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Driving a Superconductor to Insulator Transition with Random Gauge Fields
H Q Nguyen1,2, S M Hollen1,3, J Shainline1,4
1Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA.
Scientific Reports
|December 1, 2016
Summary
Researchers discovered that random gauge fields, not just impurity scattering, can cause Anderson localization. This leads to a superfluid to insulator transition in amorphous Bi islands, revealing metallic transport near the quantum critical point.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Materials
Background:
- Anderson localization typically arises from potential scattering by random impurities.
- Disorder effects on quantum phase transitions are crucial for understanding material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if random gauge fields, distinct from impurity scattering, can induce Anderson localization.
- To explore the superfluid Bose glass to insulator transition driven by gauge field disorder.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of nano-patterned amorphous Bismuth (Bi) islands.
- Experimental measurement of transport properties across a range of gauge field disorder.
- Comparison of experimental findings with Quantum Monte Carlo simulations.
Main Results:
- Evidence of a superfluid Bose glass to insulator transition induced by gauge field disorder.
- Observation of metallic transport near the quantum critical point, indicated by resistance.
- Critical disorder level dependence on interisland coupling, consistent with theoretical predictions.
Conclusions:
- Random gauge fields are a viable mechanism for driving Anderson localization and quantum phase transitions.
- This disorder-tuned superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) offers a new platform for studying quantum criticality.
- Enables high-fidelity comparisons between theory and experiment in disordered quantum systems.
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