Dirac semimetals have attracted a great deal of current interests due to their potential applications in topological quantum computing, low-energy electronic devices, and single photon detection in the microwave frequency range. Herein are results from analyzing the low magnetic (B) field weak-antilocalization behaviors in a Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 thin flake device. At high temperatures, the phase coherence length lφ first increases with decreasing temperature (T) and follows a power law dependence of lφ ∝ T-0.4. Below ~3 K, lφ tends to saturate to a value of~180 nm. Another fitting parameter α, which is associated with independent transport channels, displays a logarithmic temperature dependence for T>3 K, but also tends to saturate below~3 K. The saturation value,~1.45, is very close to 1.5, indicating three independent electron transport channels, which we interpret as due to decoupling of both the top and bottom surfaces as well as the bulk. This result, to our knowledge, provides first evidence that the surfaces and bulk states can become decoupled in electronic transport in Dirac semimetal Cd3As2.
Single photon detection (SPD) plays an important role in many forefront areas of fundamental science and advanced engineering applications. In recent years, rapid developments in superconducting quantum computation, quantum key distribution, and quantum sensing call for SPD in the microwave frequency range. We have explored in this LDRD project a new approach to SPD in an effort to provide deterministic photon-number-resolving capability by using topological Josephson junction structures. In this SAND report, we will present results from our experimental studies of microwave response and theoretical simulations of microwave photon number resolving detector in topological Dirac semimetal Cd3As2. These results are promising for SPD at the microwave frequencies using topological quantum materials.
The identification of a non-trivial band topology usually relies on directly probing the protected surface/edge states. But, it is difficult to achieve electronically in narrow-gap topological materials due to the small (meV) energy scales. Here, we demonstrate that band inversion, a crucial ingredient of the non-trivial band topology, can serve as an alternative, experimentally accessible indicator. We show that an inverted band can lead to a four-fold splitting of the non-zero Landau levels, contrasting the two-fold splitting (spin splitting only) in the normal band. We confirm our predictions in magneto-transport experiments on a narrow-gap strong topological insulator, zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe5), with the observation of additional splittings in the quantum oscillations and also an anomalous peak in the extreme quantum limit. Our work establishes an effective strategy for identifying the band inversion as well as the associated topological phases for future topological materials research.
Photon detection at microwave frequency is of great interest due to its application in quantum computation information science and technology. Herein are results from studying microwave response in a topological superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) realized in Dirac semimetal Cd3As2. The temperature dependence and microwave power dependence of the SQUID junction resistance are studied, from which we obtain an effective temperature at each microwave power level. It is observed the effective temperature increases with the microwave power. This observation of large microwave response may pave the way for single photon detection at the microwave frequency in topological quantum materials.
In this work, we have used the well-understood quantum Hall (QH) stripes in high quality two-dimensional electron gases to mimic charge stripes in high transition temperature (Tc) superconductors. The science question we want to address is “Can QH stripes mimic high Tc superconductor stripes and provide a controlled experimental setup to pin-down the role of stripes in high Tc superconductivity?”. We have observed anomalous superconducting transition like behavior in GaAs double quantum well systems (DQWs) when each quantum well (QW) is tuned to the charge stripe states but with different Landau level fillings. Furthermore, we have shown that the transition like behavior is sharper in the DQWs when the two QWs are more strongly coupled. Our results suggest, for the first time, experimental evidence of the paired charge stripes model, which might lead to room-temperature superconductors that have enormously wide applications in computing, energy, and transportation industries. Advancing the science of high transition temperature superconductivity will have a profound impact in advancing energy technologies, ranging from the next generation microchips, new energy transfer grid to public transportation, and thus is important to nation’s energy security and relevant across the landscape of many mission spaces. Sandia has been a leader in materials science research and development. The proposed research takes advantage of Sandia’s state-ofthe-art MBE facilities at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) and utilizes Sandia’s extensive advanced materials characterization resources. We envision a significant impact on the nation’s energy research and security challenges by investing in this research.
We present in this paper the results from a recent study on the stability of the quantum Hall skyrmions state at a Landau level filling factor (ν) close to ν = 1 in a narrow GaAs quantum well. Consistent with previous work, a resonant behavior is observed in the resistively detected NMR measurements. In the subsequent current-voltage (I-V) measurements to examine its breakdown behavior under radio frequency radiations, we observe that the critical current assumes the largest value right at the 75As nuclear resonant frequency. We discuss possible origin for this unexpectedly enhanced stability.
