68 research outputs found
Imaging transverse electron focusing in semiconducting heterostructures with spin-orbit coupling
Transverse electron focusing in two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) with
strong spin-orbit coupling is revisited. The transverse focusing is related to
the transmission between two contacts at the edge of a 2DEG when a
perpendicular magnetic field is applied. Scanning probe microscopy imaging
techniques can be used to study the electron flow in these systems. Using
numerical techniques we simulate the images that could be obtained in such
experiments. We show that hybrid edge states can be imaged and that the
outgoing flux can be polarized if the microscope tip probe is placed in
specific positions.Comment: Contribution to the Book/Proceedings of the PITP Les Houches School
on "Quantum Magnetism" held on June, 2006. Final forma
Fully gapped topological surface states in BiSe films induced by a d-wave high-temperature superconductor
Topological insulators are a new class of materials, that exhibit robust
gapless surface states protected by time-reversal symmetry. The interplay
between such symmetry-protected topological surface states and symmetry-broken
states (e.g. superconductivity) provides a platform for exploring novel quantum
phenomena and new functionalities, such as 1D chiral or helical gapless
Majorana fermions, and Majorana zero modes which may find application in
fault-tolerant quantum computation. Inducing superconductivity on topological
surface states is a prerequisite for their experimental realization. Here by
growing high quality topological insulator BiSe films on a d-wave
superconductor BiSrCaCuO using molecular beam epitaxy,
we are able to induce high temperature superconductivity on the surface states
of BiSe films with a large pairing gap up to 15 meV. Interestingly,
distinct from the d-wave pairing of BiSrCaCuO, the
proximity-induced gap on the surface states is nearly isotropic and consistent
with predominant s-wave pairing as revealed by angle-resolved photoemission
spectroscopy. Our work could provide a critical step toward the realization of
the long sought-after Majorana zero modes.Comment: Nature Physics, DOI:10.1038/nphys274
Controlling Curie temperature in (Ga,Ms)As through location of the Fermi level within the impurity band
The ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As has emerged as the most studied
material for prototype applications in semiconductor spintronics. Because
ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As is hole-mediated, the nature of the hole states has
direct and crucial bearing on its Curie temperature TC. It is vigorously
debated, however, whether holes in (Ga,Mn)As reside in the valence band or in
an impurity band. In this paper we combine results of channeling experiments,
which measure the concentrations both of Mn ions and of holes relevant to the
ferromagnetic order, with magnetization, transport, and magneto-optical data to
address this issue. Taken together, these measurements provide strong evidence
that it is the location of the Fermi level within the impurity band that
determines TC through determining the degree of hole localization. This finding
differs drastically from the often accepted view that TC is controlled by
valence band holes, thus opening new avenues for achieving higher values of TC.Comment: 5 figures, supplementary material include
Temperature Dependence of Spin-Split Peaks in Transverse Electron Focusing
We present experimental results of transverse electron-focusing measurements performed using n-type GaAs. In the
presence of a small transverse magnetic field (B⊥), electrons are focused from the injector to detector leading to
focusing peaks periodic in B⊥. We show that the odd-focusing peaks exhibit a split, where each sub-peak represents a
population of a particular spin branch emanating from the injector. The temperature dependence reveals that the
peak splitting is well defined at low temperature whereas it smears out at high temperature indicating the
exchange-driven spin polarisation in the injector is dominant at low temperatures
Electrically tunable transverse magnetic focusing in graphene
Author's final manuscript January 9, 2013Electrons in a periodic lattice can propagate without scattering for macroscopic distances despite the presence of the non-uniform Coulomb potential due to the nuclei. Such ballistic motion of electrons allows the use of a transverse magnetic field to focus electrons. This phenomenon, known as transverse magnetic focusing (TMF), has been used to study the Fermi surface of metals and semiconductor heterostructures, as well as to investigate Andreev reflection and spin–orbit interaction, and to detect composite fermions. Here we report on the experimental observation of TMF in high-mobility mono-, bi- and tri-layer graphene devices. The ability to tune the graphene carrier density enables us to investigate TMF continuously from the hole to the electron regime and analyse the resulting focusing fan. Moreover, by applying a transverse electric field to tri-layer graphene, we use TMF as a ballistic electron spectroscopy method to investigate controlled changes in the electronic structure of a material. Finally, we demonstrate that TMF survives in graphene up to 300 K, by far the highest temperature reported for any system, opening the door to new room-temperature applications based on electron-optics.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CAREER Award DMR-0845287)United States. Office of Naval Research. GATE MURI Projec
