelling spectra as zero-bias conductance peaks (ZBCPs), are abundant at interfaces between superconductors and other materials and on the nodal surface of high-temperature superconductors. In this review, we focus on the information such excitations can provide on the properties of superconductor systems. First, a general introduction to the physics of Andreev bound states in superconductor/normal metal interfaces is given with a particular emphasis on why they appear at zero energy in d -wave superconductors. Then, specific spectroscopic tunnelling studies of thin films, bilayers and junctions are described, focusing on the corresponding ZBCP features. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) studies show that the ZBCPs on the c -axis YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- δ (YBCO) films are correlated with the surface morphology and appear only in proximity to (110) facets. STS on c -axis La 1.88 Sr 0.12 CuO 4 (LSCO) films exhibiting the 1/8 anomaly shows spatially modulated peaks near zero bias associated with the anti-phase ordering of the d -wave order parameter predicted at this doping level. ZBCPs were also found in micrometre-size edge junctions of YBCO/SrRuO 3 /YBCO, where SrRuO 3 is ferromagnetic. Here, the results are consistent with a crossed Andreev reflection effect (CARE) at the narrow domain walls of the SrRuO 3 ZBCPs measured in STS studies of manganite/cuprate bilayers could not be attributed to CARE because the manganite's domain wall is much larger than the coherence length in YBCO, and instead are attributed to proximity-induced triplet-pairing superconductivity with non-conventional symmetry. And finally, ZBCPs found in junctions of non-intentionally doped topological insulator films of Bi 2 Se 3 and the s -wave superconductor NbN are attributed to proximity-induced p x  + ip y triplet order parameter in the topological material.This article is part of the theme issue 'Andreev bound states'. �

Magnetic and transport properties of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} - La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mustafa, Luqman

2016-11-25

The exploration of interface properties in complex oxide heterostructures and superlattices is one of the new exciting fields in condensed matter sciences. This is particularly originating from the technological advances in synthesizing heterostructures with atomic scale precision by advanced thin film deposition techniques. There is a plethora of novel achievements culminating in unexpected results, such as generating artificial multifunctional materials with the prominent example of the appearance of interface electrical conductivity and even superconductivity in between insulating films (SrTiO{sub 3} - LaAlO{sub 3}). In this thesis a special case of heterostructures is treated. Here, heterostructures composed of superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} and half-metallic ferromagnetic La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} are investigated and the interplay of the two long-range antagonistic ordering principles - superconductivity and ferromagnetism - is intended to be studied. Whereas the physics of such structures with the CuO{sub 2} planes of the superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} oriented parallel to the substrate plane (i.e. the short coherence length of the superconductor, ξ{sub c} ∝ 0.1 nm is facing the interface perpendicular) has been explored in great detail, little is known in the case of the CuO{sub 2} planes oriented perpendicular to the substrate plane and thus ξ{sub ab} ∝ 1.6 nm is pointing perpendicular to the interface. In the former case, the properties of the heterostructures and superlattices are determined by an interplay of charge transfer and orbital reconstruction, but the mechanisms occurring in the latter case are unknown so far. Prior to elaborated experiments to study the interface properties at an atomistic scale, the technology of fabricating such structures has to be accomplished and their macroscopic properties (structure, transport and magnetic properties) have to be investigated. It is the goal of this thesis to

Chromium-induced ferromagnetism with perpendicular anisotropy in topological crystalline insulator SnTe (111) thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fei; Zhang, Hongrui; Jiang, Jue; Zhao, Yi-Fan; Yu, Jia; Liu, Wei; Li, Da; Chan, Moses H. W.; Sun, Jirong; Zhang, Zhidong; Chang, Cui-Zu

2018-03-01

Topological crystalline insulator is a recently discovered topological phase of matter. It possesses multiple Dirac surface states, which are protected by the crystal symmetry. This is in contrast to the time-reversal symmetry that is operative in the well-known topological insulators. In the presence of a Zeeman field and/or strain, the multiple Dirac surface states are gapped. The high-Chern-number quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state is predicted to emerge if the chemical potential resides in all the Zeeman gaps. Here, we use molecular-beam epitaxy to grow 12 double-layer (DL) pure and Cr-doped SnTe (111) thin film on heat-treated SrTi O3 (111) substrate using a quintuple layer of insulating (Bi0.2Sb0.8 ) 2T e3 topological insulator as a buffer film. The Hall traces of Cr-doped SnTe film at low temperatures display square hysteresis loops indicating long-range ferromagnetic order with perpendicular anisotropy. The Curie temperature of the 12 DL S n0.9C r0.1Te film is ˜110 K. Due to the chemical potential crossing the bulk valence bands, the anomalous Hall resistance of 12 DL S n0.9C r0.1Te film is substantially lower than the predicted quantized value (˜1 /4 h /e2 ). It is possible that with systematic tuning the chemical potential via chemical doping and electrical gating, the high-Chern-number QAH state can be realized in the Cr-doped SnTe (111) thin film.

Interfacial Interactions in Monolayer and Few-Layer SnS/CH3 NH3 PbI3 Perovskite van der Waals Heterostructures and Their Effects on Electronic and Optical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian-Cai; Wei, Zeng-Xi; Huang, Wei-Qing; Ma, Li-Li; Hu, Wangyu; Peng, Ping; Huang, Gui-Fang

2018-02-05

A high light-absorption coefficient and long-range hot-carrier transport of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites give huge potential to their composites in solar energy conversion and environmental protection. Understanding interfacial interactions and their effects are paramount for designing perovskite-based heterostructures with desirable properties. Herein, we systematically investigated the interfacial interactions in monolayer and few-layer SnS/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 heterostructures and their effects on the electronic and optical properties of these structures by density functional theory. It was found that the interfacial interactions in SnS/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 heterostructures were van der Waals (vdW) interactions, and they were found to be insensitive to the layer number of 2D SnS sheets. Interestingly, although their band gap decreased upon increasing the layer number of SnS, the near-gap electronic states and optical absorption spectra of these heterostructures were found to be strikingly similar. This feature was determined to be critical for the design of 2D layered SnS-based heterostructures. Strong absorption in the ultraviolet and visible-light regions, type II staggered band alignment at the interface, and few-layer SnS as an active co-catalyst make 2D SnS/CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 heterostructures promising candidates for photocatalysis, photodetectors, and solar energy harvesting and conversion. These results provide first insight into the nature of interfacial interactions and are useful for designing hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite-based devices with novel properties. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

PR IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS - INSULATING PLANES, METALLIC CHAINS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

KHOMSKII, D

Critical discussion is given of the properties of Pr-containing high-T(c) superconductors, especially Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7. It is argued that the models proposed to explain suppression of T(c) and other properties of this system (pairbreaking; hole filling; strong p-f hybridization) are inadequate and

Sharp superconductor-insulator transition in short wires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meidan, Dganit; Oreg, Yuval; Refael, Gil; Smith, Robert A.

2008-01-01

Recent experiments on short MoGe nanowires show a sharp superconductor-insulator transition tuned by the normal state resistance of the wire, with a critical resistance of R c ∼ R Q = h/(4e 2 ). These results are at odds with a broad range of theoretical work on Josephson-like systems that predicts a smooth transition, tuned by the value of the resistance that shunts the junction. We develop a self-consistent renormalization group treatment of interacting phase-slips and their dual counterparts, correlated cooper pair tunneling, beyond the dilute approximation. This analysis leads to a very sharp transition with a critical resistance of R Q . The addition of the quasi-particles' resistance at finite temperature leads to a quantitative agreement with the experimental results. This self-consistent renormalization group method should also be applicable to other physical systems that can be mapped onto similar sine-Gordon models, in the previously inaccessible intermediate-coupling regime

Emergent Momentum-Space Skyrmion Texture on the Surface of Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanta, Narayan; Kampf, Arno P.; Kopp, Thilo

The quantum anomalous Hall effect has been theoretically predicted and experimentally verified in magnetic topological insulators. In addition, the surface states of these materials exhibit a hedgehog-like ``spin'' texture in momentum space. Here, we apply the previously formulated low-energy model for Bi2Se3, a parent compound for magnetic topological insulators, to a slab geometry in which an exchange field acts only within one of the surface layers. In this sample set up, the hedgehog transforms into a skyrmion texture beyond a critical exchange field. This critical field marks a transition between two topologically distinct phases. The topological phase transition takes place without energy gap closing at the Fermi level and leaves the transverse Hall conductance unchanged and quantized to e2 / 2 h . The momentum-space skyrmion texture persists in a finite field range. It may find its realization in hybrid heterostructures with an interface between a three-dimensional topological insulator and a ferromagnetic insulator. The work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through TRR 80.

Tunneling conductance oscillations in spin-orbit coupled metal-insulator-superconductor junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kapri, Priyadarshini; Basu, Saurabh

2018-01-01

The tunneling conductance for a device consisting of a metal-insulator-superconductor (MIS) junction is studied in presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) via an extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism. We find that the tunneling conductance as a function of an effective barrier potential that defines the insulating layer and lies intermediate to the metallic and superconducting electrodes, displays an oscillatory behavior. The tunneling conductance shows high sensitivity to the RSOC for certain ranges of this potential, while it is insensitive to the RSOC for others. Additionally, when the period of oscillations is an odd multiple of a certain value of the effective potential, the conductance spectrum as a function of the biasing energy demonstrates a contrasting trend with RSOC, compared to when it is not an odd multiple. The explanations for the observation can be found in terms of a competition between the normal and Andreev reflections. Similar oscillatory behavior of the conductance spectrum is also seen for other superconducting pairing symmetries, thereby emphasizing that the insulating layer plays a decisive role in the conductance oscillations of a MIS junction. For a tunable Rashba coupling, the current flowing through the junction can be controlled with precision.

Superconducting cuprate heterostructures for hot electron bolometers

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, B.; Yakobov, R.; Vitkalov, S. A.; Sergeev, A.

2013-11-01

Transport properties of the resistive state of quasi-two dimensional superconducting heterostructures containing ultrathin La2-xSrxCuO4 layers synthesized using molecular beam epitaxy are studied. The electron transport exhibits strong deviation from Ohm's law, δV ˜γI3, with a coefficient γ(T) that correlates with the temperature variation of the resistivity dρ /dT. Close to the normal state, analysis of the nonlinear behavior in terms of electron heating yields an electron-phonon thermal conductance per unit area ge -ph≈1 W/K cm2 at T = 20 K, one-two orders of magnitude smaller than in typical superconductors. This makes superconducting LaSrCuO heterostructures to be attractive candidate for the next generation of hot electron bolometers with greatly improved sensitivity.

Superconducting cuprate heterostructures for hot electron bolometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, B.; Yakobov, R.; Vitkalov, S. A.; Sergeev, A.

2013-01-01

Transport properties of the resistive state of quasi-two dimensional superconducting heterostructures containing ultrathin La 2−x Sr x CuO 4 layers synthesized using molecular beam epitaxy are studied. The electron transport exhibits strong deviation from Ohm's law, δV∼γI 3 , with a coefficient γ(T) that correlates with the temperature variation of the resistivity dρ/dT. Close to the normal state, analysis of the nonlinear behavior in terms of electron heating yields an electron-phonon thermal conductance per unit area g e−ph ≈1 W/K cm 2 at T = 20 K, one-two orders of magnitude smaller than in typical superconductors. This makes superconducting LaSrCuO heterostructures to be attractive candidate for the next generation of hot electron bolometers with greatly improved sensitivity

Electron drag in ferromagnetic structures separated by an insulating interface

Science.gov (United States)

Kozub, V. I.; Muradov, M. I.; Galperin, Y. M.

2018-06-01

We consider electron drag in a system of two ferromagnetic layers separated by an insulating interface. The source of it is expected to be magnon-electron interactions. Namely, we assume that the external voltage is applied to the "active" layer stimulating electric current through this layer. In its turn, the scattering of the current-carrying electrons by magnons leads to a magnon drag current within this layer. The 3-magnons interactions between magnons in the two layers (being of non-local nature) lead to magnon drag within the "passive" layer which, correspondingly, produce electron drag current via processes of magnon-electron scattering. We estimate the drag current and compare it to the phonon-induced one.

Coherent and correlated spin transport in nanoscale superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morten, Jan Petter

2008-03-15

Motivated by the desire for better understanding of nano electronic systems, we theoretically study the conductance and noise characteristics of current flow between superconductors, ferromagnets, and normal-metals. Such nano structures can reveal information about superconductor proximity effects, spin-relaxation processes, and spintronic effects with potential applications for different areas of mesoscopic physics. We employ the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity in the Keldysh formalism, and calculate the nonequilibrium transport of spin and charge using various approaches like the circuit theory of quantum transport and full counting statistics. For two of the studied structures, we have been able to compare our theory to experimental data and obtain good agreement. Transport and relaxation of spin polarized current in superconductors is governed by energy-dependent transport coefficients and spin-flip rates which are determined by quantum interference effects. We calculate the resulting temperature-dependent spin flow in ferromagnet-superconductor devices. Experimental data for spin accumulation and spin relaxation in a superconducting nano wire is in agreement with the theory, and allows for a spin-flip spectroscopy that determines the dominant mechanism for spin-flip relaxation in the studied samples. A ferromagnet precessing under resonance conditions can give rise to pure spin current injection into superconductors. We find that the absorbed spin current is measurable as a temperature dependent Gilbert damping, which we calculate and compare to experimental data. Crossed Andreev reflection denotes superconducting pairing of electrons flowing from different normal-metal or ferromagnet terminals into a superconductor. We calculate the nonlocal currents resulting from this process in competition with direct electron transport between the normal-metal terminals. We take dephasing into account, and study the nonlocal current when the types of contact in

Experimental and numerical study of influence of ferromagnetic cover on critical current of BiSCCO-2223/Ag tape superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojenciak, M; Souc, J; Goemoery, F

2009-01-01

Samples of commercially available BiSCCO-2223/Ag tape have been partially covered by the ferromagnetic material. Improvement of the self-field critical current up to 15 % has been achieved by this procedure. A critical current of such tape strongly depends on geometric and magnetic properties of both, the superconducting tape as well as the ferromagnetic cover. Numerical simulations, based on the critical state model using commercial finite element method (FEM) code, have been performed. Properties of superconductor are characterized by anisotropic dependence of the critical current density on magnetic field as well as detail geometry of filaments. The ferromagnetic material is characterized by nonlinear magnetization curve. Nonlinear dependences of the critical current on selected parameters are shown in this work. Optimization of the cover parameters using these curves has been made. Samples with various parameters have been manufactured for the confirmation of numerical simulations results. Experimental results are in good qualitative agreement with results obtained by numerical simulations.

Controlled thermoelectric response of a tunable Rashba coupled metal-insulator-superconductor junction

Science.gov (United States)

Kapri, Priyadarshini; Adhikary, Priyanka; Sinha, Shubham; Basu, Saurabh

2018-05-01

Thermoelectric effect for metal, insulator and the superconductor junctions has been studied with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) being present at the interfaces via modified Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) theory. We find that the thermopower, as a function of an effective barrier potential that characterizes the intermediate insulating layer, displays an oscillatory behavior. Interesting interplay between the strength of RSOC and the effective barrier potential has been carried out in details in this regard. For specific ranges of the effective barrier potential, RSOC enhances the thermopower, while the reverse happens for other values. Moreover it is found that the effective barrier potential plays a crucial role in determining the thermopower spectrum. For a tunable Rashba coupling, the thermopower of the junction can be controlled with precision, which may useful for the thermoelectric applications, at low temperatures. Further the efficiency of the system is obtained for different pairing correlations of the superconducting lead where we find that the system with a d-wave symmetry is more efficient as compared to a s-wave correlation, in some selective regions of effective barrier potential. It is found that for some selective regions of effective barrier potential, the efficiency of the system increases with RSOC and the opposite happens for other values.

Hybrid molecule/superconductor assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Zhou, J.P., Jones, C.

1993-01-01

The fabrication of electronic devices from molecular materials has attracted much attention recently. Schottky diodes, molecular transistors, metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes, MIS field effect transistors and light emitting diodes have all been prepared utilizing such substances. The active elements in these devices have been constructed by depositing the molecular phase onto the surface of a metal, semiconductor or insulating substrate. With the recent discovery of high temperature superconductivity, new opportunities now exist for the study of molecule/superconductor interactions as well as for the construction of novel hybrid molecule/superconductor devices. In this paper, methods for preparing the initial two composite molecule/semiconductor devices will be reported. Consequently, light sensors based on dye-coated superconductor junctions as well as molecular switches fashioned from conductive polymer coated superconductor junctions as well as molecular switches fashioned from conductive polymer coated superconductor microbridges will be discussed. Moreover, molecule/superconductor energy and electron transfer phenomena will be illustrated also for the first time

Non-ferromagnetic overburden casing

Science.gov (United States)

Vinegar, Harold J.; Harris, Christopher Kelvin; Mason, Stanley Leroy

2010-09-14

Systems, methods, and heaters for treating a subsurface formation are described herein. At least one system for electrically insulating an overburden portion of a heater wellbore is described. The system may include a heater wellbore located in a subsurface formation and an electrically insulating casing located in the overburden portion of the heater wellbore. The casing may include at least one non-ferromagnetic material such that ferromagnetic effects are inhibited in the casing.

Spin-orbit torque induced switching in a magnetic insulator thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J. X.; Yu, G. Q.; Tang, C.; Wang, K. L.; Shi, J.

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) has been demonstrated to be efficient to manipulate the magnetization in heavy-metal/ferromagnetic metal (HM/FMM) heterostructures. In HM/magnetic insulator (MI) heterostructures, charge currents do not flow in MI, but pure spin currents generated by the spin Hall effect in HM can enter the MI layer to cause magnetization dynamics. Here we report SOT-induced magnetization switching in Tm3Fe5O12/Pt heterostructures, where Tm3Fe5O12 (TmIG) is a MI grown by pulsed laser deposition with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The anomalous Hall signal in Pt is used as a probe to detect the magnetization switching. Effective magnetic fields due to the damping-like and field-like torques are extracted using a harmonic Hall detection method. The experiments are carried out in heterostructures with different TmIG film thicknesses. Both the switching and harmonic measurements indicate a more efficient SOT generation in HM/MI than in HM/FMM heterostructures. Our comprehensive experimental study and detailed analysis will be presented. This work was supported as part of the SHINES, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award No. SC0012670.

Charge and spin transport in mesoscopic superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. J. Wolf

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Non-equilibrium charge transport in superconductors has been investigated intensely in the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in the vicinity of the critical temperature. Much less attention has been paid to low temperatures and the role of the quasiparticle spin.Results: We report here on nonlocal transport in superconductor hybrid structures at very low temperatures. By comparing the nonlocal conductance obtained by using ferromagnetic and normal-metal detectors, we discriminate charge and spin degrees of freedom. We observe spin injection and long-range transport of pure, chargeless spin currents in the regime of large Zeeman splitting. We elucidate charge and spin transport by comparison to theoretical models.Conclusion: The observed long-range chargeless spin transport opens a new path to manipulate and utilize the quasiparticle spin in superconductor nanostructures.

Neutron Scattering from Heisenberg Ferromagnets EuO and EuS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Als-Nielsen, Jens Aage; Dietrich, O. W.; Passell, L.

1976-01-01

Neutron scattering has been used to study the magnetic ordering process in the isotropic exchange coupled ferromagnets EuO and EuS. Quantities investigated include the critical coefficients B and F+ and the critical exponents β, ν, and γ describing respectively the temperature dependence...

Critical de Broglie wavelength in superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Talantsev, E. F.

2018-03-01

There are growing numbers of experimental evidences that the self-field critical currents, Jc(sf,T), are a new instructive tool to investigate fundamental properties of superconductors ranging from atomically thin films [M. Liao et al., Nat. Phys. 6 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-017-0031-6; E. F. Talantsev et al., 2D Mater. 4 (2017) 025072; A. Fete et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 109 (2016) 192601] to millimeter-scale samples [E. F. Talantsev et al., Sci. Rep. 7 (2017) 10010]. The basic empirical equation which quantitatively accurately described experimental Jc(sf,T) was proposed by Talantsev and Tallon [Nat. Commun. 6 (2015) 7820] and it was the relevant critical field (i.e. thermodynamic field, Bc, for type-I and lower critical field, Bc1, for type-II superconductors) divided by the London penetration depth, λL. In this paper, we report new findings relating to this empirical equation. It is that the critical wavelength of the de Broglie wave, λdB,c, of the superconducting charge carrier which within a numerical pre-factor is equal to the largest of two characteristic lengths of Ginzburg-Landau theory, i.e. the coherence length, ξ, for type-I superconductors or the London penetration depth, λL, for type-II superconductors. We also formulate a microscopic criterion for the onset of dissipative transport current flow: ps ṡ 2ṡλL ln(1+2ṡ(λL ξ )) ≥ 1 2 ṡ ( h 2π), where ps is the charge carrier momentum, h is Planck’s constant and the inequality sign “ <” is reserved for the dissipation-free flow.

Fractional Josephson vortices in two-gap superconductor long Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ju

2014-03-01

We investigated the phase dynamics of long Josephson junctions (LJJ) with two-gap superconductors in the broken time reversal symmetry state. In this LJJ, spatial phase textures (i-solitons) can be excited due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Joesphson effect between them. The presence of a spatial phase texture in each superconductor layer leads to a spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. We find that this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in Josephson vortices with fractional flux quanta. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, the fractionalization of a Josephson vortex arises as a response to either periodic or random excitation of i-solitions. This suggests that magnetic flux measurements may be used to probe i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs.

