GaN/NbN epitaxial semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures

Rusen Yan (), Guru Khalsa, Suresh Vishwanath, Yimo Han, John Wright, Sergei Rouvimov, D. Scott Katzer, Neeraj Nepal, Brian P. Downey, David A. Muller, Huili G. Xing, David J. Meyer () and Debdeep Jena ()
Additional contact information
Rusen Yan: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University
Guru Khalsa: Cornell University
Suresh Vishwanath: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University
Yimo Han: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University
John Wright: Cornell University
Sergei Rouvimov: University of Notre Dame
D. Scott Katzer: US Naval Research Laboratory
Neeraj Nepal: US Naval Research Laboratory
Brian P. Downey: US Naval Research Laboratory
David A. Muller: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University
Huili G. Xing: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University
David J. Meyer: US Naval Research Laboratory
Debdeep Jena: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University

Nature, 2018, vol. 555, issue 7695, 183-189

Abstract: Abstract Epitaxy is a process by which a thin layer of one crystal is deposited in an ordered fashion onto a substrate crystal. The direct epitaxial growth of semiconductor heterostructures on top of crystalline superconductors has proved challenging. Here, however, we report the successful use of molecular beam epitaxy to grow and integrate niobium nitride (NbN)-based superconductors with the wide-bandgap family of semiconductors—silicon carbide, gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN). We apply molecular beam epitaxy to grow an AlGaN/GaN quantum-well heterostructure directly on top of an ultrathin crystalline NbN superconductor. The resulting high-mobility, two-dimensional electron gas in the semiconductor exhibits quantum oscillations, and thus enables a semiconductor transistor—an electronic gain element—to be grown and fabricated directly on a crystalline superconductor. Using the epitaxial superconductor as the source load of the transistor, we observe in the transistor output characteristics a negative differential resistance—a feature often used in amplifiers and oscillators. Our demonstration of the direct epitaxial growth of high-quality semiconductor heterostructures and devices on crystalline nitride superconductors opens up the possibility of combining the macroscopic quantum effects of superconductors with the electronic, photonic and piezoelectric properties of the group III/nitride semiconductor family.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/nature25768

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