Through a combination of single crystal growth, experiments involving in situ deposition of surface adatoms, and complimentary modeling, we examine the electronic transport properties of lithium-decorated ZrTe5 thin films. We observe that the surface states in ZrTe5 are robust against Li adsorption. Both the surface electron density and the associated Berry phase are remarkably robust to adsorption of Li atoms. Fitting to the Hall conductivity data reveals that there exist two types of bulk carriers: those for which the carrier density is insensitive to Li adsorption, and those whose density decreases during initial Li depositions and then saturates with further Li adsorption. We propose this dependence is due to the gating effect of a Li-adsorption-generated dipole layer at the ZrTe5 surface.
Jiang, Y.; Wang, J.; Zhao, T.; Dun, Z.L.; Huang, Q.; Wu, X.S.; Mourigal, M.; Zhou, H.D.; Pan, Wei P.; Ozerov, M.; Smirnov, D.; Jiang, Z.
For materials near the phase boundary between weak and strong topological insulators (TIs), their band topology depends on the band alignment, with the inverted (normal) band corresponding to the strong (weak) TI phase. Here, taking the anisotropic transition-metal pentatelluride ZrTe5 as an example, we show that the band inversion manifests itself as a second extremum (band gap) in the layer stacking direction, which can be probed experimentally via magnetoinfrared spectroscopy. Specifically, we find that the band anisotropy of ZrTe5 features a slow dispersion in the layer stacking direction, along with an additional set of optical transitions from a band gap next to the Brillouin zone center. Our work identifies ZrTe5 as a strong TI at liquid helium temperature and provides a new perspective in determining band inversion in layered topological materials.
Majorana zero modes (MZMs), fundamental building blocks for realizing topological quantum computers, can appear at the interface between a superconductor and a topological material. One of the experimental signatures that has been widely pursued to confirm the existence of MZMs is the observation of a large, quantized zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) in the differential conductance measurements. In this Letter, we report observation of such a large ZBCP in junction structures of normal metal (titanium/gold Ti/Au)-Dirac semimetal (cadmium-arsenide Cd3As2)-conventional superconductor (aluminum Al), with a value close to four times that of the normal state conductance. Our detailed analyses suggest that this large ZBCP is most likely not caused by MZMs. We attribute the ZBCP, instead, to the existence of a supercurrent between two far-separated superconducting Al electrodes, which shows up as a zero-bias peak because of the circuitry and thermal fluctuations of the supercurrent phase, a mechanism conceived by Ivanchenko and Zil'berman more than 50 years ago [Ivanchenko and Zil'berman, JETP 28, 1272 (1969)]. Our results thus call for extreme caution when assigning the origin of a large ZBCP to MZMs in a multiterminal semiconductor or topological insulator/semimetal setup. We thus provide criteria for identifying when the ZBCP is definitely not caused by an MZM. Furthermore, we present several remarkable experimental results of a supercurrent effect occurring over unusually long distances and clean perfect Andreev reflection features.
Herein is presented the synthesis and characterization of copper-intercalated zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe5). ZrTe5:Cu0.05 crystals are synthesized by the chemical vapor transport method in a vacuum. X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis techniques are utilized to validate the synthesis. The results indicate that the intercalation of the layered Zr/Te structure with copper atoms causes the contraction of the unit cell along all three crystalline directions, the shrinkage of the overall volume of the unit cell, and the distortion of the unit cell. A single crystal was isolated, mechanically exfoliated, and used for the measurements of intercalation strains in a Hall bar device. Electronic transport studies indicate that an anomalous resistance drop is observed at T = 19 K. Furthermore, Rxx and Rxy results, respectively, indicate a probable disorder-induced localization effect and electron-type carriers.
Recent years have seen an explosion in research efforts discovering and understanding novel electronic and optical properties of topological quantum materials (TQMs). In this LDRD, a synergistic effort of materials growth, characterization, electrical-magneto-optical measurements, combined with density functional theory and modeling has been established to address the unique properties of TQMs. Particularly, we have carried out extensive studies in search for Majorana fermions (MFs) in TQMs for topological quantum computation. Moreover, we have focused on three important science questions. 1) How can we controllably tune the properties of TQMs to make them suitable for quantum information applications? 2) What materials parameters are most important for successfully observing MFs in TQMs? 3) Can the physical properties of TQMs be tailored by topological band engineering? Results obtained in this LDRD not only deepen our current knowledge in fundamental quantum physics but also hold great promise for advanced electronic/photonic applications in information technologies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work at Sandia National Labs was supported by a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project. Device fabrication was performed at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. We are grateful to many people inside and outside Sandia for their support and fruitful collaborations. This report describes objective technical results and analysis. Any subjective views or opinions that might be expressed in the paper do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.
