Wave-Function Hybridization in Yu-Shiba-Rusinov Dimers

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Surface Science
• Quantum Materials

Background:

• Magnetic adsorbates on superconductors create localized bound states within the superconducting energy gap.
• These Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states exhibit slow decay, persisting further from the impurity than atomic orbitals, even in bulk materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the hybridization of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states between two adjacent magnetic manganese (Mn) adatoms on a superconducting lead (Pb) surface.
• Analyze how the geometric and electronic structure of the YSR dimer influences its properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) to probe the electronic states of the adatoms on the superconducting Pb(001) surface.
• Examined the spatial distribution and energy spectra of the induced bound states.

Main Results:

• Observed the formation of symmetric and antisymmetric combinations of YSR states due to hybridization between two Mn adatoms.
• Demonstrated that the wave function structure and energy splitting of the YSR dimer are dependent on the monomer orbital characteristics.
• Showed that the dimer's properties are sensitive to its orientation relative to the underlying Pb lattice structure.

Conclusions:

• Hybridization of YSR states between magnetic adatoms leads to emergent quantum phenomena.
• The observed YSR state combinations provide insights into controlling and manipulating localized electronic states on superconducting surfaces.
• This study highlights the potential for designing novel quantum states by controlling magnetic adatom configurations on superconductors.