Induced unconventional superconductivity on the surface states of Bi2Te3 topological insulator

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A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2017-12-01

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en

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1-8

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Nature Communications, Volume 8, issue 1

Abstract

Topological superconductivity is central to a variety of novel phenomena involving the interplay between topologically ordered phases and broken-symmetry states. The key ingredient is an unconventional order parameter, with an orbital component containing a chiral p x + ip y wave term. Here we present phase-sensitive measurements, based on the quantum interference in nanoscale Josephson junctions, realized by using Bi2Te3 topological insulator. We demonstrate that the induced superconductivity is unconventional and consistent with a sign-changing order parameter, such as a chiral p x + ip y component. The magnetic field pattern of the junctions shows a dip at zero externally applied magnetic field, which is an incontrovertible signature of the simultaneous existence of 0 and π coupling within the junction, inherent to a non trivial order parameter phase. The nano-textured morphology of the Bi2Te3 flakes, and the dramatic role played by thermal strain are the surprising key factors for the display of an unconventional induced order parameter.

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Charpentier, S, Galletti, L, Kunakova, G, Arpaia, R, Song, Y, Baghdadi, R, Wang, S M, Kalaboukhov, A, Olsson, E, Tafuri, F, Golubev, D, Linder, J, Bauch, T & Lombardi, F 2017, ' Induced unconventional superconductivity on the surface states of Bi 2 Te 3 topological insulator ', Nature Communications, vol. 8, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-8 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02069-z