In the past decade, basic physics, chemistry, and materials science research on topological quantum materials - and their potential use to implement reliable quantum computers - has rapidly expanded to become a major endeavor. A pivotal goal of this research has been to realize materials hosting Majorana quasiparticles, thereby making topological quantum computing a technological reality. While this goal remains elusive, recent data-mining studies, performed using topological quantum chemistry methodologies, have identified thousands of potential topological materials - some, and perhaps many, with potential for hosting Majoranas. We write this Review for advanced materials researchers who are interested in joining this expanding search, but who are not currently specialists in topology. The first half of the Review addresses, in readily understood terms, three main areas associated with topological sciences: (1) a description of topological quantum materials and how they enable quantum computing; (2) an explanation of Majorana quasiparticles, the important topologically endowed properties, and how it arises quantum mechanically; and (3) a description of the basic classes of topological materials where Majoranas might be found. The second half of the Review details selected materials systems where intense research efforts are underway to demonstrate nontrivial topological phenomena in the search for Majoranas. Specific materials reviewed include the groups II-V semiconductors (Cd3As2), the layered chalcogenides (MX2, ZrTe5), and the rare-earth pyrochlore iridates (A2Ir2O7, A = Eu, Pr). In each case, we describe crystallographic structures, bulk phase diagrams, materials synthesis methods (bulk, thin film, and/or nanowire forms), methods used to characterize topological phenomena, and potential evidence for the existence of Majorana quasiparticles.
In a uniform superconductor, electrons form Cooper pairs that pick up the same quantum mechanical phase for their bosonic wavefunctions. This spontaneously breaks the gauge symmetry of electromagnetism. In 1962 Josephson predicted, and it was subsequently observed, that Cooper pairs can quantum mechanically tunnel between two weakly coupled superconductors that have a phase difference Φ. The resulting supercurrent is a 2π periodic function of the phase difference Φ across the junction. This is the celebrated Josephson effect. More recently, a fractional Josephson effect related to the presence of Majorana bound states — Majoranas — has been predicted for topological superconductors. This fractional Josephson effect has a characteristic 4π periodic current–phase relation. Now, writing in Nature Materials, Chuan Li and colleagues report experiments that utilize nanoscale phase-sensitive junction technology to induce superconductivity in a fine-tuned Dirac semimetal Bi0.97Sb0.03 and discover a significant contribution of 4π periodic supercurrent in Nb–Bi0.97Sb0.03–Nb Josephson junctions under radiofrequency irradiation.
We report here our recent electron transport results in spatially separated two-dimensional electron and hole gases with nominally degenerate energy subbands, realized in an InAs(10 nm)/GaSb(5 nm) coupled quantum well. We observe a narrow and intense maximum (∼500 kΩ) in the four-terminal resistivity in the charge neutrality region, separating the electron-like and hole-like regimes, with a strong activated temperature dependence above T = 7 K and perfect stability against quantizing magnetic fields. We discuss several mechanisms for that unexpectedly large resistance in this zero-gap semi-metal system including the formation of an excitonic insulator state.
The family of three-dimensional topological insulators opens new avenues to discover novel photophysics and to develop novel types of photodetectors. ZrTe5 has been shown to be a Dirac semimetal possessing unique topological, electronic, and optical properties. Here, we present spatially resolved photocurrent measurements on devices made of nanoplatelets of ZrTe5, demonstrating the photothermoelectric origin of the photoresponse. Because of the high electrical conductivity and good Seebeck coefficient, we obtain noise-equivalent powers as low as 42 pW/Hz1/2, at room temperature for visible light illumination, at zero bias. We also show that these devices suffer from significant ambient reactivity, such as the formation of a Te-rich surface region driven by Zr oxidation as well as severe reactions with the metal contacts. This reactivity results in significant stresses in the devices, leading to unusual geometries that are useful for gaining insight into the photocurrent mechanisms. Our results indicate that both the large photothermoelectric response and reactivity must be considered when designing or interpreting photocurrent measurements in these systems.
The field of oxide electronics has seen tremendous growth over two decades and oxide materials find wide-ranging applications in information storage, fuel cells, batteries, and more. Phase transitions, such as magnetic and metal-to-insulator transitions, are one of the most important phenomena in oxide nanostructures. Many novel devices utilizing these phase transitions have been proposed, ranging from ultrafast switches for logic applications to low power memory structures. Yet, despite this promise and many years of research, a complete understanding of phase transitions in oxide nanostructures remains elusive. In this LDRD, we report two important observations of phase transitions. We conducted a systematic study of these transitions. Moreover, emergent quantum phenomena due to the strong correlations and interactions among the charge, orbital, and spin degrees of freedom inherent in transition metal oxides were explored. In addition, a new, fast atomic-scale chemical imaging technique developed through the characterization of these oxides is presented.