Voltage control of magnetism in multiferroic heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ming; Sun, Nian X

2014-02-28

Electrical tuning of magnetism is of great fundamental and technical importance for fast, compact and ultra-low power electronic devices. Multiferroics, simultaneously exhibiting ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, have attracted much interest owing to the capability of controlling magnetism by an electric field through magnetoelectric (ME) coupling. In particular, strong strain-mediated ME interaction observed in layered multiferroic heterostructures makes it practically possible for realizing electrically reconfigurable microwave devices, ultra-low power electronics and magnetoelectric random access memories (MERAMs). In this review, we demonstrate this remarkable E-field manipulation of magnetism in various multiferroic composite systems, aiming at the creation of novel compact, lightweight, energy-efficient and tunable electronic and microwave devices. First of all, tunable microwave devices are demonstrated based on ferrite/ferroelectric and magnetic-metal/ferroelectric composites, showing giant ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) tunability with narrow FMR linewidth. Then, E-field manipulation of magnetoresistance in multiferroic anisotropic magnetoresistance and giant magnetoresistance devices for achieving low-power electronic devices is discussed. Finally, E-field control of exchange-bias and deterministic magnetization switching is demonstrated in exchange-coupled antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic/ferroelectric multiferroic hetero-structures at room temperature, indicating an important step towards MERAMs. In addition, recent progress in electrically non-volatile tuning of magnetic states is also presented. These tunable multiferroic heterostructures and devices provide great opportunities for next-generation reconfigurable radio frequency/microwave communication systems and radars, spintronics, sensors and memories.

Dualism of the 5f electrons of the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2 as seen in magnetic, transport, and specific-heat data

Science.gov (United States)

Troć, R.; Gajek, Z.; Pikul, A.

2012-12-01

Single-crystalline UGe2 was investigated by means of magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistivity, and specific-heat measurements, all carried out in wide temperature and magnetic-field ranges. An analysis of the obtained data points out the dual behavior of the 5f electrons in this compound, i.e., possessing simultaneously local and itinerant characters in two substates. The magnetic and thermal characteristics of the compound were modeled using the effective crystal field (CF) in the intermediate coupling scheme and initial parameters obtained in the angular overlap model. Various configurations of the localized 5fn (n = 1, 2, and 3) electrons on the uranium ion have been probed. The best results were obtained for the 5f2 (U4+) configuration. The CF parameters obtained in the paramagnetic region allowed us to reproduce satisfactorily the experimental findings in the whole temperature range including also the magnitude of the ordered magnetic moment of uranium at low temperature. The electrical resistivity data after subtraction of the phonon contribution reveal the presence of a Kondo-like interaction in UGe2 supporting the idea of partial localization of the 5f electrons in UGe2. On the other hand, magnetoresistivity and an excess of specific heat originated from the hybridized (itinerant) part of 5f states, apparent around the characteristic temperature T*, give a distinct signature for the presence of the coupled charge-density wave and spin-density wave fluctuations over all the ferromagnetic region with a maximum at T*, postulated earlier in the literature.

Designing Metallic and Insulating Nanocrystal Heterostructures to Fabricate Highly Sensitive and Solution Processed Strain Gauges for Wearable Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Woo Seok; Lee, Seung-Wook; Joh, Hyungmok; Seong, Mingi; Kim, Haneun; Kang, Min Su; Cho, Ki-Hyun; Sung, Yun-Mo; Oh, Soong Ju

2017-12-01

All-solution processed, high-performance wearable strain sensors are demonstrated using heterostructure nanocrystal (NC) solids. By incorporating insulating artificial atoms of CdSe quantum dot NCs into metallic artificial atoms of Au NC thin film matrix, metal-insulator heterostructures are designed. This hybrid structure results in a shift close to the percolation threshold, modifying the charge transport mechanism and enhancing sensitivity in accordance with the site percolation theory. The number of electrical pathways is also manipulated by creating nanocracks to further increase its sensitivity, inspired from the bond percolation theory. The combination of the two strategies achieves gauge factor up to 5045, the highest sensitivity recorded among NC-based strain gauges. These strain sensors show high reliability, durability, frequency stability, and negligible hysteresis. The fundamental charge transport behavior of these NC solids is investigated and the combined site and bond percolation theory is developed to illuminate the origin of their enhanced sensitivity. Finally, all NC-based and solution-processed strain gauge sensor arrays are fabricated, which effectively measure the motion of each finger joint, the pulse of heart rate, and the movement of vocal cords of human. This work provides a pathway for designing low-cost and high-performance electronic skin or wearable devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of spontaneous decay of superconductor quasiparticles in the tunneling density of states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coffey, D.

1993-01-01

Superconductivity has been successfully described with either the Landau-Ginzburg theory of second order phase transitions or with strong-coupling versions of the original BCS theory for almost fifty years. Recent tunneling and photoemission data on the cuprate oxide superconductors may now provide evidence of corrections to the mean field approximation. It has been shown by Zasadzinski et al. that there is a dip at eV ≅ 3Δ 0 in the SIS tunneling conductance, which is the derivative of the current across a superconductor-insulator-superconductor junction with respect to the applied voltage, for a set of cuprate superconductors whose T c 's range from 5.5K to 100K. Recently L. Coffey and I proposed an explanation of this feature in terms of the spontaneous decay of mean field quasiparticles. We showed that corrections to the mean field approximation for a superconductor lead to different frequency thresholds for spontaneous quasiparticle decay with different superconductor order parameter symmetries. These effects lead to features in the superconductor density of states and in the SIS tunneling conductance and provide experimental evidence of d-wave symmetry for the superconductor order parameter in the cuprates. I discuss model and also evidence of quasiparticle decay in ARPES data on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8

Ferromagnetic Peierls insulator state in A Mg4Mn6O15(A =K ,Rb ,Cs )

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, T.; Sugimoto, K.; Ohta, Y.; Tanaka, Y.; Sato, H.

2018-04-01

Using the density-functional-theory-based electronic structure calculations, we study the electronic state of recently discovered mixed-valent manganese oxides A Mg4Mn6O15(A =K ,Rb ,Cs ) , which are fully spin-polarized ferromagnetic insulators with a cubic crystal structure. We show that the system may be described as a three-dimensional arrangement of the one-dimensional chains of a 2 p orbital of O and a 3 d orbital of Mn running along the three axes of the cubic lattice. We thereby argue that in the ground state the chains are fully spin polarized due to the double-exchange mechanism and are distorted by the Peierls mechanism to make the system insulating.

On the s-d model for coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonchev, N.S.; Brankov, J.G.

1979-09-01

The Vonsovsky - Zener model for a superconductor with regularly positioned magnetic impurities is considered. Two theorems are given which prove the exact solvability of the thermodynamic problem by the approximating hamiltonian method. Exact analytical solutions for the zero-temperature order parameters and the ground state energy of the mixed phase are derived. The comparison of the energies of the different phases confirms the known result that ferromagnetism and superconductivity cannot coexist in the ground state of the model. (author)

Photoelectrochemical-type sunlight photodetector based on MoS2/graphene heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zongyu; Han, Weijia; Chander, D Sathish; Qi, Xiang; Zhang, Han; Tang, Hongli; Ren, Long

2015-01-01

We have fabricated a novel sunlight photo-detector based on a MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure. The MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure was prepared by a facile hydrothermal method along with a subsequent annealing process followed by a substrate-induced high selective nucleation and growth mechanism. The microstructures and morphologies of the two-dimensional MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure can be experimentally confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a UV–vis absorption spectrometer. Photoresponse investigations performed by a photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurement system indicate that the synthesized MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure shows superior photoresponse activities under the illumination of sunlight in contrast with bare MoS 2 and graphene. The improved photoresponsivity can be attributed to the enhanced light absorption, strong light–matter interaction and the extremely efficient charge separation of the heterostructure. The structure and performances of the MoS 2 /graphene heterostructure suggest promising applications in the field of photonics and optoelectronics. (paper)

Theory of charge transport in diffusive normal metal conventional superconductor point contacts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Kashiwaya, S.

2003-01-01

Tunneling conductance in diffusive normal (DN) metal/insulator/s-wave superconductor junctions is calculated for various situations by changing the magnitudes of the resistance and Thouless energy in DN and the transparency of the insulating barrier. The generalized boundary condition introduced by

Edge instabilities of topological superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hofmann, Johannes S. [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Universitaet Wuerzburg (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Assaad, Fakher F. [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Universitaet Wuerzburg (Germany); Schnyder, Andreas P. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany)

2016-07-01

Nodal topological superconductors display zero-energy Majorana flat bands at generic edges. The flatness of these edge bands, which is protected by time-reversal and translation symmetry, gives rise to an extensive ground state degeneracy and a diverging density of states. Therefore, even arbitrarily weak interactions lead to an instability of the flat-band edge states towards time-reversal and translation-symmetry broken phases, which lift the ground-state degeneracy. Here, we employ Monte Carlo simulations combined with mean-field considerations to examine the instabilities of the flat-band edge states of d{sub xy}-wave superconductors. We find that attractive interactions induce a complex s-wave pairing instability together with a density wave instability. Repulsive interactions, on the other hand, lead to ferromagnetism mixed with spin-triplet pairing at the edge. We discuss the implications of our findings for experiments on cuprate high-temperature superconductors.

Superconductor-Metal-Insulator transition in two dimensional Ta thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sun-Gyu; Kim, Eunseong

2013-03-01

Superconductor-insulator transition has been induced by tuning film thickness or magnetic field. Recent electrical transport measurements of MoGe, Bi, Ta thin films revealed an interesting intermediate metallic phase which intervened superconducting and insulating phases at certain range of magnetic field. Especially, Ta thin films show the characteristic IV behavior at each phase and the disorder tuned intermediate metallic phase [Y. Li, C. L. Vicente, and J. Yoon, Physical Review B 81, 020505 (2010)]. This unexpected metallic phase can be interpreted as a consequence of vortex motion or contribution of fermionic quasiparticles. In this presentation, we report the scaling behavior during the transitions in Ta thin film as well as the transport measurements in various phases. Critical exponents v and z are obtained in samples with wide ranges of disorder. These results reveal new universality class appears when disorder exceeds a critical value. Dynamical exponent z of Superconducting sample is found to be 1, which is consistent with theoretical prediction of unity. z in a metallic sample is suddenly increased to be approximately 2.5. This critical exponent is much larger than the value found in other system and theoretical prediction. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Research Foundation of Korea through the Creative Research Initiatives.

Transport through hybrid superconducting/ferromagnetic double-path junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Facio, T.J.S. [Departamento de Física e Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, 15385-000, Ilha Solteira, SP (Brazil); Orellana, P.A. [Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria, Av. Vicuña Mackenna, 3939, Santiago (Chile); Jurelo, A.R. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG, 84030-000, Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil); Figueira, M.S. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24210-340, Niterói, RJ (Brazil); Cabrera, G.G. [Instituto de Física ‘Gleb Wataghin’, Universidade Estadual de Campinas – UNICAMP, 13083-859, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Siqueira, E.C., E-mail: ecosta@utfpr.edu.br [Departamento de Física, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná – UTFPR, 84016-210, Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil)

2017-02-05

In this paper we study a double-path junction formed by a ferromagnetic and a superconductor lead. The first path connects the superconductor and ferromagnet directly while the second path connects these metals through a quantum dot. The whole system works as an Aharonov–Bohm interferometer allowing the study of the interference between these two paths under the presence of spin imbalance and Andreev bound states. We considered the effect of Fano interference on the electronic transmittance through the quantum dot and observed two regimes of conduction depending on the strength of the direct coupling. For the weak coupling regime, the transmittance presented the usual four resonances due to the Andreev bound states whereas for the strong coupling regime the profile was inverted and resonances became anti-resonances. However, even in the strong coupling regime it was possible to observe a central resonance due to the interference between the Andreev bound states. We have also studied the signatures of Fano interference on the average occupation within the quantum dot. The spin accumulation was analyzed and how it depends on the direct coupling and an external magnetic field applied to the system. The results obtained may be used in a possible experimental implementation of this system in order to probe spin related effects in ferromagnetic superconductor nanostructures. - Highlights: • An Aharonov–Bohm interferometer composed by a quantum-dot coupled to a superconductor and ferromagnetic lead is studied. • The transmittance through the QD is determined by the interplay between Andreev and Fano interference. • Spin accumulation within the quantum dot is studied as a function of bias/gate voltages and an external magnetic flux.

Quasi-Two-Dimensional h-BN/β-Ga2O3 Heterostructure Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Janghyuk; Mastro, Michael A; Tadjer, Marko J; Kim, Jihyun

2017-06-28

β-gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 ) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heterostructure-based quasi-two-dimensional metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) were demonstrated by integrating mechanical exfoliation of (quasi)-two-dimensional materials with a dry transfer process, wherein nanothin flakes of β-Ga 2 O 3 and h-BN were utilized as the channel and gate dielectric, respectively, of the MISFET. The h-BN dielectric, which has an extraordinarily flat and clean surface, provides a minimal density of charged impurities on the interface between β-Ga 2 O 3 and h-BN, resulting in superior device performances (maximum transconductance, on/off ratio, subthreshold swing, and threshold voltage) compared to those of the conventional back-gated configurations. Also, double-gating of the fabricated device was demonstrated by biasing both top and bottom gates, achieving the modulation of the threshold voltage. This heterostructured wide-band-gap nanodevice shows a new route toward stable and high-power nanoelectronic devices.

Nanoscale semiconductor-insulator-metal core/shell heterostructures: facile synthesis and light emission

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gong Ping; Chen, Rui; Guo, Dong Lai; Wong, Lai Mun; Wang, Shi Jie; Sun, Han Dong; Wu, Tom

2011-08-01

Controllably constructing hierarchical nanostructures with distinct components and designed architectures is an important theme of research in nanoscience, entailing novel but reliable approaches of bottom-up synthesis. Here, we report a facile method to reproducibly create semiconductor-insulator-metal core/shell nanostructures, which involves first coating uniform MgO shells onto metal oxide nanostructures in solution and then decorating them with Au nanoparticles. The semiconductor nanowire core can be almost any material and, herein, ZnO, SnO2 and In2O3 are used as examples. We also show that linear chains of short ZnO nanorods embedded in MgO nanotubes and porous MgO nanotubes can be obtained by taking advantage of the reduced thermal stability of the ZnO core. Furthermore, after MgO shell-coating and the appropriate annealing treatment, the intensity of the ZnO near-band-edge UV emission becomes much stronger, showing a 25-fold enhancement. The intensity ratio of the UV/visible emission can be increased further by decorating the surface of the ZnO/MgO nanowires with high-density plasmonic Au nanoparticles. These heterostructured semiconductor-insulator-metal nanowires with tailored morphologies and enhanced functionalities have great potential for use as nanoscale building blocks in photonic and electronic applications.Controllably constructing hierarchical nanostructures with distinct components and designed architectures is an important theme of research in nanoscience, entailing novel but reliable approaches of bottom-up synthesis. Here, we report a facile method to reproducibly create semiconductor-insulator-metal core/shell nanostructures, which involves first coating uniform MgO shells onto metal oxide nanostructures in solution and then decorating them with Au nanoparticles. The semiconductor nanowire core can be almost any material and, herein, ZnO, SnO2 and In2O3 are used as examples. We also show that linear chains of short ZnO nanorods embedded in

Phase Sensitive Measurements of Ferromagnetic Josephson Junctions for Cryogenic Memory Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Niedzielski, Bethany Maria

A Josephson junction is made up of two superconducting layers separated by a barrier. The original Josephson junctions, studied in the early 1960's, contained an insulating barrier. Soon thereafter, junctions with normal-metal barriers were also studied. Ferromagnetic materials were not even theoretically considered as a barrier layer until around 1980, due to the competing order between ferromagnetic and superconducting systems. However, many exciting physical phenomena arise in hybrid superconductor/ferromagnetic devices, including devices where the ground state phase difference between the two superconductors is shifted by pi. Since their experimental debut in 2001, so-called pi junctions have been demonstrated by many groups, including my own, in systems with a single ferromagnetic layer. In this type of system, the phase of the junction can be set to either 0 or pi depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer. Of interest, however, is the ability to control the phase of a single junction between the 0 and pi states. This was theoretically shown to be possible in a system containing two ferromagnetic layers (spin-valve junctions). If the materials and their thicknesses are properly chosen to manipulate the electron pair correlation function, then the phase state of a spin-valve Josephson junction should be capable of switching between the 0 and ? phase states when the magnetization directions of the two ferromagnetic layers are oriented in the antiparallel and parallel configurations, respectively. Such a phase-controllable junction would have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, which is a necessary component to an ultra-low power superconducting computer. A fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. The goal of this work was to experimentally verify this prediction for a phase-controllable ferromagnetic Josephson junction. To address this

Experiments on phase retrapping in φ Josephson junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldobin, Edward; Menditto, Rosina; Koelle, Dieter; Kleiner, Reinhold [University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen (Germany); Weides, Martin [KIT, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2015-07-01

We experimentally study retrapping of the phase in φ Josephson junctions (JJs) based on superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) 0-π heterostructures. Such φ JJs have a doubly degenerate ground state (two potential energy wells) with the phases ±φ (0 < φ < π). We study in which of these two wells the phase is trapped upon return of the JJ to the zero voltage state. We find that for T>T* ∼ 2.4 K (large damping) the phase is always trapped in the +φ state. However, for lower T (small damping) the trapping result is a statistical mixture of the +φ and the -φ states due to the presence of noise in the system. The probability for retrapping to the -φ state increases and oscillates as T is decreasing below T*, reaching a saturation value of ∝ 30% for T

Spin transport properties of partially edge-hydrogenated MoS2 nanoribbon heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Li; Yao, Kailun; Zhu, Sicong; Ni, Yun; Zu, Fengxia; Wang, Shuling; Guo, Bin; Tian, Yong

2014-01-01

We report ab initio calculations of electronic transport properties of heterostructure based on MoS 2 nanoribbons. The heterostructure consists of edge hydrogen-passivated and non-passivated zigzag MoS 2 nanoribbons (ZMoS 2 NR-H/ZMoS 2 NR). Our calculations show that the heterostructure has half-metallic behavior which is independent of the nanoribbon width. The opening of spin channels of the heterostructure depends on the matching of particular electronic orbitals in the Mo-dominated edges of ZMoS 2 NR-H and ZMoS 2 NR. Perfect spin filter effect appears at small bias voltages, and large negative differential resistance and rectifying effects are also observed in the heterostructure.

Topological insulators, topological superconductors and Weyl fermion semimetals: discoveries, perspectives and outlooks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, M Zahid; Xu, Su-Yang; Bian, Guang

2015-01-01

Unlike string theory, topological physics in lower dimensional condensed matter systems is an experimental reality since the bulk-boundary correspondence can be probed experimentally in lower dimensions. In addition, recent experimental discoveries of non-quantum-Hall-like topological insulators, topological superconductors, Weyl semimetals and other topological states of matter also signal a clear departure from the quantum-Hall-effect-like transport paradigm that has dominated the field since the 1980s. It is these new forms of matter that enabled realizations of topological-Dirac, Weyl cones, helical-Cooper-pairs, Fermi-arc-quasiparticles and other emergent phenomena in fine-tuned photoemission (ARPES) experiments since ARPES experiments directly allow the study of bulk-boundary (topological) correspondence. In this proceeding we provide a brief overview of the key experiments and discuss our perspectives regarding the new research frontiers enabled by these experiments. Taken collectively, we argue in favor of the emergence of ‘topological-condensed-matter-physics’ in laboratory experiments for which a variety of theoretical concepts over the last 80 years paved the way. (review)

Magnetic properties of lithium rare-earth fluorides: Ferromagnetism in LiErF4 and LiHoF4 and crystal-field parameters at the rare-earth and Li sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, P. E.; Johansson, Torben; Nevald, Rolf

1975-01-01

Single crystals of LiErF4 and LiHoF4 have been grown and their magnetic properties measured from 1.3 K to 300 K. LiHoF4 turned out to be a nearly ideal Ising ferromagnet with TC=1.30±0.05 K and a saturation magnetization along the crystalline c axis of (6.98±0.02)μB. In LiErF4 no ordering...... was observed, but extrapolation indicates that below 0.5 K it will be ferromagnetic with the magnetic moments in the crytalline ab plane. From the susceptibilities the crystal-field parameters Bnm with (n, m)=(2, 0), (4, 0), (4, 4), (6, 0), (6, 4) have been extracted giving for Er3+ in LiErF4: 430., -985......., 1185., -5., 740.+i135. (cm-1) and for Ho3+ in LiHoF4: 470., -825., 1050., -10., 760.+i150 (cm-1). The exchange constants were found to be small compared to the dipole interactions. Furthermore the 7Li NMR spectra have been obtained in these materials as well as in LiTbF4 thereby determining the second...

In-plane electric field controlled ferromagnetism and anisotropic magnetoresistance in an LSMO/PMN-PT heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qi; Xu, Xiaoguang; Wang, Fang; Lu, Yunhao; Chen, Jikun; Wu, Yanjun; Meng, Kangkang; Wu, Yong; Miao, Jun; Jiang, Yong

2018-06-01

We report the in-plane electric field controlled ferromagnetism of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) films epitaxially deposited on [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]0.7-(PbTiO3)0.3 (PMN-PT) (001), (011) and (111) single crystal substrates. The in-plane coercivities (H c∥) and remanences of the LSMO films greatly depend on the in-plane electric field applied on the PMN-PT (001) and (011) substrates. The experimental change of H c∥ is consistent with the Stoner–Wohlfarth model and first principle calculation with the electric field varying from ‑10 to 10 kV cm‑1. Moreover, the Curie temperature and anisotropic magnetoresistance of the LSMO films can also be manipulated by an in-plane electric field. Finally, the LSMO/PMN-PT (001) heterostructure is designed to be a new kind of magnetic signal generator with the source of electric field.

