301 research outputs found
Diameter-dependent conductance of InAs nanowires
Electrical conductance through InAs nanowires is relevant for electronic
applications as well as for fundamental quantum experiments. Here we employ
nominally undoped, slightly tapered InAs nanowires to study the diameter
dependence of their conductance. Contacting multiple sections of each wire, we
can study the diameter dependence within individual wires without the need to
compare different nanowire batches. At room temperature we find a
diameter-independent conductivity for diameters larger than 40 nm, indicative
of three-dimensional diffusive transport. For smaller diameters, the resistance
increases considerably, in coincidence with a strong suppression of the
mobility. From an analysis of the effective charge carrier density, we find
indications for a surface accumulation layer.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Proposal for realizing Majorana fermions in chains of magnetic atoms on a superconductor
We propose an easy-to-build easy-to-detect scheme for realizing Majorana fermions at the ends of a chain of magnetic atoms on the surface of a superconductor. Model calculations show that such chains can be easily tuned between trivial and topological ground states. In the latter, spatially resolved spectroscopy can be used to probe the Majorana fermion end states. Decoupled Majorana bound states can form even in short magnetic chains consisting of only tens of atoms. We propose scanning tunneling microscopy as the ideal technique to fabricate such systems and to probe their topological properties
Andreev reflection spectroscopy in strongly paired superconductors
Motivated by recent experiments on low-carrier-density superconductors,
including twisted multilayer graphene, we study signatures of the BCS to BEC
evolution in Andreev reflection spectroscopy. We establish that in a standard
quantum point contact geometry, Andreev reflection in a BEC superconductor is
unable to mediate a zero-bias conductance beyond per lead channel. This
bound is shown to result from a duality that links the sub-gap conductance of
BCS and BEC superconductors. We then demonstrate that sharp signatures of BEC
superconductivity, including perfect Andreev reflection, can be recovered by
tunneling through a suitably designed potential well. We propose various
tunneling spectroscopy setups to experimentally probe this recovery.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure
Electrical control over single hole spins in nanowire quantum dots
Single electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a versatile
platform for quantum information processing, however controlling decoherence
remains a considerable challenge. Recently, hole spins have emerged as a
promising alternative. Holes in III-V semiconductors have unique properties,
such as strong spin-orbit interaction and weak coupling to nuclear spins, and
therefore have potential for enhanced spin control and longer coherence times.
Weaker hyperfine interaction has already been reported in self-assembled
quantum dots using quantum optics techniques. However, challenging fabrication
has so far kept the promise of hole-spin-based electronic devices out of reach
in conventional III-V heterostructures. Here, we report gate-tuneable hole
quantum dots formed in InSb nanowires. Using these devices we demonstrate Pauli
spin blockade and electrical control of single hole spins. The devices are
fully tuneable between hole and electron QDs, enabling direct comparison
between the hyperfine interaction strengths, g-factors and spin blockade
anisotropies in the two regimes
Bistability in superconducting rings containing an inhomogeneous Josephson junction
We investigate the magnetic response of a superconducting Nb ring containing
a ferromagnetic PdNi Josephson junction and a tunnel junction in parallel. A
doubling of the switching frequency is observed within certain intervals of the
external magnetic field. Assuming sinusoidal current-phase relations of both
junctions our model of a dc-SQUID embedded within a superconducting ring
explains this feature by a sequence of current reversals in the ferromagnetic
section of the junction in these field intervals. The switching anomalies are
induced by the coupling between the magnetic fluxes in the two superconducting
loops.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Valley-spin blockade and spin resonance in carbon nanotubes
Manipulation and readout of spin qubits in quantum dots made in III-V
materials successfully rely on Pauli blockade that forbids transitions between
spin-triplet and spin-singlet states. Quantum dots in group IV materials have
the advantage of avoiding decoherence from the hyperfine interaction by
purifying them with only zero-spin nuclei. Complications of group IV materials
arise from the valley degeneracies in the electronic bandstructure. These lead
to complicated multiplet states even for two-electron quantum dots thereby
significantly weakening the selection rules for Pauli blockade. Only recently
have spin qubits been realized in silicon devices where the valley degeneracy
is lifted by strain and spatial confinement. In carbon nanotubes Pauli blockade
can be observed by lifting valley degeneracy through disorder. In clean
nanotubes, quantum dots have to be made ultra-small to obtain a large energy
difference between the relevant multiplet states. Here we report on
low-disorder nanotubes and demonstrate Pauli blockade based on both valley and
spin selection rules. We exploit the bandgap of the nanotube to obtain a large
level spacing and thereby a robust blockade. Single-electron spin resonance is
detected using the blockade.Comment: 31 pages including supplementary informatio
Quasiparticle Interference on the Surface of Topological Crystalline Insulator Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Se
Topological crystalline insulators represent a novel topological phase of
matter in which the surface states are protected by discrete point
group-symmetries of the underlying lattice. Rock-salt lead-tin-selenide alloy
is one possible realization of this phase which undergoes a topological phase
transition upon changing the lead content. We used scanning tunneling
microscopy (STM) and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to probe
the surface states on (001) PbSnSe in the topologically
non-trivial (x=0.23) and topologically trivial (x=0) phases. We observed
quasiparticle interference with STM on the surface of the topological
crystalline insulator and demonstrated that the measured interference can be
understood from ARPES studies and a simple band structure model. Furthermore,
our findings support the fact that PbSnSe and PbSe have
different topological nature.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Disentangling the effects of spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions on spin blockade
We have achieved the few-electron regime in InAs nanowire double quantum
dots. Spin blockade is observed for the first two half-filled orbitals, where
the transport cycle is interrupted by forbidden transitions between triplet and
singlet states. Partial lifting of spin blockade is explained by spin-orbit and
hyperfine mechanisms that enable triplet to singlet transitions. The
measurements over a wide range of interdot coupling and tunneling rates to the
leads are well reproduced by a simple transport model. This allows us to
separate and quantify the contributions of the spin-orbit and hyperfine
interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
- …