International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, IRMMW-THz
Li, Xinwei; Zhang, Qi; Lou, Minhan; Reno, J.L.; Pan, Wei P.; Watson, John D.; Manfra, Michael J.; Kono, Junichiro
We have integrated an ultrahigh mobility twodimensional electron gas with a high-quality-factor terahertz photonic cavity. With a quantizing magnetic field and at low temperatures, we demonstrated collective nonperturbative coupling of the electron cyclotron resonance with terahertz cavity photons with a high cooperativity. Due to the suppression of superradiance-induced broadening of cyclotron resonance by the high-quality-factor cavity, our hybrid quantum system exhibited unprecedentedly sharp polariton lines and a large vacuum Rabi splitting simultaneously.
The physical properties of two-dimensional (2D) electrons have been a subject of interest for a long time. Yet after many years of research, the ground states of a 2D electron system (2DES) in the presence of disorder and electron-electron interaction, a realistic situation in experiments, remain an open question. Recent observations of a downturn in conductivity at low temperatures in a Si/SiGe quantum well [1], Si-MOSFETs [2,3], and 2D holes in GaAs [4-6] seem to suggest that disorder plays an important role in the so-called 2D metal-insulator transition (MIT) and at T → 0 2DES may eventually become insulating. In this experiment, we focus on the downturn behavior as a function of spin polarization, which is varied by an in-plane magnetic field.
A three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetal (DS) is an analogue of graphene, but with linear energy dispersion in all (three) momentum directions. 3D DSs have been a fertile playground in discovering novel quantum particles, for example Weyl fermions, in solid state systems. Many 3D DSs were theoretically predicted and experimentally confirmed. We report here the results in exfoliated ZrTe 5 thin flakes from the studies of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and low temperature magneto-transport measurements. Several unique results were observed. First, a π Berry phase was obtained from the Landau fan diagram of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in the longitudinal conductivity σxx. Second, the longitudinal resistivity ρxx shows a linear magnetic field dependence in the quantum limit regime. Most surprisingly, quantum oscillations were also observed at fractional Landau level indices N = 5/3 and 7/5, demonstrating strong electron-electron interaction effects in ZrTe5.
Atomic-scale phenomena fundamentally influence materials form and function that makes the ability to locally probe and study these processes critical to advancing our understanding and development of materials. Atomic-scale chemical imaging by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is a powerful approach to investigate solid crystal structures. Inefficient X-ray emission and collection, however, require long acquisition times (typically hundreds of seconds), making the technique incompatible with electron-beam sensitive materials and study of dynamic material phenomena. Here we describe an atomic-scale STEM-EDS chemical imaging technique that decreases the acquisition time to as little as one second, a reduction of more than 100 times. We demonstrate this new approach using LaAlO3 single crystal and study dynamic phase transformation in beam-sensitive Li[Li0.2Ni0.2Mn0.6]O2 (LNMO) lithium ion battery cathode material. By capturing a series of time-lapsed chemical maps, we show for the first time clear atomic-scale evidence of preferred Ni-mobility in LNMO transformation, revealing new kinetic mechanisms. These examples highlight the potential of this approach toward temporal, atomic-scale mapping of crystal structure and chemistry for investigating dynamic material phenomena.
We report non-linear electronic transport measurement of Al/Si-doped n-type InN nanowire/Al junctions performed at T = 0.3 K, below the superconducting transition temperature of the Al electrodes. The proximity effect is observed in these devices through a strong dip in resistance at zero bias. In addition to the resistance dip at zero bias, several resistance peaks can be identified at bias voltages above the superconducting gap of the electrodes, while no resistance dip is observed at the superconducting gap. The resistance peaks disappear as the Al electrodes turn normal beyond the critical magnetic field except one which remains visible at fields several times higher than critical magnetic field. An unexpected non-monotonic magnetic field dependence of the peak position is observed. We discuss the physical origin of these observations and propose that the resistance peaks could be the McMillan-Rowell oscillations arising from different closed paths localized near different regions of the junctions.
Recently, it has been predicted that topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) may exist in SnTe and Pb1-xSnxTe thin films [1]. To date, most studies on TCIs were carried out either in bulk crystals or thin films, and no research activity has been explored in heterostructures. We present here the results on electronic transport properties of the 2D electron gas (2DEG) realized at the interfaces of PbTe/ CdTe (111) heterostructures. Evidence of topological state in this interfacial 2DEG was observed.
Mitrofanov, O.; Yu, W.; Thompson, R.J.; Jiang, Y.; Greenberg, Z.J.; Palmer, J.; Brener, Igal B.; Pan, Wei P.; Berger, C.; De Heer, W.A.; Jiang, Z.
