Unified numerical approach to topological semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures

We develop a unified numerical approach for modeling semiconductor-superconductor heterostructures. All the key physical ingredients of these systems - orbital effect of magnetic field, superconducting proximity effect, and electrostatic environment - are taken into account on equal footing in a realistic device geometry. As a model system,...

Effects of Gate-Induced Electric Fields on Semiconductor Majorana Nanowires

We study the effect of gate-induced electric fields on the properties of semiconductor-superconductor hybrid nanowires which represent a promising platform for realizing topological superconductivity and Majorana zero modes. Using a self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson approach that describes the semiconductor and the superconductor on equal...

Electric field tunable superconductor-semiconductor coupling in Majorana nanowires

We study the effect of external electric fields on superconductor-semiconductor coupling by measuring the electron transport in InSb semiconductor nanowires coupled to an epitaxially grown Al superconductor. We find that the gate voltage induced electric fields can greatly modify the coupling strength, which has consequences for the proximity...

Supercavitating motion of a wedge in a jet

Direct detection effect in small volume hot electron bolometer mixers

We measure the direct detection effect in a small volume (0.15??m×1??m×3.5?nm) quasioptical NbN phonon cooled hot electron bolometer mixer at 1.6?THz. We find that the small signal sensitivity of the receiver is underestimated by 35% due to the direct detection effect and that the optimal operating point is shifted to higher bias voltages when...

Anaerobic growth of the haloalkaliphilic denitrifying sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Thialkalivibrio thiocyanodenitrificans sp. nov. with thiocyanate