Controllable Quantum States Mesoscopic Superconductivity and Spintronics (MS+S2006)

Science.gov (United States)

Takayanagi, Hideaki; Nitta, Junsaku; Nakano, Hayato

2008-10-01

distance on the magnetization configuration of submicron-sized ferromagnetic rings / Tetsuya Miyawaki. A wide GaAs/GaAlAs quantum well simultaneously containing two dimensional electrons and holes / Ane Jensen. Simulation of the photon-spin quantum state transfer process / Yoshiaki Rikitake. Magnetotransport in two-dimensional electron gases on cylindrical surface / Friedland Klaus-Juergen. Full counting statistics for a single-electron transistor at intermediate conductance / Yasuhiro Utsumi. Creation of spin-polarized current using quantum point contacts and its detection / Mikio Eto. Density dependent electron effective mass in a back-gated quantum well / S. Nomura. The supersymmetric sigma formula and metal-insulator transition in diluted magnetic semiconductors / I. Kanazawa. Spin-photovoltaic effect in quantum wires / A. Fedorov -- Quantum interference. Nonequilibrium transport in Aharonov-Bohm interferometer with electron-phonon interaction / Akiko Ueda. Fano resonance and its breakdown in AB ring embedded with a molecule / Shigeo Fujimoto, Yuhei Natsume. Quantum resonance above a barrier in the presence of dissipation / Kohkichi Konno. Ensemble averaging in metallic quantum networks / F. Mallet -- Coherence and order in exotic materials. Progress towards an electronic array on liquid helium / David Rees. Measuring noise and cross correlations at high frequencies in nanophysics / T. Martin. Single wall carbon nanotube weak links / K. Grove-Rasmussen. Optical preparation of nuclear spins coupled to a localized electron spin / Guido Burkard. Topological effects in charge density wave dynamics / Toru Matsuura. Studies on nanoscale charge-density-wave systems: fabrication technique and transport phenomena / Katsuhiko Inagaki. Anisotropic behavior of hysteresis induced by the in-plane field in the v = 2/3 quantum Hall state / Kazuki Iwata. Phase diagram of the v = 2 bilayer quantum Hall state / Akira Fukuda -- Trapped ions (special talk). Quantum computation with trapped

Ferromagnetism in the two-dimensional periodic Anderson model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batista, C. D.; Bonca, J.; Gubernatis, J. E.

2001-01-01

Using the constrained-path Monte Carlo method, we studied the magnetic properties of the two-dimensional periodic Anderson model for electron fillings between 1/4 and 1/2. We also derived two effective low-energy theories to assist in interpreting the numerical results. For 1/4 filling, we found that the system can be a Mott or a charge-transfer insulator, depending on the relative values of the Coulomb interaction and the charge-transfer gap between the two noninteracting bands. The insulator may be a paramagnet or antiferromagnet. We concentrated on the effect of electron doping on these insulating phases. Upon doping we obtained a partially saturated ferromagnetic phase for low concentrations of conduction electrons. If the system were a charge-transfer insulator, we would find that the ferromagnetism is induced by the well-known Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction. However, we found a novel correlated hopping mechanism inducing the ferromagnetism in the region where the nondoped system is a Mott insulator. Our regions of ferromagnetism spanned a much smaller doping range than suggested by recent slave boson and dynamical mean-field theory calculations, but they were consistent with that obtained by density-matrix renormalization group calculations of the one-dimensional periodic Anderson model

Simulation of ferromagnetic shielding to the critical current of Bi2223/Ag tape under external fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu Chen [Applied Superconductivity Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Alamgir, A K M [Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 75-9 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama (Japan); Qu Timing [Applied Superconductivity Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Han, Z [Applied Superconductivity Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2007-03-15

Ferromagnetic material was electroplated onto the surface of the Bi2223/Ag multi-filamentary tape and as a result changed the I{sub c}(B) characteristic of the tape correspondingly. A numerical simulation was used to investigate the influence of ferromagnetic shielding (FS) on the performance of the tape, in particular the I{sub c} behaviour under perpendicular external fields. Using finite element analysis, we are able to understand how FS alters the flux distribution within the superconductor region under any arbitrary shielding structure. The shielding width, thickness and nonlinear property of the ferromagnetic material were taken into account for the simulation. Finally, optimized shielding parameters in association with different operating fields were suggested and these values could be considered for the next run of experimental work.

Simulation of ferromagnetic shielding to the critical current of Bi2223/Ag tape under external fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Chen; Alamgir, A K M; Qu Timing; Han, Z

2007-01-01

Ferromagnetic material was electroplated onto the surface of the Bi2223/Ag multi-filamentary tape and as a result changed the I c (B) characteristic of the tape correspondingly. A numerical simulation was used to investigate the influence of ferromagnetic shielding (FS) on the performance of the tape, in particular the I c behaviour under perpendicular external fields. Using finite element analysis, we are able to understand how FS alters the flux distribution within the superconductor region under any arbitrary shielding structure. The shielding width, thickness and nonlinear property of the ferromagnetic material were taken into account for the simulation. Finally, optimized shielding parameters in association with different operating fields were suggested and these values could be considered for the next run of experimental work

Electron tunneling studies of ultrathin films near the superconductor-to-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valles, J.M. Jr.; Garno, J.P.

1994-01-01

Electron tunneling measurements on ultrathin quench-condensed films near the superconductor-to-insulator (SI) transition reveal that the superconducting state degrades with increasing normal state sheet resistance, R □ , in a manner that depends strongly on film morphology. In homogeneously disordered films, the superconducting energy gap Δ 0 decreases continuously and appears to go to zero at the SI transition. In granular films the transport properties degrade while Δ 0 remains constant. Measurements in the normal state reveal disorder enhanced e - -e - interaction corrections to the density of states. These effects are strong and depend on morphology in a manner that is consistent with their playing an important role in driving the SI transition. (orig.)

The spin-s quantum Heisenberg ferromagnetic models in the physical magnon theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, B.-G.; Pu, F.-C.

2001-01-01

The spin-s quantum Heisenberg ferromagnetic model is investigated in the physical magnon theory. The effect of the extra unphysical magnon states on every site is completely removed in the magnon Hamiltonian and during approximation procedure so that the condition †n i a n i >=0(n≥2s+1) is rigorously satisfied. The physical multi-magnon occupancy †n i a n i >(1≤n≤2s) is proportional to T 3n/2 at low temperature and is equivalent to 1/(2s+1) at the Curie temperature. The magnetization not only unified but also well-behaved from zero temperature to Curie temperature is obtained in the framework of the magnon theory for the spin-s quantum Heisenberg ferromagnetic model. The ill-behaved magnetizations at high temperature in earlier magnon theories are completely corrected. The relation of magnon (spin wave) theory with spin-operator decoupling theory is clearly understood

Magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic heterostructure of rf-sputtered Ni–Mn–Ga thin film on PMN–PT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teferi, M.Y.; Amaral, V.S.; Lounrenco, A.C.; Das, S.; Amaral, J.S.; Karpinsky, D.V.; Soares, N.; Sobolev, N.A.; Kholkin, A.L.; Tavares, P.B.

2012-01-01

In this paper, we report a preparation of multiferroic heterostructure from thin film of Ni–Mn–Ga (NMG) alloy and lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN–PT) with effective magnetoelectric (ME) coupling between the film as ferromagnetic material and PMN–PT as piezoelectric material. The heterostructure was prepared by relatively low temperature (400 °C) deposition of the film on single crystal of piezoelectric PMN–PT substrate using rf magnetron co-sputtering of Ni 50 Mn 50 and Ni 50 Ga 50 targets. Magnetic measurements by Superconducting Quantum Interference Design (SQIUD) Magnetometer and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) on the film revealed that the film is in ferromagnetically ordered martensitic state at room temperature with saturation magnetization of ∼240 emu/cm 3 and Curie temperature of ∼337 K. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) measurement done at room temperature on the substrate showed the presence of expected hysteresis loop confirming the stability of the piezoelectric state of the substrate after deposition. Room temperature ME voltage coefficient (α ME ) of the heterostructure was measured as a function of applied bias dc magnetic field in Longitudinal–Transverse (L–T) ME coupling mode by lock-in technique. A maximum ME coefficient α ME of 3.02 mV/cm Oe was measured for multiferroic NMG/PMN–PT heterostructure which demonstrates that there is ME coupling between the film as ferromagnetic material and PMN–PT as piezoelectric material. - Highlights: ► Multiferroic NMG/PMN–PT heterostructure prepared by depositing NMG alloy thin film on PMN–PT substrate. ► The film is in ferromagnetically ordered martensite state at room temperature. ► The substrate maintains its piezoelectric state after deposition. ► The heterostructure exhibits ME effect with maximum of α ME of 3.02 mV/cm Oe.

First-principles approach for superconducting slabs and heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Csire, Gabor [Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest (Hungary)

2016-07-01

We present a fully ab-initio method to calculate the transition temperature for superconducting slabs and heterostructures. In the case of thin superconductor layers the electron-phonon interaction may change significantly. Therefore we calculate the layer dependent phonon spectrum to determine the layer dependence of the electron-phonon coupling for such systems. The phonon spectrum is than coupled to the Kohn-Sham-Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation via the McMillan-Hopfield parameter, and it is solved self-consistently. The theory is applied to niobium slabs and niobium-gold heterostructures. Based on these calculations we investigate both the dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the thickness of superconducting slabs and the inverse proximity effect observed in thin superconducting heterostructures.

Atomic layer MoS2-graphene van der Waals heterostructure nanomechanical resonators.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Fan; Lee, Jaesung; Feng, Philip X-L

2017-11-30

Heterostructures play significant roles in modern semiconductor devices and micro/nanosystems in a plethora of applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and transducers. While state-of-the-art heterostructures often involve stacks of crystalline epi-layers each down to a few nanometers thick, the intriguing limit would be hetero-atomic-layer structures. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of freestanding van der Waals heterostructures and their functional nanomechanical devices. By stacking single-layer (1L) MoS 2 on top of suspended single-, bi-, tri- and four-layer (1L to 4L) graphene sheets, we realize an array of MoS 2 -graphene heterostructures with varying thickness and size. These heterostructures all exhibit robust nanomechanical resonances in the very high frequency (VHF) band (up to ∼100 MHz). We observe that fundamental-mode resonance frequencies of the heterostructure devices fall between the values of graphene and MoS 2 devices. Quality (Q) factors of heterostructure resonators are lower than those of graphene but comparable to those of MoS 2 devices, suggesting interface damping related to interlayer interactions in the van der Waals heterostructures. This study validates suspended atomic layer heterostructures as an effective device platform and provides opportunities for exploiting mechanically coupled effects and interlayer interactions in such devices.

Interaction between fractional Josephson vortices in multi-gap superconductor tunnel junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ju H.

In a long Josephson junction (LJJ) with two-band superconductors, fractionalization of Josephson vortices (fluxons) can occur in the broken time reversal symmetry state when spatial phase textures (i-solitons) are excited. Excitation of i-solitons in each superconductor layer of the junction, arising due to the presence of two condensates and the interband Josephson effect, leads to spatial variation of the critical current density between the superconductor layers. Similar to the situation in a YBa2 Cu3O7 - x superconductor film grain boundary, this spatial dependence of the crtitical current density can self-generate magnetic flux in the insulator layer, resulting in fractional fluxons with large and small fraction of flux quantum. Similar to fluxons in one-band superconductor LJJ, these fractional fluxons are found to interact with each other. The interaction between large and small fractional fluxons determines the size of a fluxon which includes two (one large and one small) fractional fluxons. We discuss the nature of interaction between fractional fluxons and suggest that i-soliton excitations in multi-gap superconductor LJJs may be probed by using magnetic flux measurements.

AAg2M[VO4]2 (A=Ba,Sr; M=Co,Ni): A series of ferromagnetic insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Möller, Angela; Amuneke, Ngozi E.; Daniel, Phillip; Lorenz, Bernd; de la Cruz, Clarina R.; Gooch, Melissa; Chu, Paul C. W.

2012-06-01

AAg2M[VO4]2 with A=Sr2+ or Ba2+ present a series of layered compounds featuring a triangular lattice of transition metal cations, M = Co2+ or Ni2+, connected via nonmagnetic ortho-vanadates, which provide the magnetic superexchange within the layers. For this series of insulating compounds, ferromagnetic long-range order below 10 K is suggested by magnetization and specific heat measurements and confirmed by neutron diffraction experiments. We have investigated the impact of the spacer size of A2+ separating the layers leading to a tilting of the vanadates and consequently inducing a change in the effective magnetic correlations. Magnetization and specific heat measurements corroborate the important dependence of the magnetic superexchange on the orientation of the vanadates and the respective spin system. Furthermore, the ground state properties of the spin systems, S=1 (Ni2+) and S=3/2 (Co2+) in their respective octahedral coordination of oxygen, are evaluated. Calculated magnetic moments of the single ion complexes agree well with the magnetic structure. We, furthermore, report the dependence of Tc on applied isotropic pressure suggestive of a pressure effect on the effective ferromagnetic exchange coupling constants. In addition spectroscopic investigations probing the electronic structure of the [MO6] complexes and the vibrational structure of the [VO4] units are given.

Ballistic electron emissions microscopy (BEEM) of ferromagnet-semiconductor interfaces; Ballistische Elektronen Emissions Mikroskopie (BEEM) an Ferromagnet-Halbleitergrenzflaechen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Obernhuber, S.

2007-04-15

For current research on spin-transistors it is important to know the characteristics of ferromagnet semiconductor interfaces. The ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) is a method to investigate such a buried interface with nanometer resolution. In this work several ferromagnet/GaAs(110) interfaces have been analysed concerning their homogeneity and mean local Schottky-barrier heights (SBH) have been determined. In Addition, the resulting integral SBH was calculated from the distribution of the local SBHs and compared with the SBH determined from voltage/current characteristics. The areas with a low SBH dominate the current conduction across the interface. Additional BEEM measurements on (AlGaAs/GaAs) heterostructures have been performed. This heterostructures consist of 50 nm AlGaAs/GaAs layers. The results of the BEEM measurements indicate, that the GaAs QWs are defined by AlGaAs barriers. The transition from AlGaAs to GaAs is done within 10 nm. (orig.)

Phenomenological approach to spin fluctuations in itinerant magnets and superconductors from ab initio calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortenzi, Luciano

2013-10-17

In this thesis I study the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity in itinerant magnets and superconductors. I do this by applying a semiphenomenological method to four representative compounds. In particular I use the discrepancies (whenever present) between density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the experiments in order to construct phenomenological models which explain the magnetic, superconducting and optical properties of four representative systems. I focus my attention on the superconducting and normal state properties of the recently discovered APt3P superconductors, on superconducting hole-doped CuBiSO, on the optical properties of LaFePO and finally on the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition of Ni3Al under pressure. At the end I present a new method which aims to describe the effect of spin fluctuations in itinerant magnets and superconductors that can be used to monitor the evolution of the electronic structure from non magnetic to magnetic in systems close to a quantum critical point.

Ferromagnetic ordering and halfmetallic state in a shandite: Co3Sn2S2

Science.gov (United States)

Schnelle, Walter; Leithe-Jasper, Andreas; Rosner, Helge; Weihrich, Richard

2013-03-01

The rapid advance in spintronics challenges an improved understanding of the underlying microscopic properties. Here, we present a joint experimental and theoretical study of Co3Sn2S2 (shandite) and related compounds. From magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and magneto-transport measurements on a shandite single crystal sample we find a phase transition to a ferromagnetic metallic state at 177 K with a saturation moment of 0.92 μB/f.u. Full potential electronic structure calculations within the local spin density approximation result in a halfmetallic ferromagnetic groundstate with a moment of 1 μB/f.u. and a tiny gap in the minority spin channel. The calculated structure optimization and structure variations show that the size of the gap is rather sensitive to the lattice geometry. Possiblities to stabilize the halfmetallic ferromagnetic behavior by various substitutions have been studied theoretically and will be discussed.

Contact spectroscopy on S/TI/N devices: Induced pairing on the surface of a topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Stehno, Martin P.; Ngabonziza, Prosper; Snelder, Marieke; Myoren, Hiroaki; Pan, Yu; de Visser, Anne; Huang, Y.; Golden, Mark S.; Brinkman, Alexander

Translating concepts of topological quantum computation into applications requires fine-tuning of parameters in the model Hamiltonians of candidate systems. Such level of control has proven difficult to achieve in devices where superconductors are used to induce pairing in topological insulator (TI) materials. While local probe experiments have indicated features of p-wave superconducting correlations in TIs (as suggested by theory), results on extended devices often remain ambiguous. We present contact spectroscopy data on superconductor/topological insulator/normal metal devices with bulk-insulating TI material and compare these with bulk conducting samples. We discuss the magnitude of the induced gap and unusual features in the conductance traces of the bulk-insulating samples that may suggest the presence of p-wave type correlations in the TI. This work is financially supported by the Dutch Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and by the European Research Council (ERC).

Pressure-induced spin reorientation transition in layered ferromagnetic insulator Cr2Ge2Te6

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhisheng; Lohmann, Mark; Ali, Zulfikhar A.; Tang, Chi; Li, Junxue; Xing, Wenyu; Zhong, Jiangnan; Jia, Shuang; Han, Wei; Coh, Sinisa; Beyermann, Ward; Shi, Jing

2018-05-01

The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of Cr2Ge2Te6 (CGT), a layered ferromagnetic insulator, is investigated under an applied hydrostatic pressure up to 2 GPa. The easy-axis direction of the magnetization is inferred from the AMR saturation feature in the presence and absence of an applied pressure. At zero applied pressure, the easy axis is along the c direction or perpendicular to the layer. Upon application of a hydrostatic pressure > 1 GPa, the uniaxial anisotropy switches to easy-plane anisotropy which drives the equilibrium magnetization from the c axis to the a b plane at zero magnetic field, which amounts to a giant magnetic anisotropy energy change (> 100%). As the temperature is increased across the Curie temperature, the characteristic AMR effect gradually decreases and disappears. Our first-principles calculations confirm the giant magnetic anisotropy energy change with moderate pressure and assign its origin to the increased off-site spin-orbit interaction of Te atoms due to a shorter Cr-Te distance. Such a pressure-induced spin reorientation transition is very rare in three-dimensional ferromagnets, but it may be common to other layered ferromagnets with similar crystal structures to CGT, and therefore offers a unique way to control magnetic anisotropy.

Role of valence changes and nanoscale atomic displacements in BiS2-based superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jie; Zhai, Huifei; Wang, Yu; Xu, Wei; Liu, Shengli; Cao, Guanghan

2016-11-22

Superconductivity within layered crystal structures has attracted sustained interest among condensed matter community, primarily due to their exotic superconducting properties. EuBiS 2 F is a newly discovered member in the BiS 2 -based superconducting family, which shows superconductivity at 0.3 K without extrinsic doping. With 50 at.% Ce substitution for Eu, superconductivity is enhanced with Tc increased up to 2.2 K. However, the mechanisms for the T c enhancement have not yet been elucidated. In this study, the Ce-doping effect on the self-electron-doped superconductor EuBiS 2 F was investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). We have established a relationship between Ce-doping and the T c enhancement in terms of Eu valence changes and nanoscale atomic displacements. The new finding sheds light on the interplay among superconductivity, charge and local structure in BiS 2 -based superconductors.

High transition temperature superconductor/insulator bilayers for the development of ultra-fast electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sirena, M.; Félix, L. Avilés; Haberkorn, N.

2013-01-01

High transition temperature superconductor (HTc)/SrTiO 3 (STO) bilayers were fabricated by sputtering deposition on (100) STO substrates. Their transport and morphological properties were characterized using conductive atomic force microscopy. The STO barriers present good insulating properties, with long attenuation lengths (λ ∼ 1 nm) which reduce the junction resistance and increase the operating critical current. The samples present roughness values smaller than 1 nm, with an extremely low density of surface defects (∼5 × 10 −5 defects/μm 2 ). The high control of the barrier quality over large defect free surfaces is encouraging for the development of microelectronics devices based in HTc Josephson junctions

Interfacial Coatings for Inorganic Composite Insulation Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooker, M. W.; Fabian, P. E.; Stewart, M. W.; Grandlienard, S. D.; Kano, K. S.

2006-01-01

Inorganic (ceramic) insulation materials are known to have good radiation resistance and desirable electrical and mechanical properties at cryogenic and elevated temperatures. In addition, ceramic materials can withstand the high-temperature reaction cycle used with Nb3Sn superconductor materials, allowing the insulation to be co-processed with the superconductor in a wind-and-react fabrication process. A critical aspect in the manufacture of ceramic-based insulation systems is the deposition of suitable fiber-coating materials that prevent chemical reaction of the fiber and matrix materials, and thus provide a compliant interface between the fiber and matrix, which minimizes the impact of brittle failure of the ceramic matrix. Ceramic insulation produced with CTD-FI-202 fiber interfaces have been found to exhibit very high shear and compressive strengths. However, this material is costly to produce. Thus, the goal of the present work is to evaluate alternative, lower-cost materials and processes. A variety of oxide and polyimide coatings were evaluated, and one commercially available polyimide coating has been shown to provide some improvement as compared to uncoated and de-sized S2 glass

Fabrication and study of hybrid molecule/superconductor assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Jurbergs, D.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Zhou, J.P.; Lo, K.; Grassi, J.; Jones, C.