We introduce a near-field scanning probe terahertz (THz) microscopy technique for probing surface plasmon waves on graphene. Based on THz time-domain spectroscopy method, this near-field imaging approach is well suited for studying the excitation and evolution of THz plasmon waves on graphene as well as for mapping of graphene properties at THz frequencies on the sub-wavelength scale.
A great deal of research has been carried out in oxide material systems. Among them, ZnO and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) are of particular interest due to their superb optical properties and colossal magneto-resistive effect. Here, we report our recent results of magneto-transport studies in self-assembled, epitaxial (ZnO)0.5:(La0.7Sr0.3MnO3)0.5 nanocomposite films.
The thermoelectric properties of unintentionally n-doped core GaN/AlGaN core/shell N-face nanowires are reported. We found that the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity is consistent with thermally activated carriers with two distinctive donor energies. The Seebeck coefficient of GaN/AlGaN nanowires is more than twice as large as that for the GaN nanowires alone. However, an outer layer of GaN deposited onto the GaN/AlGaN core/shell nanowires decreases the Seebeck coefficient at room temperature, while the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity remains the same. We attribute these observations to the formation of an electron gas channel within the heavily-doped GaN core of the GaN/AlGaN nanowires. The room-temperature thermoelectric power factor for the GaN/AlGaN nanowires can be four times higher than the GaN nanowires. Selective doping in bandgap engineered core/shell nanowires is proposed for enhancing the thermoelectric power.
Superconductivity in topological materials has attracted a great deal of interest in both electron physics and material sciences since the theoretical predictions that Majorana fermions can be realized in topological superconductors. Topological superconductivity could be realized in a type II, band-inverted, InAs/GaSb quantum well if it is in proximity to a conventional superconductor. Here, we report observations of the proximity effect induced giant supercurrent states in an InAs/GaSb bilayer system that is sandwiched between two superconducting tantalum electrodes to form a superconductor-InAs/GaSb-superconductor junction. Electron transport results show that the supercurrent states can be preserved in a surprisingly large temperature-magnetic field (T - H) parameter space. In addition, the evolution of differential resistance in T and H reveals an interesting superconducting gap structure.
We have fabricated a superconductor (Ta)-InAs/GaSb bilayer-superconductor (Ta) junction device that has a long mean free path and can preserve the wavelike properties of particles (electrons and holes) inside the junction. Differential conductance measurements were carried out at low temperatures in this device, and McMillan-Rowell like oscillations (MROs) were observed. Surprisingly, a much larger Fermi velocity, compared to that from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, was obtained from the frequency of MROs. Possible mechanisms are discussed for this discrepancy.
We have carried out a systematic study of the tilted magnetic field induced anisotropy at the Landau level filling factor ν=5/2 in a series of high quality GaAs quantum wells, where the setback distance (d) between the modulation doping layer and the GaAs quantum well is varied from 33 to 164 nm. We have observed that in the sample of the smallest d, electronic transport is anisotropic when the in-plane magnetic field (Bip) is parallel to the [1-10] crystallographic direction, but remains more or less isotropic when Bip[110]. In contrast, in the sample of largest d, electronic transport is anisotropic in both crystallographic directions. Our results clearly show that the modulation doping layer plays an important role in the tilted field induced ν=5/2 anisotropy.
We report low-temperature electronic transport results on the fractional quantum Hall effect of composite fermions at Landau level filling ν=4/11 in a very high mobility and low density sample. Measurements were carried out at temperatures down to 15mK, where an activated magnetoresistance Rxx and a quantized Hall resistance Rxy, within 1% of the expected value of h/(4/11)e2, were observed. The temperature dependence of the Rxx minimum at 4/11 yields an activation energy gap of ∼7mK. Developing Hall plateaus were also observed at the neighboring states at ν=3/8and5/13.
High quality Si/SiGe quantum well samples have provided an ideal platform to study the electron-electron (ee) interactions in two-dimensional electron systems (2DES). Currently, the sample mobility has surpassed 106 cm2/Vs and very low carrier densities are realized, which are crucial to reveal strong e-e interactions
Up to date, studies of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) states in the second Landau level have mainly been carried out in the high electron density regime, where the electron mobility is the highest. Only recently, with the advance of high quality low density MBE growth, experiments have been pushed to the low density regime [1], where the electron-electron interactions are strong and the Landau level mixing parameter, defined by κ = e2/εIB/ℏωe, is large. Here, lB = (ℏe/B)1/2 is the magnetic length and ωc = eB/m the cyclotron frequency. All other parameters have their normal meanings. It has been shown that a large Landau level mixing effect strongly affects the electron physics in the second Landau level [2].
