Hard Superconducting Gap in InSb Nanowires
Önder Gül (TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab)
Hao Zhang (TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Fokko de Vries (TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Jasper van Veen (TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Kun Zuo (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab)
Vincent Mourik (TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Sonia Conesa Boj (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QN/Conesa-Boj Lab, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab)
Michal Nowak (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, AGH University of Science and Technology, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab)
David van Woerkom (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab)
Marina Quintero Perez (TU Delft - BUS/General, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
Maja Cassidy (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab)
Attila Geresdi (TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QRD/Geresdi Lab, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
Sebastian Koelling (Eindhoven University of Technology)
Diana Car (TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, Eindhoven University of Technology, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
Sébastien Plissard (Eindhoven University of Technology, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
Erik Bakkers (TU Delft - QN/Bakkers Lab, Eindhoven University of Technology, TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre)
Leo P. Kouwenhoven (TU Delft - QuTech Advanced Research Centre, TU Delft - QRD/Kouwenhoven Lab, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
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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.
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