1994-01-01

The fabrication of electronic devices from molecular materials has attracted much attention recently. Schottky diodes, molecular transistors, metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes, MIS field effect transistors and light emitting diodes have all been prepared utilizing such substances. The active elements in these devices have been constructed by depositing the molecular phase onto the surface of a metal, semiconductor or insulating substrate. With the recent discovery of high temperature superconductivity, new opportunities now exist for the study of molecule/superconductor interactions as well as for the construction of novel hybrid molecule/superconductor devices. In this paper, methods for preparing the first two classes of composite molecule/superconductor devices are reported. Consequently, light sensors based on organic dye-coated superconductor junctions as well as molecular switches fashioned from organic conductive polymer-coated superconductor microbridges are discussed. Moreover, the initial results related to the study of molecule/superconductor energy and electron transfer phenomena are reported

Enhancement of electron correlation due to the molecular dimerization in organic superconductors β -(BDA-TTP )2X (X =I3, SbF6)

Science.gov (United States)

Aizawa, Hirohito; Kuroki, Kazuhiko; Yamada, Jun-ichi

2015-10-01

We perform a first-principles band calculation for quasi-two-dimensional organic superconductors β -(BDA -TTP) 2I3 and β -(BDA -TTP) 2SbF6. The first-principles band structures between the I3 and SbF6 salts are apparently different. We construct a tight-binding model for each material which accurately reproduces the first-principles band structure. The obtained transfer energies give the differences as follows: (i) larger dimerization in the I3 salt than the SbF6 salt, and (ii) different signs and directions of the interstacking transfer energies. To decompose the origin of the difference into the dimerization and the interstacking transfer energies, we adopt a simplified model by eliminating the dimerization effect and focus only on the difference caused by the interstacking transfer energies. From the analysis using the simplified model, we find that the difference of the band structure comes mainly from the strength of the dimerization. To compare the strength of the electron correlation having roots in the band structure, we calculate the physical properties originating from the effect of the electron correlation such as the spin susceptibility applying the two-particle self-consistent method. We find that the maximum value of the spin susceptibility for the I3 salt is larger than that of the SbF6 salt. Hypothetically decreasing the dimerization within the model of the I3 salt, the spin susceptibility takes almost the same value as that of the SbF6 salt for the same magnitude of the dimerization. We expect that the different ground state between the I3 and SbF6 salt mainly comes from the strength of the dimerization which is apparently masked in the band calculation along a particular k path.

Pulsed laser deposition of {CeO_2} and {Ce_{1-x}M_xO_2} (M = La, Zr): Application to insulating barrier in cuprate heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, S.; Contour, J.-P.; Drouet, M.; Durand, O.; Khodan, A.; Michel, D.; Régi, F.-X.

1998-03-01

SrTiO_3 had been often tentatively used as an insulating barrier for HT superconductor/insulator heterostructures. Unfortunately, the deposition of SrTiO_3 on the YBa_2Cu_3O_7 inverse interface results in a poor epitaxial regrowth producing a high roughness dislocated titanate layer. Taking into account the good matching with YBa_2Cu_3O_7 and LaAlO_3, CeO_2 and Ce_{1-x}M_xO_2 (M = La, Zr), epitaxial layers were grown by pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO_3 substrates and introduced into YBa_2Cu_3O_7 based heterostructures as insulating barrier. After adjusting the growth parameters from RHEED oscillations, epitaxial growth is achieved, the oxide crystal axes being rotated by 45^circ from those of the substrate. The surface roughness of 250 nm thick films is very low with a rms value lower than 0.5 nm over 1;μ m^2. The YBa_2Cu_3O_7 layers of a YBa_2Cu_3O_7/CeO_2 /YBa_2Cu_3O_7 heterostructures grown using these optimized parameters show an independent resistive transition, when the thickness is larger than 25 nm, respectively at T_c_1 = 89.6;K and T_c_2 = 91.4;{K}. SrTiO3 est souvent utilisé comme barrière isolante dans des hétérostructures SIS de cuprates supraconducteurs, cependant les défauts générés lors de la croissance de ce titanate sur l'interface inverse de YBa2Cu3O7 conduisent à un matériau dont la qualité cristalline et les propriétés physiques sont médiocres. L'oxyde de cérium CeO2 est également une barrière isolante potentielle intéressante pour ces structures SIS basées sur YBa2Cu3O7 car cet oxyde cubique (a = 0,5411 nm, asqrt{2}/2 = 0,3825 nm) qui est peu désaccordé par rapport au plan ab du cuprate (Δ a/a = - 0,18 %, Δ b/a = 1,6 %) présente de plus un coefficient de dilatation thermique (10,6 × 10^{-6 circ}C^{-1}) très voisin de celui de YBa2Cu3O7 (13 × 10^{-6 circ}C^{-1}). Nous avons donc étudié l'épitaxie de CeO2 et des oxydes de type Ce{1-x}MxO2 (M = La, Zr) en ablation laser pulsée afin de définir des conditions de

Ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition in heterostructures of europium monoxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stollenwerk, Tobias; Kroha, Johann [Physikalisches Institut der Universitaet Bonn (Germany)

2012-07-01

Experiments on thin films of electron doped europium monoxide show a simultaneous ferromagnetic semiconductor-metal transition which goes along with a huge drop in resistivity over several orders of magnitude. Therefore, this material is a very promising candidate for spintronics applications. We have developed a theory which correctly predicts the simultaneous phase transition in thin films of electron doped EuO and the increase of the Curie temperature T{sub C} with doping concentration. The origin of the increased T{sub C} lies in the enhanced RKKY interaction between the localized 4f moments of the Eu atoms. Therefore, the phase transition is controlled by the population of the conduction band. We investigate the influence of film thickness and interface effects on the population of the conduction band and on the magnetic and electronic properties of the EuO film.

Long-ranged interactions in thin TiN films at the superconductor-insulator transition?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kronfeldner, Klaus; Strunk, Christoph [Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg (Germany); Baturina, Tatyana [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

2015-07-01

We measured IV-characteristics and magnetoresistance of square TiN-films in the vicinity of the disorder-tuned superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) for different sizes (5 μm to 240 μm). While the films are superconducting at zero magnetic field, at finite fields a SIT occurs. The resistance shows thermally activated behaviour on both sides of the SIT. Deep in the superconducting regime the activation energy grows linear with the sample size as expected for a size-independent critical current density. Closer to the SIT the activation energy becomes clearly size independent. On the insulating side the magnetoresistance maximum and the activation energy both grow logarithmically with sample size which is consistent with a size-limited charge BKT (Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless) scenario. In order to test for the presence of long-ranged interactions in our films, we investigate the influence of a topgate. It is expected to screen the possible long-ranged interactions as the distance of the film to the gate is much shorter than the electrostatic screening length deduced from the size-dependent activation energy.

X = S, Se, Te) heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qingyun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2018-01-01

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the electronic properties of the two-dimensional GaX/MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) heterostructures. Orbital hybridization between GaX and MX2 is found to result in Rashba splitting at the valence

Superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor planar junctions of aluminium on DELTA-doped gallium arsenide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taboryski, Rafael Jozef; Clausen, Thomas; Kutchinsky, jonatan

1997-01-01

We have fabricated and characterized planar superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor (S-Sm-S) junctions with a high quality (i.e. low barrier) interface between an n++ modulation doped conduction layer in MBE grown GaAs and in situ deposited Al electrodes. The Schottky barrier at the S...

Design lateral heterostructure of monolayer ZrS2 and HfS2 from first principles calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Junhui; Yu, Niannian; Wang, Jiafu; Xue, Kan-Hao; Miao, Xiangshui

2018-04-01

The successful fabrication of two-dimensional lateral heterostructures (LHS's) has opened up unprecedented opportunities in material science and device physics. It is therefore highly desirable to search for more suitable materials to create such heterostructures for next-generation devices. Here, we investigate a novel lateral heterostructure composed of monolayer ZrS2 and HfS2 based on density functional theory. The phonon dispersion and ab initio molecular dynamics analysis indicate its good kinetic and thermodynamic stability. Remarkably, we find that these lateral heterostructures exhibit an indirect to direct bandgap transition, in contrast to the intrinsic indirect bandgap nature of ZrS2 and HfS2. The type-II alignment and chemical bonding across the interline have also been revealed. The tensile strain is proved to be an efficient way to modulate the band structure. Finally, we further discuss other three stable lateral heterostructures: (ZrSe2)2(HfSe2)2 LHS, (ZrS2)2(ZrSe2)2 LHS and (HfS2)2(HfSe2)2 LHS. Generally, the lateral heterostructures of monolayer ZrS2 and HfS2 are of excellent electrical properties, and may find potential applications for future electronic devices.

Topological insulators Dirac equation in condensed matter

CERN Document Server

Shen, Shun-Qing

2017-01-01

This new edition presents a unified description of these insulators from one to three dimensions based on the modified Dirac equation. It derives a series of solutions of the bound states near the boundary, and describes the current status of these solutions. Readers are introduced to topological invariants and their applications to a variety of systems from one-dimensional polyacetylene, to two-dimensional quantum spin Hall effect and p-wave superconductors, three-dimensional topological insulators and superconductors or superfluids, and topological Weyl semimetals, helping them to better understand this fascinating field. To reflect research advances in topological insulators, several parts of the book have been updated for the second edition, including: Spin-Triplet Superconductors, Superconductivity in Doped Topological Insulators, Detection of Majorana Fermions and so on. In particular, the book features a new chapter on Weyl semimetals, a topic that has attracted considerable attention and has already b...

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy to probe odd-triplet contributions to the long-ranged proximity effect in Al-EuS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diesch, Simon; Machon, Peter; Belzig, Wolfgang; Scheer, Elke [Universitaet Konstanz, Konstanz (Germany); Suergers, Christoph; Beckmann, Detlef [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2016-07-01

Experiments on superconductor-ferromagnet-systems have shown Cooper pairs tunneling through ferromagnetic layers, indicating Cooper pairs of equal spin, thus corresponding to a long-range triplet proximity effect. Most experimental evidence for triplet superconductivity comes from observations of the thickness dependence of the Josephson current through a ferromagnetic barrier, but there is an increasing interest in obtaining direct spectroscopic evidence. This project aims to analyze the DOS of thin films of the ferromagnetic insulator europium sulfide on superconducting aluminum or vice versa, using a scanning tunneling microscope in spectroscopy mode at 280 mK and in varying magnetic fields. We observe significant broadening of the superconducting energy gap and a variety of sub-gap structures induced by the presence of the ferromagnet and interpret our findings based on the diffusive theory.

High transition temperature superconductor/insulator bilayers for the development of ultra-fast electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sirena, M.; Félix, L. Avilés [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche (Argentina); Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and CNEA, 8400 Bariloche (Argentina); Haberkorn, N. [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche (Argentina)

2013-07-29

High transition temperature superconductor (HTc)/SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) bilayers were fabricated by sputtering deposition on (100) STO substrates. Their transport and morphological properties were characterized using conductive atomic force microscopy. The STO barriers present good insulating properties, with long attenuation lengths (λ ∼ 1 nm) which reduce the junction resistance and increase the operating critical current. The samples present roughness values smaller than 1 nm, with an extremely low density of surface defects (∼5 × 10{sup −5} defects/μm{sup 2}). The high control of the barrier quality over large defect free surfaces is encouraging for the development of microelectronics devices based in HTc Josephson junctions.

Evidence for Soliton Modes in the One-Dimensional Ferromagnet CsNiF3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjems, Jørgen; Steiner, M.

1978-01-01

Evidence for solitons moving along the ferromagnetic chains in CsNiF3 has been obtained by inelastic neutron scattering. As predicted by Mikeska the scattering is found at low q, around zero energy. The soliton activation energy, 8m, is determined via the temperature and field dependence of the i...... of the intensities (m is the effective mass of the quasiparticle soliton). At H=5 kG we find 8m/kB=27K in reasonable agreement with the predicted value, as is the energy width at q=0.1...

Tunable Magnon Weyl Points in Ferromagnetic Pyrochlores.

Science.gov (United States)

Mook, Alexander; Henk, Jürgen; Mertig, Ingrid

2016-10-07

The dispersion relations of magnons in ferromagnetic pyrochlores with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction are shown to possess Weyl points, i. e., pairs of topologically nontrivial crossings of two magnon branches with opposite topological charge. As a consequence of their topological nature, their projections onto a surface are connected by magnon arcs, thereby resembling closely Fermi arcs of electronic Weyl semimetals. On top of this, the positions of the Weyl points in reciprocal space can be tuned widely by an external magnetic field: rotated within the surface plane, the Weyl points and magnon arcs are rotated as well; tilting the magnetic field out of plane shifts the Weyl points toward the center Γ[over ¯] of the surface Brillouin zone. The theory is valid for the class of ferromagnetic pyrochlores, i. e., three-dimensional extensions of topological magnon insulators on kagome lattices. In this Letter, we focus on the (111) surface, identify candidates of established ferromagnetic pyrochlores which apply to the considered spin model, and suggest experiments for the detection of the topological features.

Orbital-selective Mott phase of Cu-substituted iron-based superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yang; Zhao, Yang-Yang; Song, Yun

2016-01-01

We study the phase transition in Cu-substituted iron-based superconductors with a new developed real-space Green’s function method. We find that Cu substitution has strong effect on the orbital-selective Mott transition introduced by the Hund’s rule coupling. The redistribution of the orbital occupancy which is caused by the increase of the Hund’s rule coupling, gives rise to the Mott–Hubbard metal-insulator transition in the half-filled d xy orbital. We also find that more and more electronic states appear inside that Mott gap of the d xy orbital with the increase of Cu substitution, and the in-gap states around the Fermi level are strongly localized at some specific lattice sites. Further, a distinctive phase diagram, obtained for the Cu-substituted Fe-based superconductors, displays an orbital-selective insulating phase, as a result of the cooperative effect of the Hund’s rule coupling and the impurity-induced disorder. (paper)

Wide-band operation of quasi-optical distributed superconductor/insulator/superconductor mixers with epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohjiro, S; Shitov, S V; Wang, Z; Uzawa, Y; Miki, S; Kawakami, A; Shoji, A

2004-01-01

For the optimum design of integrated receivers operating above the gap frequency of Nb, we have designed, fabricated and tested NbN-based quasi-optical superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) mixers. The mixer chip incorporates a resonant half-wavelength epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN junction, a twin-slot antenna and their coupling circuits. We adopted two kinds of coupling circuit between the antenna and the SIS junction: one is an in-phase feed with a length of 95 μm and the other is an anti-phase feed of 30 μm length. It was found that the anti-phase mixer reveals a 3 dB bandwidth of 43% of the centre frequency; the uncorrected double-sideband receiver noise temperature T RX = 691 K at 0.91 THz and T RX = 844 K at 0.80 THz, while 17% and T RX = 1250 K at 0.79 THz for the in-phase version. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed, which could be transmission loss and its robustness with respect to the variation of junction parameters. These experimental results suggest the NbN-based distributed mixer with the anti-phase feed is a better candidate for wide-band integrated receivers operating above 0.7 THz

Macroscopic phase separation in high-temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Hai-Hu

2000-01-01

High-temperature superconductivity is recovered by introducing extra holes to the Cu-O planes, which initially are insulating with antiferromagnetism. In this paper I present data to show the macroscopic electronic phase separation that is caused by either mobile doping or electronic instability in the overdoped region. My results clearly demonstrate that the electronic inhomogeneity is probably a general feature of high-temperature superconductors. PMID:11027323

Tunneling Diode Based on WSe2 /SnS2 Heterostructure Incorporating High Detectivity and Responsivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xing; Hu, Xiaozong; Zhou, Shasha; Song, Hongyue; Zhang, Qi; Pi, Lejing; Li, Liang; Li, Huiqiao; Lü, Jingtao; Zhai, Tianyou

2018-02-01

van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures based on atomically thin 2D materials have led to a new era in next-generation optoelectronics due to their tailored energy band alignments and ultrathin morphological features, especially in photodetectors. However, these photodetectors often show an inevitable compromise between photodetectivity and photoresponsivity with one high and the other low. Herein, a highly sensitive WSe 2 /SnS 2 photodiode is constructed on BN thin film by exfoliating each material and manually stacking them. The WSe 2 /SnS 2 vdW heterostructure shows ultralow dark currents resulting from the depletion region at the junction and high direct tunneling current when illuminated, which is confirmed by the energy band structures and electrical characteristics fitted with direct tunneling. Thus, the distinctive WSe 2 /SnS 2 vdW heterostructure exhibits both ultrahigh photodetectivity of 1.29 × 10 13 Jones (I ph /I dark ratio of ≈10 6 ) and photoresponsivity of 244 A W -1 at a reverse bias under the illumination of 550 nm light (3.77 mW cm -2 ). © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Magnetic chirality induced from Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction at an interface of a ferromagnet/heavy metal heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibuya, Taira; Matsuura, Hiroyasu; Ogata, Masao

2016-01-01

We study a microscopic derivation and the properties of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) between local magnetic moments in ferromagnet/heavy metal heterostructures. First, we derive DMI by Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction through electrons in a heavy metal with Rashba spin orbit interaction (SOI). Next, we study the dependences of the DMI on the Rashba SOI, lattice constant, and chemical potential. We find that the DMI amplitude increases linearly when the Rashba SOI is small, has a maximum when the Rashba SOI is comparable to the hopping integral, and decreases when the Rashba SOI is large. The sign of the DMI not only changes depending on the sign of the Rashba SOI but also the lattice constants and the chemical potential of the heavy metal. The implications of the obtained results for experiments are discussed. (author)

Visualization of the current density in Josephson junctions with 0- and {pi}-facets; Visualisierung der Stromverteilung in Josephsonkontakten mit 0- und {pi}-Facetten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerlich, Christian

2010-05-11

With Low-Temperature-Electron-Microscopy (LTSEM) it is possible to analyse the transport properties of solids at low temperatures. In particular it is possible to image the supercurrent density j{sub s} in Josephson junctions. This was demonstrated by comparing TTREM-images with calculated values for j{sub s}. In this thesis ramp-type Nd{sub 2-x}Ce{sub x}CuO{sub 4-y}/Nb-Josephson-junctions (NCCO/Nb) and Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer Nb/Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/NiCu/Nb, so-called SIFS (superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor) Josephson junctions were studied.It was demonstrated that LTSEM provides direct imaging of the sign change of the order parameter in superconductors with d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}}-symmetry. This was a controversial issue over the last decade. A step like variation in the thickness of the F-layer allows the fabrication of linear and annular Josephson junctions with different numbers of 0 and {pi} facets. With the LTSEM 0-, {pi}-, 0-{pi}-, 0-{pi}-0-, 0/2-{pi}-0/2-, 20 x (0-{pi})- as well as square-shaped-, circular- and annular-Josephson-junctions were studied. It was demonstrated, that these junctions are of good quality and have critical current densities up to 42 A/cm{sup 2} at T=4.2 K, which is a record value for SIFS junctions with a NiCu F-layer so far. By comparing the measurements with simulations a first indication of a semifluxon at the 0-{pi}-boundary was found. (orig.)

Visualization of the current density in Josephson junctions with 0- and π-facets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerlich, Christian

2010-01-01

With Low-Temperature-Electron-Microscopy (LTSEM) it is possible to analyse the transport properties of solids at low temperatures. In particular it is possible to image the supercurrent density j s in Josephson junctions. This was demonstrated by comparing TTREM-images with calculated values for j s . In this thesis ramp-type Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4-y /Nb-Josephson-junctions (NCCO/Nb) and Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic interlayer Nb/Al-Al 2 O 3 /NiCu/Nb, so-called SIFS (superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor) Josephson junctions were studied.It was demonstrated that LTSEM provides direct imaging of the sign change of the order parameter in superconductors with d x 2 -y 2 -symmetry. This was a controversial issue over the last decade. A step like variation in the thickness of the F-layer allows the fabrication of linear and annular Josephson junctions with different numbers of 0 and π facets. With the LTSEM 0-, π-, 0-π-, 0-π-0-, 0/2-π-0/2-, 20 x (0-π)- as well as square-shaped-, circular- and annular-Josephson-junctions were studied. It was demonstrated, that these junctions are of good quality and have critical current densities up to 42 A/cm 2 at T=4.2 K, which is a record value for SIFS junctions with a NiCu F-layer so far. By comparing the measurements with simulations a first indication of a semifluxon at the 0-π-boundary was found. (orig.)

Modification of critical current in HTSC tape conductors by a ferromagnetic layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goemoery, F; Souc, J; Seiler, E; Vojenciak, M; Granados, X

2008-01-01

In some applications of tape conductors from high temperature superconductors (HTSC) the magnetic field is created by the transported current itself. This is e.g. the case of power transmission cables or current leads. Quite complex distribution of local magnetic field determines then the ability of the superconducting element to carry electrical current. We have investigated how much the critical current of a tape conductor can be changed by putting a ferromagnetic layer in the vicinity of the HTSC material. Numerical procedure has been developed to resolve the current and field distribution in such superconductor-ferromagnet composite tape. Theoretical predictions have been confirmed by experiments on sample made from Bi-2223/Ag composite tape. The critical current of such tape can be improved by placing a soft ferromagnetic material at the tape's edges. On the other hand, the calculations show that the ferromagnetic substrate of YBCO coated tape reduces its self-field critical current

Giant magnetoelectric effect in pure manganite-manganite heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, Sanjukta; Pankaj, Ravindra; Yarlagadda, Sudhakar; Majumdar, Pinaki; Littlewood, Peter B.

2017-11-01

Obtaining strong magnetoelectric couplings in bulk materials and heterostructures is an ongoing challenge. We demonstrate that manganite heterostructures of the form (Insulator) /(LaMnO3)(n)/Interface/(CaMnO3)(n)/(Insulator) show strong multiferroicity in magnetic manganites where ferroelectric polarization is realized by charges leaking from LaMnO3 to CaMnO3 due to repulsion. Here, an effective nearest-neighbor electron-electron (electron-hole) repulsion (attraction) is generated by cooperative electron-phonon interaction. Double exchange, when a particle virtually hops to its unoccupied neighboring site and back, produces magnetic polarons that polarize antiferromagnetic regions. Thus a striking giant magnetoelectric effect ensues when an external electrical field enhances the electron leakage across the interface.