We report in this letter experimental results that confirm the two-dimensional nature of the electron systems in a superlattice structure of 40 InN quantum wells consisting of one monolayer of InN embedded between 10 nm GaN barriers. The electron density and mobility of the two-dimensional electron system (2DES) in these InN quantum wells are 5 × 1015cm-2 (or 1.25 × 1014cm-2 per InN quantum well, assuming all the quantum wells are connected by diffused indium contacts) and 420 cm2/Vs, respectively. Moreover, the diagonal resistance of the 2DES shows virtually no temperature dependence in a wide temperature range, indicating the topological nature of the 2DES.
We present our recent electronic transport results in top-gated InAs/GaSb quantum well hybrid structures with superconducting Ta electrodes. We show that the transport across the InAs-Ta junction depends largely on the interfacial transparency, exhibiting distinct zero-bias behavior. For a relatively resistive interface, a broad conductance peak is observed at zero bias. When a transparent InAs-Ta interface is achieved, a zero-bias conductance dip appears with two coherent-peak-like features forming at bias voltages corresponding to the superconducting gap of Ta. The conductance spectra of the transparent InAs-Ta junction at different gate voltages can be fit well using the standard Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory.
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).
We report the design, construction, and characterization of a biaxial sample rotation stage for use in a cryogenic system for orientation-dependent studies of anisotropic electronic transport phenomena at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. Our apparatus allows for continuous rotation of a sample about two axes, both independently and simultaneously.
Topological quantum computation (TQC) has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to quantum computation. Under this approach, the topological properties of a non-Abelian quantum system, which are insensitive to local perturbations, are utilized to process and transport quantum information. The encoded information can be protected and rendered immune from nearly all environmental decoherence processes without additional error-correction. It is believed that the low energy excitations of the so-called =5/2 fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state may obey non-Abelian statistics. Our goal is to explore this novel FQH state and to understand and create a scientific foundation of this quantum matter state for the emerging TQC technology. We present in this report the results from a coherent study that focused on obtaining a knowledge base of the physics that underpins TQC. We first present the results of bulk transport properties, including the nature of disorder on the 5/2 state and spin transitions in the second Landau level. We then describe the development and application of edge tunneling techniques to quantify and understand the quasiparticle physics of the 5/2 state.
Recent work has shown that graphene, a 2D electronic material amenable to the planar semiconductor fabrication processing, possesses tunable electronic material properties potentially far superior to metals and other standard semiconductors. Despite its phenomenal electronic properties, focused research is still required to develop techniques for depositing and synthesizing graphene over large areas, thereby enabling the reproducible mass-fabrication of graphene-based devices. To address these issues, we combined an array of growth approaches and characterization resources to investigate several innovative and synergistic approaches for the synthesis of high quality graphene films on technologically relevant substrate (SiC and metals). Our work focused on developing the fundamental scientific understanding necessary to generate large-area graphene films that exhibit highly uniform electronic properties and record carrier mobility, as well as developing techniques to transfer graphene onto other substrates.
We report on a scalable electrostatic process to transfer epitaxial graphene to arbitrary glass substrates, including Pyrex and Zerodur. This transfer process could enable wafer-level integration of graphene with structured and electronically-active substrates such as MEMS and CMOS. We will describe the electrostatic transfer method and will compare the properties of the transferred graphene with nominally-equivalent 'as-grown' epitaxial graphene on SiC. The electronic properties of the graphene will be measured using magnetoresistive, four-probe, and graphene field effect transistor geometries [1]. To begin, high-quality epitaxial graphene (mobility 14,000 cm2/Vs and domains >100 {micro}m2) is grown on SiC in an argon-mediated environment [2,3]. The electrostatic transfer then takes place through the application of a large electric field between the donor graphene sample (anode) and the heated acceptor glass substrate (cathode). Using this electrostatic technique, both patterned few-layer graphene from SiC(000-1) and chip-scale monolayer graphene from SiC(0001) are transferred to Pyrex and Zerodur substrates. Subsequent examination of the transferred graphene by Raman spectroscopy confirms that the graphene can be transferred without inducing defects. Furthermore, the strain inherent in epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) is found to be partially relaxed after the transfer to the glass substrates.
