Ballistic superconductivity in semiconductor nanowires

Hao Zhang (), Önder Gül (), Sonia Conesa-Boj, Michał P. Nowak, Michael Wimmer, Folkert K. de Vries, Jasper van Veen, Michiel W. A. de Moor, Jouri D. S. Bommer, David J. van Woerkom, Diana Car, Sébastien R Plissard, Erik P.A.M. Bakkers, Marina Quintero-Pérez, Maja C. Cassidy, Sebastian Koelling, Srijit Goswami, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi and Leo P. Kouwenhoven ()
Additional contact information
Hao Zhang: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Önder Gül: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Sonia Conesa-Boj: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Michał P. Nowak: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Michael Wimmer: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Folkert K. de Vries: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Jasper van Veen: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Michiel W. A. de Moor: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Jouri D. S. Bommer: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
David J. van Woerkom: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Diana Car: Eindhoven University of Technology
Sébastien R Plissard: Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology
Erik P.A.M. Bakkers: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Marina Quintero-Pérez: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Maja C. Cassidy: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Sebastian Koelling: Eindhoven University of Technology
Srijit Goswami: QuTech, Delft University of Technology
Kenji Watanabe: Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science
Takashi Taniguchi: Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science
Leo P. Kouwenhoven: QuTech, Delft University of Technology

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Semiconductor nanowires have opened new research avenues in quantum transport owing to their confined geometry and electrostatic tunability. They have offered an exceptional testbed for superconductivity, leading to the realization of hybrid systems combining the macroscopic quantum properties of superconductors with the possibility to control charges down to a single electron. These advances brought semiconductor nanowires to the forefront of efforts to realize topological superconductivity and Majorana modes. A prime challenge to benefit from the topological properties of Majoranas is to reduce the disorder in hybrid nanowire devices. Here we show ballistic superconductivity in InSb semiconductor nanowires. Our structural and chemical analyses demonstrate a high-quality interface between the nanowire and a NbTiN superconductor that enables ballistic transport. This is manifested by a quantized conductance for normal carriers, a strongly enhanced conductance for Andreev-reflecting carriers, and an induced hard gap with a significantly reduced density of states. These results pave the way for disorder-free Majorana devices.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16025

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