Physics of SrTiO3-based heterostructures and nanostructures: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Yun-Yi; Tylan-Tyler, Anthony; Irvin, Patrick; Levy, Jeremy

2017-08-30

1 Overview 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.1.1 Oxide growth techniques are rooted in search for high-Tc superconductors 2 1.1.2 First reports of interface conductivity 2 1.2 2D physics 2 1.3 Emergent properties of oxide heterostructures and nanostructures 3 1.4 Outline 3 2 Relevant properties of SrTiO3 3 2.1 Structural properties and transitions 3 2.2 Ferroelectricity, Paraelectricity and Quantum Paraelectricity 4 2.3 Electronic structure 5 2.4 Defects 6 2.4.1 Oxygen vacancies 6 2.4.2 Terraces 7 2.5 Superconductivity 7 3 SrTiO3-based heterostructures and nanostructures 8 3.1 Varieties of heterostructures 8 3.1.1 SrTiO3 only 9 3.1.2 LaAlO3/SrTiO3 9 3.1.3 Other heterostructures formed with SrTiO3 10 3.2 Thin-film growth 10 3.2.1 Substrates 10 3.2.2 SrTiO3 surface treatment 11 3.2.3 Pulsed Laser Deposition 11 3.2.4 Atomic Layer Deposition 13 3.2.5 Molecular Beam Epitaxy 14 3.2.6 Sputtering 15 3.3 Device Fabrication 15 3.3.1 "Conventional" photolithography - Thickness Modulation, hard masks, etc. 15 3.3.2 Ion beam irradiation 16 3.3.3 Conductive-AFM lithography 16 4 Properties and phase diagram of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 16 4.1 Insulating state 16 4.2 Conducting state 17 4.2.1 Confinement thickness (the depth profile of the 2DEG) 17 4.3 Metal-insulator transition and critical thickness 18 4.3.1 Polar catastrophe ( electronic reconstruction) 18 4.3.2 Oxygen Vacancies 19 4.3.3 Interdiffusion 20 4.3.4 Polar Interdiffusion + oxygen vacancies + antisite pairs 20 4.3.5 Role of surface adsorbates 21 4.3.6 Hidden FE like distortion - Strain induced instability 21 4.4 Structural properties and transitions 21 4.5 Electronic band structure 22 4.5.1 Theory 22 4.5.2 Experiment 23 4.5.3 Lifshitz transition 24 4.6 Defects, doping, and compensation 25 4.7 Magnetism 25 4.7.1 Experimental evidence 25 4.7.2 Two types of magnetism 27 4.7.3 Ferromagnetism 27 4.7.4 Metamagnetism 28 4.8 Superconductivity 28 4.9 Optical properties 29 4.9.1 Photoluminesce

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Reduced Graphene Oxides Loaded-nano ZnS/CuS Heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZENG Bin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The reduced graphene oxides(rGO loaded-nano ZnS nanoparticles were fabricated by microwave heating method and by ion exchanged reaction reduced graphene oxides(rGO loaded-nano ZnS/CuS heterostructures were obtained. The structure, morphology were characterized via scanning electron microscopy(SEM, transmission electron microscopy(TEM and X-ray diffraction pattern(XRD. The effect of the mass fraction of graphene oxides, sulfur source and microwave heating time on the morphology and photocatalyitc performance were discussed. The results show that graphene uniformly loaded-nano ZnS/CuS heterostructures are obtained on the condition of graphene mass fraction of 10%, thioacetamide acting as sulfur source, microwave heating time is 30min. rGO-loaded nano ZnS/CuS heterostructures nanoparticles enhance photocatalytic performance with 81.2% decomposition of MO in 150min under visible light, demonstrating the excellent photocatalytic performance. The high visible photocatalytic performances are attributed to photoinduced interfacial charge transfer in the nano heterostructures and their further separation and transfer by rGO.

Enhanced photoresponse characteristics of transistors using CVD-grown MoS2/WS2 heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Junjie; Li, Jinhua; Chu, Xueying; Xu, Mingze; Jin, Fangjun; Fang, Xuan; Wei, Zhipeng; Wang, Xiaohua

2018-06-01

Semiconductor heterostructures based on transition metal dichalcogenides provide a broad platform to research two-dimensional nanomaterials and design atomically thin devices for fundamental and applied interests. The MoS2/WS2 heterostructure was prepared on SiO2/Si substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in our research. And the optical properties of the heterostructure was characterized by Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The similar 2 orders of magnitude decrease of PL intensity in MoS2/WS2 heterostructures was tested, which is attribute to the electrical and optical modulation effects are connected with the interfacial charge transfer between MoS2 and WS2 films. Using MoS2/WS2 heterostructure as channel material of the phototransistor, we demonstrated over 50 folds enhanced photoresponsivity of multilayer MoS2 field-effect transistor. The results indicate that the MoS2/WS2 films can be a promising heterostructure material to enhance the photoresponse characteristics of MoS2-based phototransistors.

Nonequilibrium green function approach to elastic and inelastic spin-charge transport in topological insulator-based heterostructures and magnetic tunnel junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Mahfouzi, Farzad

ferromagnet (FM). I show that this could be due to the existence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) at the interface of the FM and insulator. Assuming that the measured signals are quantum mechanical effect where a solution to the time dependent Schrodinger equation is required, I use Keldysh Green function formalism to introduce a "multi-photon" approach which takes into account the effects of time-dependent term exactly up to scatterings from a finite number of photons. We then proceed to find the corresponding Green function numerically using a recursive method which allows us to increase the size of the system significantly. We also implement other approximations such as adiabatic and rotating frame approaches and compared them with our approach. In Chapter 4, I investigate the spin and charge pumping from a precessing magnetization attached to the edge of a 2-dimensional topological insulator (2DTI). We show that, in this system a huge spin current (or voltage signal if the FM covers only one edge) can be pumped for very small cone angles of the precessing FM (proportional to the intensity of the applied microwave). In Chapter 5 I present the third project in this field of research, where, I investigated the pumping from FM attached to a 3-dimensional TI. Spin-transfer torque: Presented in Chapter 6, in this work I investigate the torque induced by a flow of spin-polarized current into a FM and check the condition in which it can cause the magnetization to flip. Motivated by recent experimental developments in the field, here I consider systems with strong SOC such as TIs within a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) heterostructure. In the theoretical part I show the correct way (as opposed to the conventional approach used in some theoretical works which suffers from violation of the gauge invariance) to calculate linear-response torque to the external applied voltage and for the numerical calculation I adopted a parallelized adaptive integration algorithm in order to take

Voltage-driven magnetization control in topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Flatté

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A major barrier to the development of spin-based electronics is the transition from current-driven spin torque, or magnetic-field-driven magnetization reversal, to a more scalable voltage-driven magnetization reversal. To achieve this, multiferroic materials appear attractive, however the effects in current materials occur at very large voltages or at low temperatures. Here the potential of a new class of hybrid multiferroic materials is described, consisting of a topological insulator adjacent to a magnetic insulator, for which an applied electric field reorients the magnetization. As these materials lack conducting states at the chemical potential in their bulk, no dissipative charge currents flow in the bulk. Surface states at the interface, if present, produce effects similar to surface recombination currents in bipolar devices, but can be passivated using magnetic doping. Even without conducting states at the chemical potential, for a topological insulator there is a finite spin Hall conductivity provided by filled bands below the chemical potential. Spin accumulation at the interface with the magnetic insulator provides a torque on the magnetization. Properly timed voltage pulses can thus reorient the magnetic moment with only the flow of charge current required in the leads to establish the voltage. If the topological insulator is sufficiently thick the resulting low capacitance requires little charge current.

Quasiparticle lifetimes and tunneling times in a superconductor-insulator-superconductor tunnel junction with spatially inhomogeneous electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubov, A.A.; Houwman, E.P.; Gijsbertsen, J.G.; Flokstra, J.; Rogalla, H.; le Grand, J.B.; de Korte, P.A.J.

1994-01-01

The low-energy quasiparticle scattering and recombination lifetimes for a proximity sandwich of two superconductors S and S' with different bulk energy gaps, are calculated as a function of the spatial coordinate and temperature. The spatial dependence of the order parameter and density of states are calculated on the basis of a microscopic model of the proximity effect, based on the Usadel equations, for dirty superconductors in thermal equilibrium. A zero boundary resistance between S and S' and a Boltzmann-like energy distribution of the excess quasiparticles are assumed. In the case of a small diffusion time constant an effective quasiparticle relaxation rate into and excitation rate out of the reduced gap region in the SS' sandwich are obtained as a function of (finite, but low) temperature and strength of the proximity effect, determined by the parameter γ m , by averaging over the energies and positions of the quasiparticles. In the same way effective tunneling times for electrons and holes tunneling out of the trap in the SS' sandwich to the other electrode of an SS'IS''S junction are determined as a function of temperature, voltage, and γ m

Ag/CdS heterostructural composites: Fabrication, characterizations and photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yang; Chi, Mei; Dong, Hailiang; Jia, Husheng; Xu, Bingshe; Zhang, Zhuxia

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Novel Ag/CdS core–shell heterostructural composites were fabricated using a two-step chemical method. • A formation mechanism of Ag/CdS heterostructural composites. • The photocatalytic activity of Ag/CdS heterostructural composites was found to be improved. • PL emissions are markedly quenched in the Ag/CdS composites than in CdS nanoparticles. - Abstract: Ag/CdS heterostructural materials were successfully synthesized by ultrasound-assisted polyols and hydrothermal method. Under hydrothermal condition, thiourea adsorbed on Ag nanowires releases S 2− ions, which react with vicinal Cd 2+ ions to form CdS clusters on Ag nanowires. Thereafter, the Ag/CdS composites grow into core–shell structure through CdS aggregation, Ostwald ripening, and preferential growth. The obtained core–shell structures and morphologies were investigated by XRD, SEM, and TEM; the experimental results indicate that the composites are composed of Ag nanowires serving as the core and CdS particles as the shell. The photocatalytic property of Ag/CdS core–shell materials was then investigated in detail. Comparing studies on the degradation of methylene blue were employed by using pure CdS, pure Ag, and Ag/CdS composites, respectively. The results show that the Ag/CdS composites possess higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency. Moreover, the Ag/CdS composites show improved stability, and the photocatalytic activity remains almost unchanged after four recycles. The enhanced photocatalytic effect for Ag/CdS composites is mainly attributed to the photogenerated electron transfer from CdS to Ag nanowire, while photogenerated holes still remain in CdS's valence band. Consequently, the effective separation of photogenerated electrons and holes and the resulting OH radicals improve the photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/CdS composites greatly

High-resolution dichroic imaging of magnetic flux distributions in superconductors with scanning x-ray microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruoss, Stephen; Stahl, Claudia; Weigand, Markus; Schuetz, Gisela [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Intelligente Systeme, Stuttgart (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University (Germany)

2015-07-01

The penetration of magnetic flux into the high-temperature superconductor YBCO has been observed using a new high-resolution technique based on X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Superconductors coated with thin soft magnetic layers of CoFeB are observed in a scanning x-ray microscope providing cooling of the sample down to 83 K under the influence of external magnetic fields. Resulting electrical currents create an inhomogeneous magnetic field distribution above the superconductor which leads to a local reorientation of the ferromagnetic layer. X-ray absorption measurements with circular polarized radiation allows the analysis of the magnetic flux distribution in the superconductor via the ferromagnetic layer. In this work we present first images taken at 83K with high spatial resolution in the nanoscale.

Type-I and type-II topological nodal superconductors with s -wave interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Beibing; Yang, Xiaosen; Xu, Ning; Gong, Ming

2018-01-01

Topological nodal superconductors with protected gapless points in momentum space are generally realized based on unconventional pairings. In this work we propose a minimal model to realize these topological nodal phases with only s -wave interaction. In our model the linear and quadratic spin-orbit couplings along the two orthogonal directions introduce anisotropic effective unconventional pairings in momentum space. This model may support different nodal superconducting phases characterized by either an integer winding number in BDI class or a Z2 index in D class at the particle-hole invariant axes. In the vicinity of the nodal points the effective Hamiltonian can be described by either type-I or type-II Dirac equations, and the Lifshitz transition from type-I nodal phases to type-II nodal phases can be driven by external in-plane magnetic fields. We show that these nodal phases are robust against weak impurities, which only slightly renormalizes the momentum-independent parameters in the impurity-averaged Hamiltonian, thus these phases are possible to be realized in experiments with real semi-Dirac materials. The smoking-gun evidences to verify these phases based on scanning tunneling spectroscopy method are also briefly discussed.

Giant magneto-optical Kerr effect and universal Faraday effect in thin-film topological insulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Wang-Kong; MacDonald, A H

2010-07-30

Topological insulators can exhibit strong magneto-electric effects when their time-reversal symmetry is broken. In this Letter we consider the magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects of a topological insulator thin film weakly exchange coupled to a ferromagnet. We find that its Faraday rotation has a universal value at low frequencies θF=tan(-1)α, where α is the vacuum fine structure constant, and that it has a giant Kerr rotation θK=π/2. These properties follow from a delicate interplay between thin-film cavity confinement and the surface Hall conductivity of a topological insulator's helical quasiparticles.

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in nitrogen - doped ionic insulator (Li2O): a DFT study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eithiraj, R.D.; Kalpana, G.

2010-01-01

The tight binding linear muffin-tin orbital (TB-LMTO) method, is used to study the electronic structure and magnetism in nitrogen - doped Li 2 O (antifluorite - CaF 2 structure). Total energy calculations show that the antifluorite ferromagnetic state is more stable than the antifluorite non-magnetic state at equilibrium volume. Ground state properties such as equilibrium lattice constant and bulk modulus were calculated. The calculations reveal that non-magnetic impurities can induce stable half-metallic ferromagnetic ground state in Li 2 O. The magnetic moment of nitrogen doped Li 2 O can be tuned over a range between 1.00 μ B and 3.00 μ B by changing the concentration of nitrogen from 25% to 75%. (author)

Electron refrigeration in hybrid structures with spin-split superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Rouco, M.; Heikkilä, T. T.; Bergeret, F. S.

2018-01-01

Electron tunneling between superconductors and normal metals has been used for an efficient refrigeration of electrons in the latter. Such cooling is a nonlinear effect and usually requires a large voltage. Here we study the electron cooling in heterostructures based on superconductors with a spin-splitting field coupled to normal metals via spin-filtering barriers. The cooling power shows a linear term in the applied voltage. This improves the coefficient of performance of electron refrigeration in the normal metal by shifting its optimum cooling to lower voltage, and also allows for cooling the spin-split superconductor by reverting the sign of the voltage. We also show how tunnel coupling spin-split superconductors with regular ones allows for a highly efficient refrigeration of the latter.

Behaviour of magnetic superconductors in a magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzdin, A.I.

1984-01-01

The behaviour of magnetic superconductors with close ferromagnetic and superconducting transition temperatures in a magnetic field is considered. It is shown that on lowering of the temperature the superconducting transition changes from a second to first order transition. The respective critical fields and dependence of the magnetization on the magnetic field and temperature are found. The magnetization discontinuity in the vortex core in magnetic superconductors is noted. Due to this property and the relatively large scattering cross section, magnetic superconductors are convenient for studying the superconducting vortex lattice by neutron diffraction techniques

Magnetic manipulation of topological states in p-wave superconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mercaldo, Maria Teresa; Cuoco, Mario; Kotetes, Panagiotis

2018-01-01

Substantial experimental investigation has provided evidence for spin-triplet pairing in diverse classes of materials and in a variety of artificial heterostructures. One of the fundamental challenges in this framework is how to manipulate the topological behavior of p-wave superconductors (PSC...

Integrated circuits of silicon on insulator S.O.I. technologies: State of the art and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leray, J.L.; Dupont-Nivet, E.; Raffaelli, M.; Coic, Y.M.; Musseau, O.; Pere, J.F.; Lalande, P.; Bredy, J.; Auberton-Herve, A.J.; Bruel, M.; Giffard, B.

1989-01-01

Silicon On Insulator technologies have been proposed to increase the integrated circuits performances in radiation operation. Active researches are conducted, in France and abroad. This paper reviews briefly radiation effects phenomenology in that particular type of structure S.O.I. New results are presented that show very good radiation behaviour in term of speed, dose (10 to 100 megarad (Si)), dose rate and S.E.U. performances [fr

Quantized conductance doubling and hard gap in a two-dimensional semiconductor-superconductor heterostructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Morten; Nichele, F; Suominen, Henri Juhani

2016-01-01

topological matter is by coupling a 2D electron gas with strong spin-orbit interaction to an s-wave superconductor. Previous efforts along these lines have been adversely affected by interface disorder and unstable gating. Here we show measurements on a gateable InGaAs/InAs 2DEG with patterned epitaxial Al......, yielding devices with atomically pristine interfaces between semiconductor and superconductor. Using surface gates to form a quantum point contact (QPC), we find a hard superconducting gap in the tunnelling regime. When the QPC is in the open regime, we observe a first conductance plateau at 4e(2)/h...

Tc depression and superconductor-insulator transition in molybdenum nitride thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, F.; Makise, K.; Tsuneoka, T.; Maeda, S.; Shinozaki, B.

2018-03-01

We have studied that the Tc depression and the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in molybdenum nitride (MoN) thin films. Thin films were fabricated by reactive DC magnetron sputtering method onto (100) MgO substrates in the mixture of Ar and N2 gases. Several dozen MoN thin films were prepared in the range of 3 nm < thickness d < 60 nm. The resistance was measured by a DC four-probe technique. It is found that Tc decreases from 6.6 K for thick films with increase of the normal state sheet resistance {R}{{sq}}{{N}} and experimental data were fitted to the Finkel’stein formula using the bulk superconducting transition temperature Tc 0 = 6.45 K and the elastic scattering time of electron τ = 1.6 × 10‑16 s. From this analysis the critical sheet resistance Rc is found about 2 kΩ, which is smaller than the quantum sheet resistance R Q. This value of Rc is almost the same as those for 2D NbN films. The value of τ for MoN films is also the similar value for NbN films 1.0 × 10‑16 s, while Tc 0 is different from that for NbN films 14.85 K. It is indicated that the mechanism of SIT for MoN films is similar to that of NbN films, while the mean free path ℓ for MoN films is larger than that for NbN films.

La interstitial defect-induced insulator-metal transition in the oxide heterostructures LaAl O3 /SrTi O3

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jun; Yang, Ming; Feng, Yuan Ping; Rusydi, Andrivo

2017-11-01

Perovskite oxide interfaces have attracted tremendous research interest for their fundamental physics and promising all-oxide electronic applications. Here, based on first-principles calculations, we propose a surface La interstitial promoted interface insulator-metal transition in LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110). Compared with surface oxygen vacancies, which play a determining role on the insulator-metal transition of LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (001) interfaces, we find that surface La interstitials can be more experimentally realistic and accessible for manipulation and more stable in an ambient atmospheric environment. Interestingly, these surface La interstitials also induce significant spin-splitting states with a Ti dy z/dx z character at a conducting LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) interface. On the other hand, for insulating LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) (<4 unit cells LaAl O3 thickness), a distortion between La (Al) and O atoms is found at the LaAl O3 side, partially compensating the polarization divergence. Our results reveal the origin of the metal-insulator transition in LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) heterostructures, and also shed light on the manipulation of the superior properties of LaAl O3 /SrTi O3 (110) for different possibilities in electronic and magnetic applications.

Strong anisotropy effect in an iron-based superconductor CaFe0.882Co0.118AsF

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yonghui; Ji, Qiucheng; Hu, Kangkang; Gao, Bo; Li, Wei; Mu, Gang; Xie, Xiaoming

2017-07-01

The anisotropy of iron-based superconductors is much smaller than that of the cuprates and that predicted by theoretical calculations. A credible understanding for this experimental fact is still lacking up to now. Here we experimentally study the magnetic-field-angle dependence of electronic resistivity in the superconducting phase of an iron-based superconductor CaFe{}0.882Co{}0.118AsF, and find the strongest anisotropy effect of the upper critical field among the iron-based superconductors based on the framework of Ginzburg-Landau theory. The evidence of the energy band structure and charge density distribution from electronic structure calculations demonstrates that the observed strong anisotropic effect mainly comes from the strong ionic bonding in between the ions of Ca2+ and F-, which weakens the interlayer coupling between the layers of FeAs and CaF. This finding provides a significant insight into the nature of the experimentally-observed strong anisotropic effect of electronic resistivity, and also paves the way for designing exotic two-dimensional artificial unconventional superconductors in the future.

Emerging Trends in Topological Insulators and Topological ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

/fulltext/reso/022/08/0787-0800. Keywords. Superconductor, quantum Hall effect, topological insulator, Majorana fermions. Abstract. Topological insulators are new class of materials which arecharacterized by a bulk band gap like ordinary ...

Properties of superconducting S-I-N, S-I-S, and S-C-S structures with amorphous weak coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozub, V.I.

1984-01-01

The properties due to the presence of two-level structure systems in superconducting tunnel junctions with amorphous insulators, as well as in point and bridge Josephson junctions with amorphous surrounds, are investigated. Equations are obtained for tunneling with participation of the two-level systems for the cases of quasistatic tunneling in an S-I-N junction (N is the normal metal) and for the case of Josephson tunneling in an S-I-S junction. It is shown that inelastic tunneling makes an additional contribution to the nonlinearity of the current-voltage characteristic of an S-I-N junction. The specific phenomena of nonexponential relaxation in this junction (in particular, tunnel-current relaxation), which have a 1/t dependence, are discussed. Low-frequency noise in S-I-S and S-C-S structures, due to transitions in the two-level system and having a 1/f dependence at not too small junction sizes are considered. In the case of the stationary Josephson effect this noise has features of critical-current fluctuations that can manifest themselves, in particular as fluctuations of the magnetic flux linked with a weakly coupled superconducting ring. Under conditions of the nonstationary Josephson effect the two-level structures lead to broadening of the Josephson-generation line. It is proposed to use the nonstationary Josephson effect to observe the echo effect in glasses

Controlling the flux dynamics in superconductors by nanostructured magnetic arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Kapra, Andrey

In this thesis we investigate theoretically how the critical current jc of nano-engineered mesoscopic superconducting film can be improved and how one can control the dynamics of the magnetic flux, e.g., the transition from flux-pinned to flux-flow regime, using arrays of magnetic nanostructures. In particularly we investigate: (1) Vortex transport phenomena in superconductors with deposited ferromagnetic structures on top, and the influence of the sample geometry on the critical parameters and on the vortex configurations. Changing geometry of the magnetic bars and magnetization of the bars will affect the critical current jc of the superconducting film. Such nanostructured ferromagnets strongly alter the vortex structure in its neighborhood. The influence of geometry, position and magnetization of the ferromagnet (single bar or regular lattice of the bars) on the critical parameters of the superconductor is investigated. (2) Effect of flux confinement in narrow superconducting channels with zigzag-shaped banks: the flux motion is confined in the transverse (perpendicular) direction of a diamond-cell-shape channel. The matching effect for the magnetic flux is found in the system relevantless of boundary condition. We discuss the dynamics of vortices in the samples and vortex pattern formation in the channel. We show how the inclusion of higher-Tc superconductor into the sample can lead to enhanced properties of the system. By adding an external driving force, we study the vortex dynamics. The different dynamic regimes are discussed. They allowed an effective control of magnetic flux in superconductors.