We wish to present in this report experimental results from a one-year Senior Council Tier-1 LDRD project that focused on understanding the physics of a possible non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall effect state. We first give a general introduction to the quantum Hall effect, and then present the experimental results on the edge-state transport in a special fractional quantum Hall effect state at Landau level filling {nu} = 5/2 - a possible non-Abelian quantum Hall state. This state has been at the center of current basic research due to its potential applications in fault-resistant topological quantum computation. We will also describe the semiconductor 'Hall-bar' devices we used in this project. Electron physics in low dimensional systems has been one of the most exciting fields in condensed matter physics for many years. This is especially true of quantum Hall effect (QHE) physics, which has seen its intellectual wealth applied in and has influenced many seemingly unrelated fields, such as the black hole physics, where a fractional QHE-like phase has been identified. Two Nobel prizes have been awarded for discoveries of quantum Hall effects: in 1985 to von Klitzing for the discovery of integer QHE, and in 1998 to Tsui, Stormer, and Laughlin for the discovery of fractional QHE. Today, QH physics remains one of the most vibrant research fields, and many unexpected novel quantum states continue to be discovered and to surprise us, such as utilizing an exotic, non-Abelian FQHE state at {nu} = 5/2 for fault resistant topological computation. Below we give a briefly introduction of the quantum Hall physics.
We report the observation of an even-denominator fractional quantum Hall state at {nu}=1/4 in a high quality, wide GaAs quantum well. The sample has a quantum well width of 50 nm and an electron density of n{sub e}=2.55 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}. We have performed transport measurements at T{approx}35 mK in magnetic fields up to 45 T. When the sample is perpendicular to the applied magnetic field, the diagonal resistance displays a kink at {nu}=1/4. Upon tilting the sample to an angle of {theta}=20.3{sup o} a clear fractional quantum Hall state emerges at {nu}=1/4 with a plateau in the Hall resistance and a strong minimum in the diagonal resistance.
We have investigated the physics of Bloch oscillations (BO) of electrons, engineered in high mobility quantum wells patterned into lateral periodic arrays of nanostructures, i.e. two-dimensional (2D) quantum dot superlattices (QDSLs). A BO occurs when an electron moves out of the Brillouin zone (BZ) in response to a DC electric field, passing back into the BZ on the opposite side. This results in quantum oscillations of the electron--i.e., a high frequency AC current in response to a DC voltage. Thus, engineering a BO will yield continuously electrically tunable high-frequency sources (and detectors) for sensor applications, and be a physics tour-de-force. More than a decade ago, Bloch oscillation (BO) was observed in a quantum well superlattice (QWSL) in short-pulse optical experiments. However, its potential as electrically biased high frequency source and detector so far has not been realized. This is partially due to fast damping of BO in QWSLs. In this project, we have investigated the possibility of improving the stability of BO by fabricating lateral superlattices of periodic coupled nanostructures, such as metal grid, quantum (anti)dots arrays, in high quality GaAs/Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As heterostructures. In these nanostructures, the lateral quantum confinement has been shown theoretically to suppress the optical-phonon scattering, believed to be the main mechanism for fast damping of BO in QWSLs. Over the last three years, we have made great progress toward demonstrating Bloch oscillations in QDSLs. In the first two years of this project, we studied the negative differential conductance and the Bloch radiation induced edge-magnetoplasmon resonance. Recently, in collaboration with Prof. Kono's group at Rice University, we investigated the time-domain THz magneto-spectroscopy measurements in QDSLs and two-dimensional electron systems. A surprising DC electrical field induced THz phase flip was observed. More measurements are planned to investigate this phenomenon. In addition to their potential device applications, periodic arrays of nanostructures have also exhibited interesting quantum phenomena, such as a possible transition from a quantum Hall ferromagnetic state to a quantum Hall spin glass state. It is our belief that this project has generated and will continue to make important impacts in basic science as well as in novel solid-state, high frequency electronic device applications.
The silicon microelectronics industry is the technological driver of modern society. The whole industry is built upon one major invention--the solid-state transistor. It has become clear that the conventional transistor technology is approaching its limitations. Recent years have seen the advent of magnetoelectronics and spintronics with combined magnetism and solid state electronics via spin-dependent transport process. In these novel devices, both charge and spin degree freedoms can be manipulated by external means. This leads to novel electronic functionalities that will greatly enhance the speed of information processing and memory storage density. The challenge lying ahead is to understand the new device physics, and control magnetic phenomena at nanometer length scales and in reduced dimensions. To meet this goal, we proposed the silicon nanocrystal system, because: (1) It is compatible with existing silicon fabrication technologies; (2) It has shown strong quantum confinement effects, which can modify the electric and optical properties through directly modifying the band structure; and (3) the spin-orbital coupling in silicon is very small, and for isotopic pure {sup 28}Si, the nuclear spin is zero. These will help to reduce the spin-decoherence channels. In the past fiscal year, we have studied the growth mechanism of silicon-nanocrystals embedded in silicon dioxide, their photoluminescence properties, and the Si-nanocrystal's magnetic properties in the presence of Mn-ion doping. Our results may demonstrate the first evidence of possible ferromagnetic orders in Mn-ion implanted silicon nanocrystals, which can lead to ultra-fast information process and ultra-dense magnetic memory applications.