Simulating the exchange of Majorana zero modes with a photonic system
The realization of Majorana zero modes is in the centre of intense theoretical and experimental investigations. Unfortunately, their exchange that can reveal their exotic statistics needs manipulations that are still beyond our experimental capabilities. Here we take an alternative approach. Through the Jordan-Wigner transformation, the Kitaev's chain supporting two Majorana zero modes is mapped to the spin-1/2 chain. We experimentally simulated the spin system and its evolution with a photonic quantum simulator. This allows us to probe the geometric phase, which corresponds to the exchange of two Majorana zero modes positioned at the ends of a three-site chain. Finally, we demonstrate the immunity of quantum information encoded in the Majorana zero modes against local errors through the simulator. Our photonic simulator opens the way for the efficient realization and manipulation of Majorana zero modes in complex architectures
Microwave studies of the fractional Josephson effect in HgTe-based Josephson junctions
The rise of topological phases of matter is strongly connected to their
potential to host Majorana bound states, a powerful ingredient in the search
for a robust, topologically protected, quantum information processing. In order
to produce such states, a method of choice is to induce superconductivity in
topological insulators. The engineering of the interplay between
superconductivity and the electronic properties of a topological insulator is a
challenging task and it is consequently very important to understand the
physics of simple superconducting devices such as Josephson junctions, in which
new topological properties are expected to emerge. In this article, we review
recent experiments investigating topological superconductivity in topological
insulators, using microwave excitation and detection techniques. More
precisely, we have fabricated and studied topological Josephson junctions made
of HgTe weak links in contact with two Al or Nb contacts. In such devices, we
have observed two signatures of the fractional Josephson effect, which is
expected to emerge from topologically-protected gapless Andreev bound states.
We first recall the theoretical background on topological Josephson junctions,
then move to the experimental observations. Then, we assess the topological
origin of the observed features and conclude with an outlook towards more
advanced microwave spectroscopy experiments, currently under development.Comment: Lectures given at the San Sebastian Topological Matter School 2017,
published in "Topological Matter. Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences,
vol 190. Springer
Imaging Magnetic Focusing of Coherent Electron Waves
The magnetic focusing of electrons has proven its utility in fundamental
studies of electron transport. Here we report the direct imaging of magnetic
focusing of electron waves, specifically in a two-dimensional electron gas
(2DEG). We see the semicircular trajectories of electrons as they bounce along
a boundary in the 2DEG, as well as fringes showing the coherent nature of the
electron waves. Imaging flow in open systems is made possible by a cooled
scanning probe microscope. Remarkable agreement between experiment and theory
demonstrates our ability to see these trajectories and to use this system as an
interferometer. We image branched electron flow as well as the interference of
electron waves. This technique can visualize the motion of electron waves
between two points in an open system, providing a straightforward way to study
systems that may be useful for quantum information processing and spintronics
Voltage- and light-controlled spin properties of a two-dimensional hole gas in p-type GaAs/AlAs resonant tunneling diodes
We have investigated the spin properties of a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) formed at the contact layer of a p-type GaAs/AlAs resonant tunneling diode (RTD). We have measured the polarized-resolved photoluminescence of the RTD as a function of bias voltage, laser intensity and external magnetic field up to 15T. By tuning the voltage and the laser intensity, we are able to change the spin-splitting from the 2DHG from almost 0 meV to 5 meV and its polarization degree from − 40% to + 50% at 15T. These results are attributed to changes of the local electric field applied to the two-dimensional gas which affects the valence band and the hole Rashba spin–orbit effect
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