Title
Hard Superconducting Gap in InSb Nanowires
Author
Gül, Önder (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft) 
Zhang, H. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
de Vries, F.K. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
van Veen, J. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Zuo, K. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Mourik, V. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Conesa Boj, S. (TU Delft QN/Conesa-Boj Lab; TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Nowak, M.P. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; AGH University of Science and Technology; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
van Woerkom, D.J. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Quintero Perez, M. (TU Delft BUS/General; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
Cassidy, M.C. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Geresdi, A. (TU Delft QRD/Geresdi Lab; TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Koelling, Sebastian (Eindhoven University of Technology)
Car, D. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Eindhoven University of Technology; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Plissard, S.R. (TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Eindhoven University of Technology)
Bakkers, E.P.A.M. (TU Delft QN/Bakkers Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Eindhoven University of Technology)
Kouwenhoven, Leo P. (TU Delft QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab; TU Delft QuTech Advanced Research Centre; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Date
2017
Abstract
Topological superconductivity is a state of matter that can host Majorana modes, the building blocks of a topological quantum computer. Many experimental platforms predicted to show such a topological state rely on proximity-induced superconductivity. However, accessing the topological properties requires an induced hard superconducting gap, which is challenging to achieve for most material systems. We have systematically studied how the interface between an InSb semiconductor nanowire and a NbTiN superconductor affects the induced superconducting properties. Step by step, we improve the homogeneity of the interface while ensuring a barrier-free electrical contact to the superconductor and obtain a hard gap in the InSb nanowire. The magnetic field stability of NbTiN allows the InSb nanowire to maintain a hard gap and a supercurrent in the presence of magnetic fields (∼0.5 T), a requirement for topological superconductivity in one-dimensional systems. Our study provides a guideline to induce superconductivity in various experimental platforms such as semiconductor nanowires, two-dimensional electron gases, and topological insulators and holds relevance for topological superconductivity and quantum computation.
Subject
Majorana
topological superconductivity
hard gap
InSb
semiconductor nanowire
hybrid device
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:887703bd-302f-4657-9da2-e4b91e16944c
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b00540
ISSN
1530-6984
Source
Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology, 17 (4), 2690-2696
Part of collection
Institutional Repository
Document type
journal article
Rights
© 2017 Önder Gül, H. Zhang, F.K. de Vries, J. van Veen, K. Zuo, V. Mourik, S. Conesa Boj, M.P. Nowak, D.J. van Woerkom, M. Quintero Perez, M.C. Cassidy, A. Geresdi, Sebastian Koelling, D. Car, S.R. Plissard, E.P.A.M. Bakkers, Leo P. Kouwenhoven