The magnetoresistance, R{sub xx}, at even-denominator fractional fillings, of an ultra high quality two-dimensional electron system at T {approx} 35 mK is observed to be strictly linear in magnetic field, B. While at 35 mK R{sub xx} is dominated by the integer and fractional quantum Hall states, at T {approx_equal} 1.2 K an almost perfect linear relationship between R{sub xx} and B emerges over the whole magnetic field range except for spikes at the integer quantum Hall states. This linear R{sub xx} cannot be understood within the Composite Fermion model, but can be explained through the existence of a density gradient in our sample.
We have investigated the valley splitting of two-dimensional electrons in high-quality Si/Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} heterostructures under tilted magnetic fields. For all the samples in our study, the valley splitting at filling factor {nu} = 3 ({Delta}{sub 3}) is significantly different before and after the coincidence angle, at which energy levels cross at the Fermi level. On both sides of the coincidence, a linear dependence of {Delta}{sub 3} on the electron density was observed, while the slope of these two configurations differs by more than a factor of 2. We argue that screening of the Coulomb interaction from the low-lying filled levels, which also explains the observed spin-dependent resistivity, is responsible for the large difference of {Delta}{sub 3} before and after the coincidence.
The apparent metal-insulator transition is observed in a high-quality two-dimensional electron system (2DES) in the strained Si quantum well of a Si/Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} heterostructure with mobility {mu} = 1.9 x 10{sup 5} cm{sup 2}/V s at density n = 1.45 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}. The critical density, at which the thermal coefficient of low T resistivity changes sign, is -0.32 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}, a very low value obtained in Si-based 2D systems. The in-plane magnetoresistivity {rho}(B{sub ip}) was measured in the density range, 0.35 x 10{sup 11} < n < 1.45 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}, where the 2DES shows the metallic-like behavior. It first increases and then saturates to a finite value {rho}(B{sub c}) for B{sub ip}>B{sub c} , with B{sub c} the full spin-polarization field. Surprisingly, {rho}(B{sub c})/{rho}(0)-1.8 for all the densities, even down to n = 0.35 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}, only 10% higher than n{sub c}. This is different from that in clean Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, where the enhancement is strongly density dependent and {rho}(B{sub c})/{rho}(0) appears to diverge as n {yields} n{sub c}. Finally, we show that in the fully spin-polarized regime, dependent on the 2DES density, the temperature dependence of {rho}(B{sub ip}) can be either metallic-like or insulating.
The high mobility of two dimensional electron system in the second Landau level was discussed. In the second level, the larger extent of the wave function as compared to the lowest LL and its additional zero allows for a much broader range of electron correlations to be favorable. An example of electron correlations encountered in the second LL is the even-denominator v=2+1/2 fractional quantum hall effect (FQHE) state. With a varying filling factor, it was observed that quantum liquids of different origins compete with several insulating phases leading to an irregular pattern in the transport parameters.
Cyclotron resonance at the microwave frequency is used to measure the band edge mass (m{sub b}) in the two-dimensional hole (2DH) system, confined in 30 nm quantum wells in the Al{sub 0.1}Ga{sub 0.9}As/GaAs/Al{sub 0.1}Ga{sub 0.9}As heterostructures. We find that for 2DH density p {le} 1.0 x 10{sup 10} cm{sup -2}, m{sub b} is nearly constant, {approx}0.35m{sub e}. It increases with increasing density, to {approx}0.5m{sub e} at p = 7.4 x 10{sup 10} cm{sup -2}.
In the second Landau level around {nu} = 5/2 filling of an extremely high quality 2D electron system and at temperatures T down to 9 mK we observe a very strong even-denominator fractional quantum Hall effect at Landau level filling {nu} = 5/2 and its energy gap is large and {Delta} {approx} 0.45 K. A clear FQHE state is seen at {nu} = 2+2/5, with well-quantized R{sub xy}. A novel, even denominator FQHE state at {nu} = 2+3/8 seems to develop, as deduced from the T-dependence of dR{sub xy}/dB. In addition, four fully developed re-entrant integral quantum Hall effect (RIQHE) states are also observed. At low temperatures, the wide RIQHE plateau around at {nu} = 2+2/7 is interrupted by a dip, indicating an additional reentrance. Finally, the tilted magnetic field experiment at an ultra-low temperature of 10 mK was carried out to examine the spin-polarization of the {nu} = 5/2 FQHE state.