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Quantum dot in the Kondo regime coupled to superconductors
M R Buitelaar1, T Nussbaumer, C Schönenberger
1Institut für Physik, Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, Switzerland.
Physical Review Letters
|December 18, 2002
Summary
The Kondo effect in carbon nanotube quantum dots persists alongside superconductivity when the Kondo temperature surpasses the superconducting gap. This reveals a key interplay between these quantum phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum phenomena
Background:
- The Kondo effect and superconductivity are complex many-body phenomena.
- Understanding their interplay is crucial for quantum technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between the Kondo effect and superconductivity in a carbon nanotube quantum dot system.
- To determine the conditions under which Kondo correlations survive in the presence of superconductivity.
Main Methods:
- Transport measurements were conducted on a carbon nanotube quantum dot.
- The quantum dot was coupled to superconducting leads.
- Kondo temperature and superconducting gap energy were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A delicate interplay between the Kondo effect and superconductivity was observed.
- Kondo correlations on the quantum dot were found to persist even with superconducting leads.
- Survival of Kondo correlations depends on the Kondo temperature relative to the superconducting gap energy.
Conclusions:
- Superconductivity in the leads does not necessarily destroy Kondo correlations.
- The Kondo temperature exceeding the superconducting gap energy is key for preserving Kondo correlations.
- This finding offers insights into controlling quantum states in hybrid systems.