Spin-dependent current in resonant tunneling diode with ferromagnetic GaMnN layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, N.Y.

2009-01-01

The spin-polarized tunneling current through a double barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) with ferromagnetic GaMnN emitter/collector is investigated theoretically. Two distinct spin splitting peaks can be observed at current-voltage (I-V) characteristics at low temperature. The spin polarization decreases with the temperature due to the thermal effect of electron density of states. When charge polarization effect is considered at the heterostructure, the spin polarization is enhanced significantly. A highly spin-polarized current can be obtained depending on the polarization charge density.

Coexistence of multiphase superconductivity and ferromagnetism in lithiated iron selenide hydroxide [(L i1 -xF ex) OH ]FeSe

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Christian; Valmianski, Ilya; Pachmayr, Ursula; Basaran, Ali C.; Johrendt, Dirk; Schuller, Ivan K.

2018-01-01

We present experimental evidence for (a) multiphase superconductivity and (b) coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity in a single structural phase of lithiated iron selenide hydroxide [(L i1 -xF ex )OH]FeSe. Magnetic field modulated microwave spectroscopy data confirms superconductivity with at least two distinct transition temperatures attributed to well-defined superconducting phases at TSC 1=40 ±2 K and TSC 2=35 ±2 K. Magnetometry data for the upper critical fields reveal a change in the magnetic order (TM=12 K) below TSC 1 and TSC 2 that is consistent with ferromagnetism. This occurs because the superconducting coherence length is much smaller than the structural coherence length, allowing for several different electronic and magnetic states on a single crystallite. The results give insight into the physics of complex multinary materials, where several phenomena governed by different characteristic length scales coexist.

Topological Insulators Dirac Equation in Condensed Matters

CERN Document Server

Shen, Shun-Qing

2012-01-01

Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk, but process metallic states around its boundary owing to the topological origin of the band structure. The metallic edge or surface states are immune to weak disorder or impurities, and robust against the deformation of the system geometry. This book, Topological insulators, presents a unified description of topological insulators from one to three dimensions based on the modified Dirac equation. A series of solutions of the bound states near the boundary are derived, and the existing conditions of these solutions are described. Topological invariants and their applications to a variety of systems from one-dimensional polyacetalene, to two-dimensional quantum spin Hall effect and p-wave superconductors, and three-dimensional topological insulators and superconductors or superfluids are introduced, helping readers to better understand this fascinating new field. This book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in the field of topological in...

Synthesis; characterization; and growth mechanism of Au/CdS heterostructured nanoflowers constructed with nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Qingcheng; Wu Rong; Feng Xiumei; Ye Cui; Hu Guanqi; Hu Jianqiang; Chen Zhiwu

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Well-defined and flower-shaped Au/CdS heterostructured nanocrystals were for the first time synthesized. → The Au-nanorod-induced hydrothermal strategy was for the first time used to fabricate metal/semiconductor heterostructured nanomaterials. → A preliminary crystal growing mechanism was also proposed for better understanding the growth process of other Au/semiconductor heterostructure nanocrystals. → The route devised here should also be extendable to fabricate other Au/semiconductor heterostructure nanomaterials. - Abstract: Gold/sulfide cadmium (Au/CdS) heterostructured nanocrystals with a flower-like shape were for the first time synthesized through an Au-nanorod-induced hydrothermal method. The Au/CdS nanoflowers possessed the average size of about 350 nm while the nanorods constructing the nanoflowers had the average diameter, length, and aspect ratio of approximately 50 nm, 100 nm, and 2, respectively. Our method suggested that Au-nanorods played a decisive role in the formation of Au/CdS heterostructured nanoflowers, demonstrated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction (ED), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy measurements. A preliminary experiment model to reveal the Au/CdS growth mechanism was also put forward. The route devised here should be perhaps extendable to fabricate other Au/semiconductor heterostructured nanomaterials, and the Au/CdS nanoflowers may have potential applications in nanodevices, biolabels, and clinical detection and diagnosis.

Influence of magnetic impurities on charge transport in diffusive-normal-metal/superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Inoue, J.; Asano, Y.

2005-01-01

Charge transport in the diffusive normal metal (DN)/insulator/s- and d-wave superconductor junctions is studied in the presence of magnetic impurities in DN in the framework of the quasiclassical Usadel equations with the generalized boundary conditions. The cases of s- and d-wave superconducting

Larmor diffraction studies on the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritz, Robert; Pfleiderer, Christian [Physik Department E21, TU Muenchen, Garching (Germany); Sokolov, Dmitry; Huxley, Andrew D. [School of Physics and Astronomy, and Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, The University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Keller, Thomas [MPI fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany)

2011-07-01

Larmor diffraction (LD) is a novel technique based on the Larmor precession of polarized neutrons that surpasses the resolution of conventional scattering methods by two orders of magnitude. For a long time it was thought that it is not possible to measure LD on systems with depolarizing properties, such as ferromagnets. We present thermal expansion measurements under pressure by means of Larmor diffraction (LD) on the superconducting Ising ferromagnet UGe{sub 2}. LD allowed us to measure magnetization and thermal expansion under pressure in the same setup and hence to directly compare transition temperatures. We found that the thermal expansion near T{sub X}, the transition between two ferromagnetic phases which is believed to drive superconductivity, shows a clear transition in the b- and c-axis under pressure at a temperature a few K higher than for the a-axis and the ferromagnetic Bragg peak. We are considering different mechanisms how this may be connected with the superconductivity in UGe{sub 2}.

Ferromagnetism and half metallicity induced by oxygen vacancies in the double perovskite BaSrNiWO{sub 6}: DFT study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aharbil, Y. [Laboratoire de Chimie Physique des Matériaux LCPM, Faculté des Sciences Ben M' Sik, Casablanca (Morocco); Labrim, H. [Unité Science de la Matière/DERS/Centre National de l’Energie, des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires (CNESTEN), Rabat (Morocco); Benmokhtar, S.; Haddouch, M. Ait [Laboratoire de Chimie Physique des Matériaux LCPM, Faculté des Sciences Ben M' Sik, Casablanca (Morocco); Bahmad, L., E-mail: bahmad@fsr.ac.ma [Mohammed V University in Rabat, Laboratoire de Magnétisme et Physique des Hautes Energies L.M.P.H.E. URAC-12, B.P. 1014, Rabat (Morocco); Belhaj, A. [LIRST, Département de Physique, Faculté Poly-disciplinaire, Université Sultan Moulay Slimane, Béni Mellal (Morocco); Ez-Zahraouy, H.; Benyoussef, A. [Mohammed V University in Rabat, Laboratoire de Magnétisme et Physique des Hautes Energies L.M.P.H.E. URAC-12, B.P. 1014, Rabat (Morocco)

2016-11-01

Using the spin polarized density functional theory (DFT) and exploring the Plane-Wave Self-Consistent Field (PWscf) code implemented in Quantum-ESPRESSO package, we investigate the effect of the Oxygen vacancies (V{sub O}) and the Oxygen interstitial (O{sub i}) on the double perovskite BaSrNiWO{sub 6}. This deals with the magnetic ordering and the electronic structure in such a pure sample exhibiting the insulating anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) state. This study shows that the presence of oxygen deficient defects converts the insulating to half metal with ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic states. The magnetic ordering in BaSrNiWO{sub 6−δ} depends on the position of the Oxygen vacancy in the unit cell. However, it has been shown that the Oxygen interstitial preserves the anti-ferromagnetic propriety. We have computed the formation energies of different positions of the Oxygen vacancy (V{sub O}) and the Oxygen interstitial (O{sub i}) in the BaSrNiWO{sub 6} compound. We showed that the formation of V{sub O} is easier and vice versa for the O{sub i} formation. The obtained results reveal(V{sub O}) and the Oxygen interstitial (O{sub i}) that the anti-ferromagnetic can be converted to ferromagnetic in the double perovskite BaSrNiWO{sub 6} induced by Oxygen vacancies V{sub O}. - Highlights: • We have studied the ferromagnetism and Half Metallicity in Double Perovskite BaSrNiWO{sub 6}. • We have applied the Ab-inito calculations using the DFT approach. • We showed the effects induced by Oxygen Vacancies and Oxygen interstitial. • We found that the magnetic ordering in BaSrNiWO{sub 6−δ} depends on the position of the Oxygen vacancy in the unit cell.

Synthesis of AgI/Bi2MoO6 nano-heterostructure with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic property

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zhang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A novel nano-heterostructure of AgI/Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via a facile deposition-precipitation method. The samples were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectra. While sole Bi2MoO6 or AgI showed poor activity toward photocatalytic rhodamine B degradation, the nano-heterostructure was found with superior performance. The AgI/Bi2MoO6 composite with an optimal content of 20 wt% AgI exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation rate. Rhodamine B was totally degraded within 75 min visible-light irradiation. Moreover, the hybrid photocatalyst also showed a fairly good stability for several-cycle reuse. This study indicates that the AgI/Bi2MoO6 nano-heterostructure can be used as an effective candidate for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Keywords: Heterostructure, Photocatalyst, RhB-degradation

Theory of thermal and charge transport in diffusive normal metal / superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Asano, Y.

2005-01-01

Thermal and charge transport in diffusive normal metal (DN)/insulator/s-, d-, and p-wave superconductor junctions are studied based on the Usadel equation with the Nazarov's generalized boundary condition. We derive a general expression of the thermal conductance in unconventional superconducting

Current-induced spin-orbit torques in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems

KAUST Repository

Manchon, Aurelien

2018-01-29

Spin-orbit coupling in inversion-asymmetric magnetic crystals and structures has emerged as a powerful tool to generate complex magnetic textures, interconvert charge and spin under applied current, and control magnetization dynamics. Current-induced spin-orbit torques mediate the transfer of angular momentum from the lattice to the spin system, leading to sustained magnetic oscillations or switching of ferromagnetic as well as antiferromagnetic structures. The manipulation of magnetic order, domain walls and skyrmions by spin-orbit torques provides evidence of the microscopic interactions between charge and spin in a variety of materials and opens novel strategies to design spintronic devices with potentially high impact in data storage, nonvolatile logic, and magnonic applications. This paper reviews recent progress in the field of spin-orbitronics, focusing on theoretical models, material properties, and experimental results obtained on bulk noncentrosymmetric conductors and multilayer heterostructures, including metals, semiconductors, and topological insulator systems. Relevant aspects for improving the understanding and optimizing the efficiency of nonequilibrium spin-orbit phenomena in future nanoscale devices are also discussed.

Current-induced spin-orbit torques in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems

KAUST Repository

Manchon, Aurelien; Miron, I. M.; Jungwirth, T.; Sinova, J.; Zelezný , J.; Thiaville, A.; Garello, K.; Gambardella, P.

2018-01-01

Spin-orbit coupling in inversion-asymmetric magnetic crystals and structures has emerged as a powerful tool to generate complex magnetic textures, interconvert charge and spin under applied current, and control magnetization dynamics. Current-induced spin-orbit torques mediate the transfer of angular momentum from the lattice to the spin system, leading to sustained magnetic oscillations or switching of ferromagnetic as well as antiferromagnetic structures. The manipulation of magnetic order, domain walls and skyrmions by spin-orbit torques provides evidence of the microscopic interactions between charge and spin in a variety of materials and opens novel strategies to design spintronic devices with potentially high impact in data storage, nonvolatile logic, and magnonic applications. This paper reviews recent progress in the field of spin-orbitronics, focusing on theoretical models, material properties, and experimental results obtained on bulk noncentrosymmetric conductors and multilayer heterostructures, including metals, semiconductors, and topological insulator systems. Relevant aspects for improving the understanding and optimizing the efficiency of nonequilibrium spin-orbit phenomena in future nanoscale devices are also discussed.

Kramers non-magnetic superconductivity in LnNiAsO superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuke; Luo, Yongkang; Li, Lin; Chen, Bin; Xu, Xiaofeng; Dai, Jianhui; Yang, Xiaojun; Zhang, Li; Cao, Guanghan; Xu, Zhu-an

2014-10-22

We investigated a series of nickel-based oxyarsenides LnNiAsO (Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) compounds. CeNiAsO undergoes two successive anti-ferromagnetic transitions at TN1=9.3 K and TN2=7.3 K; SmNiAsO becomes an anti-ferromagnet below TN≃3.5 K; NdNiAsO keeps paramagnetic down to 2 K but orders anti-ferromagnetically below TN≃1.3 K. Superconductivity was observed only in Kramers non-magnetic LaNiAsO and PrNiAsO with Tc=2.7 K and 0.93 K, respectively. The superconductivity of PrNiAsO is further studied by upper critical field and specific heat measurements, which reveal that PrNiAsO is a weakly coupled Kramers non-magnetic superconductor. Our work confirms that the nickel-based oxyarsenide superconductors are substantially different in mechanism to iron-based ones, and are likely to be described by the conventional superconductivity theory.

Design study of SMES system using high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshihara, T.; Masuda, M.; Shintomi, T.; Hasegawa, J.

1988-01-01

Various studies of high Tc superconductors are being energetically pursued all over the world, since IBM Zurich Research Laboratory reported on the superconducting oxide. A new design using a high Tc superconductor is under study for 5000 MWh, on the assumption that it is available like conventional superconductors. Problems related to the Tc SMES system, mainly thermal insulation, refrigeration system, stability of superconductors, etc., are considered. Some design examples of high Tc SMES system are proposed

Simulation of transport critical current of Bi2223/Ag tape with ferromagnetic shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, C.; Alamgir, A.K.M.; Qu, T.M.; Han, Z.

2008-01-01

Ferromagnetic shielding (FS) was coated onto the surface of the Bi2223/Ag multi-filamentary tape. Transport critical current of the Bi2223/Ag multi-filamentary tape with a FS was systematically studied by numerical simulation. In the help of a finite element analysis (FEA) tool, we are able to understand how the FS alters the flux inside the superconductor region and thus increases and decreases the critical current density locally. The results show the open FS function both positively and negatively to the performance of the tape. An optimization process was proposed, aiming to reach a tradeoff between I c increasing and less usage of the ferromagnetic material. Three important shielding parameters, shielding width, shielding thickness, and shielding material were taken into account

Simulation of transport critical current of Bi2223/Ag tape with ferromagnetic shielding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, C. [Applied Superconductivity Research Center, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)], E-mail: guchen@tsinghua.edu.cn; Alamgir, A.K.M. [Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 75-9 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, ku, Yokohama (Japan); Qu, T.M. [Applied Superconductivity Research Center, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education (China); Han, Z. [Applied Superconductivity Research Center, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2008-09-15

Ferromagnetic shielding (FS) was coated onto the surface of the Bi2223/Ag multi-filamentary tape. Transport critical current of the Bi2223/Ag multi-filamentary tape with a FS was systematically studied by numerical simulation. In the help of a finite element analysis (FEA) tool, we are able to understand how the FS alters the flux inside the superconductor region and thus increases and decreases the critical current density locally. The results show the open FS function both positively and negatively to the performance of the tape. An optimization process was proposed, aiming to reach a tradeoff between I{sub c} increasing and less usage of the ferromagnetic material. Three important shielding parameters, shielding width, shielding thickness, and shielding material were taken into account.

Temperature dependence of hole mobility in Mott insulators: Normal-state resistivity of high-T/sub c/ superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, N.

1989-01-01

We consider the diffusion of a hole injected in a Mott insulator described by a one-band Hubbard Hamiltonian at half-filling and in the atomic limit. The diffusion coefficient turns out to be temperature independent exactly giving 1/T dependence for the drift mobility via the Einstein relation. This is in marked disagreement with the (1/T)/sup 1/2/ dependence obtaining in the self-retracing path approximation at low temperatures. We note the possible relevance of our result to the linear T dependence of the normal-state resistivity observed in the high-T/sub c/ oxide superconductors

High temperature superconductor cable concepts for fusion magnets

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2078397

2013-01-01

Three concepts of high temperature superconductor cables carrying kA currents (RACC, CORC and TSTC) are investigated, optimized and evaluated in the scope of their applicability as conductor in fusion magnets. The magnetic field and temperature dependence of the cables is measured; the thermal expansion and conductivity of structure, insulation and filling materials are investigated. High temperature superconductor winding packs for fusion magnets are calculated and compared with corresponding low temperature superconductor cases.

Dimensionality Driven Enhancement of Ferromagnetic Superconductivity in URhGe

Science.gov (United States)

Braithwaite, Daniel; Aoki, Dai; Brison, Jean-Pascal; Flouquet, Jacques; Knebel, Georg; Nakamura, Ai; Pourret, Alexandre

2018-01-01

In most unconventional superconductors, like the high-Tc cuprates, iron pnictides, or heavy-fermion systems, superconductivity emerges in the proximity of an electronic instability. Identifying unambiguously the pairing mechanism remains nevertheless an enormous challenge. Among these systems, the orthorhombic uranium ferromagnetic superconductors have a unique position, notably because magnetic fields couple directly to ferromagnetic order, leading to the fascinating discovery of the reemergence of superconductivity in URhGe at a high field. Here we show that uniaxial stress is a remarkable tool allowing the fine-tuning of the pairing strength. With a relatively small stress, the superconducting phase diagram is spectacularly modified, with a merging of the low- and high-field superconducting states and a significant enhancement of the superconductivity. The superconducting critical temperature increases both at zero field and under a field, reaching 1 K, more than twice higher than at ambient pressure. This enhancement of superconductivity is shown to be directly related to a change of the magnetic dimensionality detected from an increase of the transverse magnetic susceptibility: In addition to the Ising-type longitudinal ferromagnetic fluctuations, transverse magnetic fluctuations also play an important role in the superconducting pairing.

Growth and characterization of manganese doped III-V heterostructures; Herstellung und Charakterisierung von Mangan dotierten III-V Halbleiterheterostrukturen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wurstbauer, Ursula

2008-04-15

Subject of this thesis is the growth of III-V heterostructures doped with manganese by means of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The characterization was done primarily by magnetotransport measurements in the temperature range from 300 K to 20 mK and fields up to 19 T. Two different kind of Mn doped materials, ferromagnetic GaMnAs layers and Mn modulation doped magnetic two dimensional hole systems were studied. The first part focuses on the enhancement of the electric and magnetic properties of ferromagnetic properties and the integration of GaMnAs layers in more sophisticated heterostructures. Therefore, the crystal quality and the influence of the buffer layer beneath the magnetic layer are crucial. The MBE-growth of ferromagnetic GaMnAs layers on (001), (311)A and (311)A was successfully achieved with present values of the Curie-temperature (TC). Additionally, the growth of ferromagnetic GaMnAs layers on nonpolar (110) substrates and on cleaved [110] edges was established. An application of the latter was the investigation of magnetic bipolar junctions. Magnetic two dimensional hole gases (M2DHG) has been realized by the use of In0.75Al0.25As/In0.75Ga0.25As/InAs quantum well (QW) structures. It is necessary to grow a buffer layer for strain relaxation due to the lattice mismatch by gradually increasing the In mole fraction. Magnetotransport measurements were carried out on Si doped two-dimensional electron gases (2DEG) and on Mn doped M2DHGs. From magnetotransport measurements on the M2DHGs we see some interesting features, in particular in the mK region. From the 2DEGs and all non inverted doped M2DEGs weak localization and weak antilocalization effects can be observed in the low field region. Whereas all M2DHGs with an inverted doping layer show strong localization effects and a metal insulator transition dependent on the applied magnetic field perpendicular to the QW. In the high field region Shubnikov-de-Haas oscillations in the longitudinal resistance and

Vortex dynamics in ferromagnetic/superconducting bilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cieplak, M.Z.; Adamus, Z. [Polish Acad Sci, Inst Phys, PL-02668 Warsaw, (Poland); Konczykowski, M. [CEA, DSM, DRECAM, Lab Solides Irradies, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS-UMR 7642, F-91128 Palaiseau (France); Zhu, L.Y.; Chien, C.L. [Johns Hopkins Univ, Dept Phys and Astron, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2008-07-01

The dependence of vortex dynamics on the geometry of magnetic domain pattern is studied in the superconducting/ferromagnetic bilayers, in which niobium is a superconductor, and Co/Pt multilayer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy serves as a ferromagnetic layer. Magnetic domain patterns with different density of domains per surface area and different domain size, w, are obtained for Co/Pt with different thickness of Pt. The dense patterns of domains with the size comparable to the magnetic penetration depth (w {>=} {lambda}) produce large vortex pinning and smooth vortex penetration, while less dense patterns with larger domains (w {>=}{>=} {lambda}) enhance pinning less effectively and result in flux jumps during flux motion. (authors)

Strongly suppressed proximity effect and ferromagnetism in topological insulator/ferromagnet/superconductor thin film trilayers of Bi2Se3/SrRuO3/underdoped YBa2Cu3O x : a possible new platform for Majorana nano-electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Koren, Gad

2018-07-01

We report properties of a topological insulator–ferromagnet–superconductor trilayers comprised of thin films of 20 nm thick {Bi}}2{Se}}3 on 10 nm SrRuO3 on 30 nm {YBa}}2{Cu}}3{{{O}}}x. As deposited trilayers are underdoped and have a superconductive transition with {{T}}{{c}} onset at 75 K, zero resistance at 65 K, {{T}}Cueri} at 150 K and {{T}}* of about 200 K. Further reannealing under vacuum yields the 60 K phase of {YBa}}2{Cu}}3{{{O}}}x which still has zero resistance below about 40 K. Only when 10 × 100 microbridges were patterned in the trilayer, some of the bridges showed resistive behavior all the way down to low temperatures. Magnetoresistance versus temperature of the superconductive ones showed the typical peak due to flux flow against pinning below {{T}}{{c}}, while the resistive ones showed only the broad leading edge of such a peak. All this indicates clearly weak-link superconductivity in the resistive bridges between superconductive {YBa}}2{Cu}}3{{{O}}}x grains via the topological and ferromagnetic cap layers. Comparing our results to those of a reference trilayer (RTL) with the topological {Bi}}2{Se}}3 layer substituted by a non-superconducting highly overdoped {La}}1.65{Sr}}0.35{CuO}}4, indicates that the superconductive proximity effect as well as ferromagnetism in the topological trilayer are actually strongly suppressed compared to the non-topological RTL. This strong suppression could originate in lattice and Fermi levels mismatch as well as in short coherence length and unfavorable effects of strong spin–orbit coupling in {Bi}}2{Se}}3 on the d-wave pairing of {YBa}}2{Cu}}3{{{O}}}x. Proximity induced edge currents in the SRO/YBCO layer could lead to Majorana bound states, a possible signature of which is observed in the present study as zero bias conductance peaks.

Quantum critical singularities in two-dimensional metallic XY ferromagnets

Science.gov (United States)

Varma, Chandra M.; Gannon, W. J.; Aronson, M. C.; Rodriguez-Rivera, J. A.; Qiu, Y.

2018-02-01

An important problem in contemporary physics concerns quantum-critical fluctuations in metals. A scaling function for the momentum, frequency, temperature, and magnetic field dependence of the correlation function near a 2D-ferromagnetic quantum-critical point (QCP) is constructed, and its singularities are determined by comparing to the recent calculations of the correlation functions of the dissipative quantum XY model (DQXY). The calculations are motivated by the measured properties of the metallic compound YFe2Al10 , which is a realization of the DQXY model in 2D. The frequency, temperature, and magnetic field dependence of the scaling function as well as the singularities measured in the experiments are given by the theory without adjustable exponents. The same model is applicable to the superconductor-insulator transitions, classes of metallic AFM-QCPs, and as fluctuations of the loop-current ordered state in hole-doped cuprates. The results presented here lend credence to the solution found for the 2D-DQXY model and its applications in understanding quantum-critical properties of diverse systems.

Two-dimensional epitaxial superconductor-semiconductor heterostructures: A platform for topological superconducting networks

OpenAIRE

Shabani, J.; Kjaergaard, M.; Suominen, H. J.; Kim, Younghyun; Nichele, F.; Pakrouski, K.; Stankevic, T.; Lutchyn, R. M.; Krogstrup, P.; Feidenhans'l, R.; Kraemer, S.; Nayak, C.; Troyer, M.; Marcus, C. M.; Palmstrøm, C. J.

2015-01-01

Progress in the emergent field of topological superconductivity relies on synthesis of new material combinations, combining superconductivity, low density, and spin-orbit coupling (SOC). For example, theory [1-4] indicates that the interface between a one-dimensional (1D) semiconductor (Sm) with strong SOC and a superconductor (S) hosts Majorana modes with nontrivial topological properties [5-8]. Recently, epitaxial growth of Al on InAs nanowires was shown to yield a high quality S-Sm system ...

Superconducting spin switch based on superconductor-ferromagnet nanostructures for spintronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kehrle, Jan; Mueller, Claus; Obermeier, Guenter; Schreck, Matthias; Gsell, Stefan; Horn, Siegfried; Tidecks, Reinhard; Zdravkov, Vladimir; Morari, Roman; Sidorencko, Anatoli; Prepelitsa, Andrei; Antropov, Evgenii; Socrovisciiuc, Alexei; Nold, Eberhard; Tagirov, Lenar

2011-01-01

Very rapid developing area, spintronics, needs new devices, based on new physical principles. One of such devices - a superconducting spin-switch, consists of ferromagnetic and superconducting layers, and is based on a new phenomenon - reentrant superconductivity. The tuning of the superconducting and ferromagnetic layers thickness is investigated to optimize superconducting spin-switch effect for Nb/Cu 41 Ni 59 based nanoscale layered systems.

Exchange bias in nearly perpendicularly coupled ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bu, K.M.; Kwon, H.Y.; Oh, S.W.; Won, C.

2012-01-01

Exchange bias phenomena appear not only in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic systems but also in ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic systems in which two layers are nearly perpendicularly coupled. We investigated the origin of the symmetry-breaking mechanism and the relationship between the exchange bias and the system's energy parameters. We compared the results of computational Monte Carlo simulations with those of theoretical model calculation. We found that the exchange bias exhibited nonlinear behaviors, including sign reversal and singularities. These complicated behaviors were caused by two distinct magnetization processes depending on the interlayer coupling strength. The exchange bias reached a maximum at the transition between the two magnetization processes. - Highlights: ► Exchange bias phenomena are found in perpendicularly coupled F/F systems. ► Exchange bias exhibits nonlinear behaviors, including sign reversal and singularities. ► These complicated behaviors were caused by two distinct magnetization processes. ► Exchange bias reached a maximum at the transition between the two magnetization processes. ► We established an equation to maximize the exchange bias in perpendicularly coupled F/F system.

Position annihilation study on the (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-(O,F) superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaogang; Gao Xiaohui; Wang Ruidan; Hu Pingya

1993-01-01

In this note, we report the results of positron lifetime measurements in heat-treated (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-(O, F), and discuss the possible location of the doped fluorine in the (Bi, Pb)-system superconductors. (orig.)

M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) heterostructures

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Qingyun

2018-04-16

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the electronic properties of the two-dimensional GaX/MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) heterostructures. Orbital hybridization between GaX and MX2 is found to result in Rashba splitting at the valence-band edge around the Γ point, which grows for increasing strength of the spin-orbit coupling in the p orbitals of the chalcogenide atoms. The location of the valence-band maximum in the Brillouin zone can be tuned by strain and application of an out-of-plane electric field. The coexistence of Rashba splitting (in-plane spin direction) and band splitting at the K and K′ valleys (out-of-plane spin direction) makes GaX/MX2 heterostructures interesting for spintronics and valleytronics. They are promising candidates for two-dimensional spin-field-effect transistors and spin-valley Hall effect devices. Our findings shed light on the spin-valley coupling in van der Waals heterostructures.

The modulation of Schottky barriers of metal-MoS2 contacts via BN-MoS2 heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jie; Feng, Liping; Zhang, Yan; Liu, Zhengtang

2016-06-22

Using first-principles calculations within density functional theory, we systematically studied the effect of BN-MoS2 heterostructure on the Schottky barriers of metal-MoS2 contacts. Two types of FETs are designed according to the area of the BN-MoS2 heterostructure. Results show that the vertical and lateral Schottky barriers in all the studied contacts, irrespective of the work function of the metal, are significantly reduced or even vanish when the BN-MoS2 heterostructure substitutes the monolayer MoS2. Only the n-type lateral Schottky barrier of Au/BN-MoS2 contact relates to the area of the BN-MoS2 heterostructure. Notably, the Pt-MoS2 contact with n-type character is transformed into a p-type contact upon substituting the monolayer MoS2 by a BN-MoS2 heterostructure. These changes of the contact natures are ascribed to the variation of Fermi level pinning, work function and charge distribution. Analysis demonstrates that the Fermi level pinning effects are significantly weakened for metal/BN-MoS2 contacts because no gap states dominated by MoS2 are formed, in contrast to those of metal-MoS2 contacts. Although additional BN layers reduce the interlayer interaction and the work function of the metal, the Schottky barriers of metal/BN-MoS2 contacts still do not obey the Schottky-Mott rule. Moreover, different from metal-MoS2 contacts, the charges transfer from electrodes to the monolayer MoS2, resulting in an increment of the work function of these metals in metal/BN-MoS2 contacts. These findings may prove to be instrumental in the future design of new MoS2-based FETs with ohmic contact or p-type character.

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of comb-like CdS nanobelt/ZnO nanorod heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lan Changyong; Gong Jiangfeng; Liu Chunming

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Comb-like CdS nanobelt/ZnO nanorod heterostructures were synthesized. ► ZnO nanorods epitaxially grew on the (1 0 0) surface of the CdS nanobelts along [1 0 0]. ► A preliminary growth mechanism was proposed. - Abstract: Comb-like CdS nanobelt/ZnO nanorod heterostructures were synthesized by a two-stage method. X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize and analyze the as-synthesized products. The results demonstrate that the CdS nanobelt backbones grow along [2 1 0] and the ZnO nanorod branches epitaxially grow on the (0 0 1) surface of the CdS nanobelt with a growth direction of [0 0 1]. The as-prepared heterostructures exhibit an important feature of single-crystallinity. At room temperature, the comb-like CdS nanobelt/ZnO nanorod heterostructures show strong green emission.

Tuning the Schottky rectification in graphene-hexagonal boron nitride-molybdenum disulfide heterostructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Biao; Zhao, Yu-Qing; Yu, Zhuo-Liang; Wang, Lin-Zhi; Cai, Meng-Qiu

2018-03-01

It was still a great challenge to design high performance of rectification characteristic for the rectifier diode. Lately, a new approach was proposed experimentally to tune the Schottky barrier height (SBH) by inserting an ultrathin insulated tunneling layer to form metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) heterostructures. However, the electronic properties touching off the high performance of these heterostructures and the possibility of designing more efficient applications for the rectifier diode were not presently clear. In this paper, the structural, electronic and interfacial properties of the novel MIS diode with the graphene/hexagonal boron nitride/monolayer molybdenum disulfide (GBM) heterostructure had been investigated by first-principle calculations. The calculated results showed that the intrinsic properties of graphene and MoS 2 were preserved due to the weak van der Waals contact. The height of interfacial Schottky barrier can be tuned by the different thickness of hBN layers. In addition, the GBM Schottky diode showed more excellent rectification characteristic than that of GM Schottky diode due to the interfacial band bending caused by the epitaxial electric field. Based on the electronic band structure, we analyzed the relationship between the electronic structure and the nature of the Schottky rectifier, and revealed the potential of utilizing GBM Schottky diode for the higher rectification characteristic devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Graphene diamond-like carbon films heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Fang; Afandi, Abdulkareem; Jackman, Richard B.

2015-01-01

A limitation to the potential use of graphene as an electronic material is the lack of control over the 2D materials properties once it is deposited on a supporting substrate. Here, the use of Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) interlayers between the substrate and the graphene is shown to offer the prospect of overcoming this problem. The DLC films used here, more properly known as a-C:H with ∼25% hydrogen content, have been terminated with N or F moieties prior to graphene deposition. It is found that nitrogen terminations lead to an optical band gap shrinkage in the DLC, whilst fluorine groups reduce the DLC's surface energy. CVD monolayer graphene subsequently transferred to DLC, N terminated DLC, and F terminated DLC has then been studied with AFM, Raman and XPS analysis, and correlated with Hall effect measurements that give an insight into the heterostructures electrical properties. The results show that different terminations strongly affect the electronic properties of the graphene heterostructures. G-F-DLC samples were p-type and displayed considerably higher mobility than the other heterostructures, whilst G-N-DLC samples supported higher carrier densities, being almost metallic in character. Since it would be possible to locally pattern the distribution of these differing surface terminations, this work offers the prospect for 2D lateral control of the electronic properties of graphene layers for device applications

Interplay between the energy gap and heat capacity in S-wave superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonczarek, R.; Mulak, M.

1998-01-01

Starting from the postulated, generalized form of the BCS gap equation, suitable for a wide class of microscopic models, the thermodynamic properties of S-wave superconductors are studied. The precise analytical formulas for the main thermodynamic quantities are given and discussed in the characteristic temperature limits. In particular the inversion of the equations defining the specific heat as a function of Δ(T), i.e. the temperature dependence of the energy gap in S-wave superconductor is presented. It makes possible a reconstruction of the energy gap as a function of temperature from the heat capacity data. As predicted, in the frame of the model, the other thermodynamic quantities from the Δ(T) function seem also to be interesting. (orig.)

Giant proximity effect in ferromagnetic bilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Silvia; Charlton, Tim; Quintanilla, Jorge; Suter, Andreas; Moodera, Jagadeesh; Prokscha, Thomas; Salman, Zaher; Forgan, Ted

2013-03-01

The proximity effect is a phenomenon where an ordered state leaks from a material into an adjacent one over some finite distance, ξ. For superconductors, this distance is ~ the coherence length. Nevertheless much longer-range, ``giant'' proximity effects have been observed in cuprate junctions. This surprising effect can be understood as a consequence of critical opalescence. Since this occurs near all second order phase transitions, giant proximity effects should be very general and, in particular, they should be present in magnetic systems. The ferromagnetic proximity effect has the advantage that its order parameter (magnetization) can be observed directly. We investigate the above phenomenon in Co/EuS bilayer films, where both materials undergo ferromagnetic transitions but at rather different temperatures (bulk TC of 1400K for Co and 16.6K for EuS). A dramatic increase in the range of the proximity effect is expected near the TC of EuS. We present the results of our measurements of the magnetization profiles as a function of temperature, carried out using the complementary techniques of low energy muon rotation and polarized neutron reflectivity. Work supported by EPSRC, STFC and ONR grant N00014-09-1-0177 and NSF grant DMR 0504158.

On magnon mediated Cooper pair formation in ferromagnetic superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakesh Kar

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Identification of pairing mechanism leading to ferromagnetic superconductivity is one of the most challenging issues in condensed matter physics. Although different models have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, a quantitative understanding about this pairing is yet to be achieved. Using the localized-itinerant model, we find that in ferromagnetic superconducting materials both triplet pairing and singlet pairing of electrons are possible through magnon exchange depending upon whether the Debye cut off frequency of magnons is greater or lesser than the Hund's coupling (J multiplied by average spin (S per site. Taking into account the repulsive interaction due to the existence of paramagnons, we also find an expression for effective interaction potential between a pair of electrons with opposite spins. We apply the developed formalism in case of UGe2 and URhGe. The condition of singlet pairing is found to be fulfilled in these cases, as was previously envisaged by Suhl [Suhl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 167007 (2001]. We compute the critical temperatures of URhGe at ambient pressure and of UGe2 under different pressures for the first time through BCS equation. Thus, this work outlines a very simple way to evaluate critical temperature in case of a superconducting system. A close match with the available experimental results strongly supports our theoretical treatment.

Modulation of pure spin currents with a ferromagnetic insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Villamor, Estitxu; Isasa, Miren; Vélez, Saül; Bedoya-Pinto, Amilcar; Vavassori, Paolo; Hueso, Luis E.; Bergeret, F. Sebastián; Casanova, Fèlix

2015-01-01

We propose and demonstrate spin manipulation by magnetically controlled modulation of pure spin currents in cobalt/copper lateral spin valves, fabricated on top of the magnetic insulator Y3F e5O12 (YIG). The direction of the YIG magnetization can be controlled by a small magnetic field. We observe a clear modulation of the nonlocal resistance as a function of the orientation of the YIG magnetization with respect to the polarization of the spin current. Such a modulation can only be explained by assuming a finite spin-mixing conductance at the Cu/YIG interface, as it follows from the solution of the spin-diffusion equation. These results open a path towards the development of spin logics.

A phenomenological approach to high Tc oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chela-Flores, J.; Das, M.P.; Saif, A.G.

1987-06-01

Oxide superconductors are described in terms of macroscopic wave functions Ψ and Φ corresponding, respectively, to electron pairs of the superconducting and insulating states. In terms of the total free energy of the system, including the effect of interaction, we discuss the electrodynamic responses of the oxide superconductors in relation with the experiments to data. (author). 10 refs

In situ catalytic growth of large-area multilayered graphene/MoS2 heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Wei; Du, Fei-Hu; Su, Juan; Li, Xin-Hao; Wei, Xiao; Ye, Tian-Nan; Wang, Kai-Xue; Chen, Jie-Sheng

2014-04-01

Stacking various two-dimensional atomic crystals on top of each other is a feasible approach to create unique multilayered heterostructures with desired properties. Herein for the first time, we present a controlled preparation of large-area graphene/MoS2 heterostructures via a simple heating procedure on Mo-oleate complex coated sodium sulfate under N2 atmosphere. Through a direct in situ catalytic reaction, graphene layer has been uniformly grown on the MoS2 film formed by the reaction of Mo species with S pecies, which is from the carbothermal reduction of sodium sulfate. Due to the excellent graphene ``painting'' on MoS2 atomic layers, the significantly shortened lithium ion diffusion distance and the markedly enhanced electronic conductivity, these multilayered graphene/MoS2 heterostructures exhibit high specific capacity, unprecedented rate performance and outstanding cycling stability, especially at a high current density, when used as an anode material for lithium batteries. This work provides a simple but efficient route for the controlled fabrication of large-area multilayered graphene/metal sulfide heterostructures with promising applications in battery manufacture, electronics or catalysis.

Meissner effect in diffusive normal metal/d-wave superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, Takehito; Tanaka, Yukio; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Inoue, Jun-ichiro; Asano, Yasuhiro

2005-01-01

The Meissner effect in diffusive normal metal/insulator/d-wave superconductor junctions is studied theoretically in the framework of the Usadel equation under the generalized boundary condition. The effect of midgap Andreev resonant states (MARS) formed at the interface of d-wave superconductor is

Spin Transport in Mesoscopic Superconducting-Ferromagnetic Hybrid Conductor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zein W. A.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The spin polarization and the corresponding tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR for a hybrid ferromagnetic / superconductor junction are calculated. The results show that these parameters are strongly depends on the exchange field energy and the bias voltage. The dependence of the polarization on the angle of precession is due to the spin flip through tunneling process. Our results could be interpreted as due to spin imbalance of carriers resulting in suppression of gap energy of the superconductor. The present investigation is valuable for manufacturing magnetic recording devices and nonvolatile memories which imply a very high spin coherent transport for such junction.

Spin Transport in Mesoscopic Superconducting-Ferromagnetic Hybrid Conductor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zein W. A.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The spin polarization and the corresponding tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR for a hybrid ferromagnetic/superconductor junction are calculated. The results show that these parameters are strongly depends on the exchange field energy and the bias voltage. The dependence of the polarization on the angle of precession is due to the spin flip through tunneling process. Our results could be interpreted as due to spin imbalance of carriers resulting in suppression of gap energy of the superconductor. The present investigation is valuable for manufacturing magnetic recording devices and nonvolatile memories which imply a very high spin coherent transport for such junction.

On the temperature dependence of spin pumping in ferromagnet–topological insulator–ferromagnet spin valves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.A. Baker

Full Text Available Topological insulators (TIs have a large potential for spintronic devices owing to their spin-polarized, counter-propagating surface states. Recently, we have investigated spin pumping in a ferromagnet–TI–ferromagnet structure at room temperature. Here, we present the temperature-dependent measurement of spin pumping down to 10 K, which shows no variation with temperature. Keywords: Topological insulator, Spin pumping, Spintronics, Ferromagnetic resonance

Intrinsic ferromagnetism in hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Si, M. S.; Gao, Daqiang, E-mail: gaodq@lzu.edu.cn, E-mail: xueds@lzu.edu.cn; Yang, Dezheng; Peng, Yong; Zhang, Z. Y.; Xue, Desheng, E-mail: gaodq@lzu.edu.cn, E-mail: xueds@lzu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Liu, Yushen [Jiangsu Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and College of Physics and Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500 (China); Deng, Xiaohui [Department of Physics and Electronic Information Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421008 (China); Zhang, G. P. [Department of Physics, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809 (United States)

2014-05-28

Understanding the mechanism of ferromagnetism in hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, which possess only s and p electrons in comparison with normal ferromagnets based on localized d or f electrons, is a current challenge. In this work, we report an experimental finding that the ferromagnetic coupling is an intrinsic property of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, which has never been reported before. Moreover, we further confirm it from ab initio calculations. We show that the measured ferromagnetism should be attributed to the localized π states at edges, where the electron-electron interaction plays the role in this ferromagnetic ordering. More importantly, we demonstrate such edge-induced ferromagnetism causes a high Curie temperature well above room temperature. Our systematical work, including experimental measurements and theoretical confirmation, proves that such unusual room temperature ferromagnetism in hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets is edge-dependent, similar to widely reported graphene-based materials. It is believed that this work will open new perspectives for hexagonal boron nitride spintronic devices.

A time-reversal invariant topological phase at the surface of a 3D topological insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonderson, Parsa; Nayak, Chetan; Qi, Xiao-Liang

2013-01-01

A 3D fermionic topological insulator has a gapless Dirac surface state protected by time-reversal symmetry and charge conservation symmetry. The surface state can be gapped by introducing ferromagnetism to break time-reversal symmetry, introducing superconductivity to break charge conservation, or entering a topological phase. In this paper, we construct a minimal gapped topological phase that preserves both time-reversal and charge conservation symmetries and supports Ising-type non-Abelian anyons. This phase can be understood heuristically as emerging from a surface s-wave superconducting state via the condensation of eight-vortex composites. The topological phase inherits vortices supporting Majorana zero modes from the surface superconducting state. However, since it is time-reversal invariant, the surface topological phase is a distinct phase from the Ising topological phase, which can be viewed as a quantum-disordered spin-polarized p x + ip y superconductor. We discuss the anyon model of this topological phase and the manner in which time-reversal symmetry is realized in it. We also study the interfaces between the topological state and other surface gapped phases. (paper)

Electrical bushing for a superconductor element

Science.gov (United States)

Mirebeau, Pierre; Lallouet, Nicolas; Delplace, Sebastien; Lapierre, Regis

2010-05-04

The invention relates to an electrical bushing serving to make a connection at ambient temperature to a superconductor element situated in an enclosure at cryogenic temperature. The electrical bushing passes successively through an enclosure at intermediate temperature between ambient temperature and cryogenic temperature, and an enclosure at ambient temperature, and it comprises a central electrical conductor surrounded by an electrically insulating sheath. According to the invention, an electrically conductive screen connected to ground potential surrounds the insulating sheath over a section that extends from the end of the bushing that is in contact with the enclosure at cryogenic temperature at least as far as the junction between the enclosure at intermediate temperature and the enclosure at ambient temperature. The invention is more particularly applicable to making a connection to a superconductor cable.

The reexamination of thermal expansion of ferromagnetic superconductors and the pressure differential of its superconducting transition temperature-possible application to UGe2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konno, Rikio; Hatayama, Nobukuni

2011-01-01

The temperature dependence of thermal expansion of ferromagnetic superconductors below the superconducting transition temperature T scu of a majority spin conduction band is reexamined. In the previous study [to be published in J. M. Phys. B] the volume differential of the kinetic energy of conduction electrons is constant. However, in this study the volume differential of the kinetic energy of conduction electrons is inconstant. The superconducting gap of the majority spin conduction band used in this study has a line node. It is appropriate to UGe 2 . The pressure differential of its superconducting transition temperature is also investigated. We find that the thermal expansion coefficient has the divergence at the superconducting transition temperature. The thermodynamic Grueneisen's relation is satisfied.

Prediction of two-dimensional electron gas mediated magnetoelectric coupling at ferroelectric PbTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Lan-ying; Lian, Chao; Meng, Sheng

2017-05-01

First-principles calculations predict the emergence of magnetoelectric coupling mediated by two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the ferroelectric PbTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure. Free electrons endowed by naturally existing oxygen vacancies in SrTiO3 are driven to the heterostructure interface under the polarizing field of ferroelectric PbTiO3 to form a 2DEG. The electrons are captured by interfacial Ti atoms, which surprisingly exhibits ferromagnetism even at room temperature with a small critical density of ˜15.5 μ C /cm2 . The ferroelectricity-controlled ferromagnetism mediated by interfacial 2DEG shows strong magnetoelectric coupling strength, enabling convenient control of magnetism by electric field and vice versa. The PbTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure is cheap, easily grown, and controllable, promising future applications in low-cost spintronics and information storage at ambient condition.

On effective holographic Mott insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baggioli, Matteo; Pujolàs, Oriol [Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology,Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain)

2016-12-20

We present a class of holographic models that behave effectively as prototypes of Mott insulators — materials where electron-electron interactions dominate transport phenomena. The main ingredient in the gravity dual is that the gauge-field dynamics contains self-interactions by way of a particular type of non-linear electrodynamics. The electrical response in these models exhibits typical features of Mott-like states: i) the low-temperature DC conductivity is unboundedly low; ii) metal-insulator transitions appear by varying various parameters; iii) for large enough self-interaction strength, the conductivity can even decrease with increasing doping (density of carriers) — which appears as a sharp manifestation of ‘traffic-jam’-like behaviour; iv) the insulating state becomes very unstable towards superconductivity at large enough doping. We exhibit some of the properties of the resulting insulator-superconductor transition, which is sensitive to the momentum dissipation rate in a specific way. These models imply a clear and generic correlation between Mott behaviour and significant effects in the nonlinear electrical response. We compute the nonlinear current-voltage curve in our model and find that indeed at large voltage the conductivity is largely reduced.

On effective holographic Mott insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baggioli, Matteo; Pujolàs, Oriol

2016-01-01

We present a class of holographic models that behave effectively as prototypes of Mott insulators — materials where electron-electron interactions dominate transport phenomena. The main ingredient in the gravity dual is that the gauge-field dynamics contains self-interactions by way of a particular type of non-linear electrodynamics. The electrical response in these models exhibits typical features of Mott-like states: i) the low-temperature DC conductivity is unboundedly low; ii) metal-insulator transitions appear by varying various parameters; iii) for large enough self-interaction strength, the conductivity can even decrease with increasing doping (density of carriers) — which appears as a sharp manifestation of ‘traffic-jam’-like behaviour; iv) the insulating state becomes very unstable towards superconductivity at large enough doping. We exhibit some of the properties of the resulting insulator-superconductor transition, which is sensitive to the momentum dissipation rate in a specific way. These models imply a clear and generic correlation between Mott behaviour and significant effects in the nonlinear electrical response. We compute the nonlinear current-voltage curve in our model and find that indeed at large voltage the conductivity is largely reduced.

Application of internally cooled superconductors to tokamak fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Materna, P.A.

1986-01-01

Recent proposals for ignition tokamaks containing superconductors are reviewed. As the funding prospects for the U.S. fusion program have worsened, the proposed designs have been shrinking to smaller machines with less ambitious goals. The most recent proposal, the Tokamak Fusion Core Experiment (TFCX), was based on internally cooled cabled Nb 3 Sn conductors for the options which used superconductors. Internally cooled conductors are particularly advantageous in their electrical insulating properties and in the similarity of their winding procedures to those of conventional copper coils. Epoxy impregnation is possible and is advantageous both structurally and electrically. The allowable current density for this type of conductor was shown to be larger than the current density for more conventional superconducting technology. The TFCX effort identified research and development needed in advance of TFCX or any other large ignition machine. These topics include the metal used for the conduit; nuclear effects on materials; properties of electrical and thermal insulators; extension of superconducting technology to the sizes of coils envisioned and to the field level envisioned; pulsed coil superconducting technology; joints and insulating breaks in conductors; heat removal or flow path length limitations; mechanical behavior of potted conductor bundles; instrumentation; and fault modes and various questions integrated with overall machine design

Moessbauer study of LaFeAsO and F-doped superconductors in external magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitao, S; Kobayashi, Y; Higashitaniguchi, S; Kurokuzu, M; Saito, M; Seto, M; Mitsui, T; Kamihara, Y; Hirano, M; Hosono, H

2010-01-01

The iron-based F-doped superconductors LaFeAsO 1-x F x with a transition temperature of 24 K (for x = 0.07) and 26 K (x = 0.11) and its parent material LaFeAsO were studied using 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy. Further investigation was carried out by applying external magnetic fields. F-doped superconductors showed a singlet pattern with no magnetic splitting throughout the temperature range from 4.2 to 298 K. On the other hand, magnetically-split spectra were observed in the parent LaFeAsO below the Neel temperature of about 140 K. The internal magnetic field reached 5.3 T at 4.2 K. The external magnetic fields up to 14 T were applied to the singlet phases, F-doped superconductors and the parent LaFeAsO above the Neel temperature. The induced magnetically-split spectra showed the internal magnetic fields with the comparable value to the applied fields. This fact confirmed that these singlet phases have the paramagnetic feature. The magnetic fields were also applied to the magnetically-ordered phase of LaFeAsO below the Neel temperature. The evolution of the spectra depending on the external magnetic fields was clearly explained by a model with two sublattice spins of the powdered antiferromagnet. This fact confirmed the magnetically-ordered phase is an antiferromagnet. The spin-flop field was also estimated by the model as about 26 T.

Electrostatic doping of a Mott insulator in an oxide heterostructure: the case of LaVO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Andreas; Pfaff, Florian; Sing, Michael; Claessen, Ralph [Physikalisches Insititut and Roentgen Research Center for Complex Material Systems, Universitaet Wuerzburg, D-97074 Wuerzburg (Germany); Boschker, Hans; Kamp, Martin; Koster, Gertjan; Rijnders, Guus [Faculty of Science and Technology and MESA-plus Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2012-07-01

The discovery of a quasi-two-dimensional electron system at the interface between the two band insulators LaAlO{sub 3} and SrTiO{sub 3} has triggered intense investigations of oxide heterostructures with other material combinations. The hope is that by combining a polar overlayer with a non-polar substrate electronic reconstruction will lead to highly mobile interface charge carriers with special properties. The formation of a conducting interface layer in epitaxial LaVO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3}, where LaVO{sub 3} is a Mott insulator, is studied by transport measurements and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We identify an insulator-to-metal transition above a critical LaVO{sub 3} thickness with transport properties similar to those recently reported for LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interfaces. Interestingly, our photoemission measurements give evidence that electronic charge is transferred exclusively to the LaVO{sub 3}-side of the interface caused by an electronic reconstruction within the film itself. This opens the opportunity to study a band-filling controlled Mott transition induced by a purely electrostatic mechanism.

Demonstration of surface transport in a hybrid Bi2Se3/Bi2Te3 heterostructure

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Yanfei; Chang, Cui-Zu; Jiang, Ying; DaSilva, Ashley; Sun, Yi; Wang, Huichao; Xing, Ying; Wang, Yong; He, Ke; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qi-Kun; Wang, Jian

2013-01-01

In spite of much work on topological insulators (TIs), systematic experiments for TI/TI heterostructures remain absent. We grow a high quality heterostructure containing single quintuple layer (QL) of Bi2Se3 on 19 QLs of Bi2Te3 and compare its transport properties with 20 QLs Bi2Se3 and 20 QLs Bi2Te3. All three films are grown on insulating sapphire (0001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). In situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) provides direct evidence that the su...

Uniform photoresponse in thermally oxidized Ni and MoS2 heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Wei; Peng, Gang; Wang, Fei; Miao, Feng; Zhang, Xue-Ao; Qin, Shiqiao

2017-01-01

Non-uniform photocurrent is usually generated at the overlapped region of the heterostructures, and its potential applications may be hindered by the spatial uniformity issue of the device photoresponse. Here, nearly a uniform photoresponse at the overlapped region of the thermally oxidized Ni and molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) heterostructures is obtained. Further characterizations reveal that several nanometers Ni is rightly under the NiO x layer formed at the surface of the film in the oxidation process. The heterostructures based on layered MoS 2 /NiO x /Ni with highly conductive bottom Ni show a high uniform photoresponse with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.4% at 532 nm. Moreover, successful integration of multiple devices suggests a great priority for such a structure for highly integrated uniform photodetectors. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Stacking order dependent mechanical properties of graphene/MoS{sub 2} bilayer and trilayer heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elder, Robert M., E-mail: robert.elder26.ctr@mail.mil, E-mail: mahesh.neupane.ctr@mail.mil; Neupane, Mahesh R., E-mail: robert.elder26.ctr@mail.mil, E-mail: mahesh.neupane.ctr@mail.mil; Chantawansri, Tanya L. [U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21005 (United States)

2015-08-17

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS{sub 2}) are two-dimensional materials that show promise for flexible electronics and piezoelectric applications, but their weak mechanical strength is a barrier to practical use. In this work, we perform nanoindentation simulations using atomistic molecular dynamics to study the mechanical properties of heterostructures formed by combining MoS{sub 2} with graphene. We consider both bi- and tri-layer heterostructures formed with MoS{sub 2} either supported or encapsulated by graphene. Mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus, bending modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and fracture strain, are extracted from nanoindentation simulations and compared to the monolayer and homogeneous bilayer systems. We observed that the heterostructures, regardless of the stacking order, are mechanically more robust than the mono- and bi-layer MoS{sub 2}, mainly due to the mechanical reinforcement provided by the graphene layer. The magnitudes of ultimate strength and fracture strain are similar for both the bi- and tri-layer heterostructures, but substantially larger than either the mono- and bi-layer MoS{sub 2}. Our results demonstrate the potential of graphene-based heterostructures to improve the mechanical properties of TMDC materials.

Physical properties of superconducting and ferromagnetic materials based on C60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.D.; Sparn, G.; Diederich, F.; Gruener, G.; Holczer, K.; Kaner, R.B.; Whetten, R.L.; Allemand, P.M.; Chen, Q.; Wudl, F.

1991-01-01

We present results of magnetization and pressure measurements on recently discovered superconductors K 3 C 60 and Rb 3 C 60 , as well as ferromagnetic C 60 TDAE, and discuss the nature of the ground state suggested by these studies

Holographic p-wave superconductor models with Weyl corrections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Zhang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available We study the effect of the Weyl corrections on the holographic p-wave dual models in the backgrounds of AdS soliton and AdS black hole via a Maxwell complex vector field model by using the numerical and analytical methods. We find that, in the soliton background, the Weyl corrections do not influence the properties of the holographic p-wave insulator/superconductor phase transition, which is different from that of the Yang–Mills theory. However, in the black hole background, we observe that similarly to the Weyl correction effects in the Yang–Mills theory, the higher Weyl corrections make it easier for the p-wave metal/superconductor phase transition to be triggered, which shows that these two p-wave models with Weyl corrections share some similar features for the condensation of the vector operator.

Fabrication of poly(methyl methacrylate)-MoS{sub 2}/graphene heterostructure for memory device application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinde, Sachin M.; Tanemura, Masaki [Department of Frontier Materials, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Kalita, Golap, E-mail: kalita.golap@nitech.ac.jp [Department of Frontier Materials, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Center for Fostering Young and Innovative Researchers, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan)

2014-12-07

Combination of two dimensional graphene and semi-conducting molybdenum disulfide (MoS{sub 2}) is of great interest for various electronic device applications. Here, we demonstrate fabrication of a hybridized structure with the chemical vapor deposited graphene and MoS{sub 2} crystals to configure a memory device. Elongated hexagonal and rhombus shaped MoS{sub 2} crystals are synthesized by sulfurization of thermally evaporated molybdenum oxide (MoO{sub 3}) thin film. Scanning transmission electron microscope studies reveal atomic level structure of the synthesized high quality MoS{sub 2} crystals. In the prospect of a memory device fabrication, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is used as an insulating dielectric material as well as a supporting layer to transfer the MoS{sub 2} crystals. In the fabricated device, PMMA-MoS{sub 2} and graphene layers act as the functional and electrode materials, respectively. Distinctive bistable electrical switching and nonvolatile rewritable memory effect is observed in the fabricated PMMA-MoS{sub 2}/graphene heterostructure. The developed material system and demonstrated memory device fabrication can be significant for next generation data storage applications.

Photoelectric properties of ZnO/Ag2S heterostructure and its photoelectric ethanol sensing characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yu; Liu Bingkun; Wang Dejun; Lin Yanhong; Xie Tengfeng; Zhai Jiali

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The ZnO/Ag 2 S heterostructure shows good photoelectric properties under visible-light irradiation. ► Transient photovoltage results reveal the separation process of photo-generated charges and give further evidence of interfacial effects. ► Photoelectric ethanol sensing characteristics have been found for the ZnO/Ag 2 S heterostructure at room temperature. - Abstract: The photoelectric properties of ZnO microspheres, ZnO/Ag 2 S heterogeneous microspheres and Ag 2 S hollow microspheres were investigated systematically by surface photovoltage, transient photovoltage and surface photocurrent techniques. The ZnO/Ag 2 S heterostructure shows superior photoelectric properties in visible-light region compared with pure Ag 2 S. Transient photovoltage results reveal the separation processes of photo-generated charge carriers in the samples. The photoelectric ethanol sensing property induced by visible light for the ZnO/Ag 2 S heterostructure has been found, which should be valuable for the practical application of semiconductor gas sensors at room temperature.

MgB2 energy gap determination by scanning tunnelling spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heitmann, T W; Bu, S D; Kim, D M; Choi, J H; Giencke, J; Eom, C B; Regan, K A; Rogado, N; Hayward, M A; He, T; Slusky, J S; Khalifah, P; Haas, M; Cava, R J; Larbalestier, D C; Rzchowski, M S

2004-01-01

We report scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) measurements of the gap properties of both ceramic MgB 2 and c-axis oriented epitaxial MgB 2 thin films. Both show a temperature dependent zero bias conductance peak and evidence for two superconducting gaps. We report tunnelling spectroscopy of superconductor-insulator-superconductor (S-I-S) junctions formed in two ways in addition to normal metal-insulator-superconductor (N-I-S) junctions. We find a gap δ = 2.2-2.8 meV, with spectral features and temperature dependence that are consistent between S-I-S junction types. In addition, we observe evidence of a second, larger gap, δ 7.2 meV, consistent with a proposed two-band model

Investigating superconductivity by tunneling spectroscopy using oxide heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fillis-Tsirakis, Evangelos

2017-06-19

Electronic systems which are as highly-functional as the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface are rare, as the emergent high-mobility two-dimensional electron system (2DES) exhibits ferromagnetism, incipient ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, Rashba spin-orbit coupling, superconductivity and high electronic correlations; properties that may also coexist with one another. The possibility of tuning its electrical properties by external parameters such as a gate-field, temperature, pressure and magnetic-field makes the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3}-2DES the scientific analogue of a multi-tool. LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} samples were grown by pulsed-laser-deposition. Using this system, planar tunnel junctions were constructed that allowed for tunneling spectroscopy measurements. The resemblance of the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} 2DES to the high-temperature superconductors undoubtedly adds value to the findings of this work. Further investigation of its nature has revealed that by depleting from the optimally doped region, the electron-phonon coupling strength increases and accounts for the persisting superconducting behavior within the macroscopically resistive regime at very low doping. Transport measurements at T = 50 mK were performed while tuning the carrier concentration and sweeping magnetic fields in the perpendicular-to-interface orientation, to investigate the superconductor-to-insulator transition by carrier depletion. The transition in LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3}, induced by tuning the carrier concentration, has thus been characterized as a superconductor-metal-insulator transition (SMIT). One aim of these measurements was to investigate the possible existence of the ''superinsulator'' phase, identified by several authors in thin metallic films. Such a phase has not been observed during transport measurements at the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} 2DES. The nature of superconductivity in the entire phase diagram and particularly across the SMIT has

Investigating superconductivity by tunneling spectroscopy using oxide heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fillis-Tsirakis, Evangelos

2017-01-01

Electronic systems which are as highly-functional as the LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 interface are rare, as the emergent high-mobility two-dimensional electron system (2DES) exhibits ferromagnetism, incipient ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, Rashba spin-orbit coupling, superconductivity and high electronic correlations; properties that may also coexist with one another. The possibility of tuning its electrical properties by external parameters such as a gate-field, temperature, pressure and magnetic-field makes the LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 -2DES the scientific analogue of a multi-tool. LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 samples were grown by pulsed-laser-deposition. Using this system, planar tunnel junctions were constructed that allowed for tunneling spectroscopy measurements. The resemblance of the LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 2DES to the high-temperature superconductors undoubtedly adds value to the findings of this work. Further investigation of its nature has revealed that by depleting from the optimally doped region, the electron-phonon coupling strength increases and accounts for the persisting superconducting behavior within the macroscopically resistive regime at very low doping. Transport measurements at T = 50 mK were performed while tuning the carrier concentration and sweeping magnetic fields in the perpendicular-to-interface orientation, to investigate the superconductor-to-insulator transition by carrier depletion. The transition in LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 , induced by tuning the carrier concentration, has thus been characterized as a superconductor-metal-insulator transition (SMIT). One aim of these measurements was to investigate the possible existence of the ''superinsulator'' phase, identified by several authors in thin metallic films. Such a phase has not been observed during transport measurements at the LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 2DES. The nature of superconductivity in the entire phase diagram and particularly across the SMIT has been investigated by magnetic-field-dependent tunneling

Quasi-phase transformation in ferromagnetic semiconductors with two-charged donors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovalenko, A.A.; Nagaev, Eh.L.

1978-01-01

Effect of term inversion of two-charged donors 1s2s → 1s 2 on properties of ferromagnetic semiconductors, has been investigated. Term inversion is accompanied by changes in local magnetic ordering in the donor area and takes place as spread phase transformation of the first type in the system of n 2 atoms, enveloped by donor 2s-orbit. It is a reason for creating not only heat capacity peak at Tsub(c), but another peak at inversion temperature Tsub(i) as well. At temperatures T > Tsub(i) introduction of external magnetic field can lead to a reverse term inversion 1s 2 → 1s2s, under that condition crystal magnetization should clearly increase. Term inversion tells upon electric properties of crystals: in Ti inversion point, the energy of conductivity activation of ungenerate semiconductors changes abruptly. In the case of larger concentrations of donors, term inversion can lead to metal-insulator transformation. Analysis of experimental data on magnetic susceptibility of EuO crystals with oxygen vacancies, shows that transformation in these crystals takes place according to a different mechanism

Pressure effects on topological crystalline insulator SnTe and derived superconductor Sn{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}Te

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maurya, V. K.; Shruti,; Patnaik, S., E-mail: spatnaik@mail.jnu.ac.in [School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi (India); Jha, Rajveer; Awana, V. P. S. [National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2016-05-23

We are reporting decrease in superconducting transition temperature accompanied by increased metallicity in indium doped SnTe superconductor. SnTe is a topological crystalline insulator and superconductivity is achieved by indium substitution in place of tin. With application of hydrostatic pressure we find negative dT{sub c}/dP of ~ -0.6K/GPa upto 2.5 GPa. The overall phenomenon is ascribed to unconventional superconductivity. Decrease in resistivity is also seen in single crystal SnTe with application of pressure but no evidence of superconductivity is observed.

Voltage Control of Rare-Earth Magnetic Moments at the Magnetic-Insulator-Metal Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Leon, Alejandro O.; Cahaya, Adam B.; Bauer, Gerrit E. W.

2018-01-01

The large spin-orbit interaction in the lanthanides implies a strong coupling between their internal charge and spin degrees of freedom. We formulate the coupling between the voltage and the local magnetic moments of rare-earth atoms with a partially filled 4 f shell at the interface between an insulator and a metal. The rare-earth-mediated torques allow the power-efficient control of spintronic devices by electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance and magnetization switching.