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Superconducting tunnel junctions exhibit large bipolar thermoelectricity due to spontaneous symmetry breaking, enabling novel quantum technologies. This breakthrough offers Seebeck coefficients significantly higher than normal metals.

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Area of Science:

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Quantum Technologies
  • Superconductivity

Background:

  • Thermoelectric effects in metals are generally weak due to particle-hole symmetry.
  • Thermoelectric phenomena in superconductors were previously thought to require explicit symmetry breaking.
  • Spontaneous particle-hole symmetry breaking in pristine superconductors was not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally demonstrate large bipolar thermoelectricity in superconducting tunnel junctions.
  • To investigate the role of spontaneous particle-hole symmetry breaking in generating thermoelectric effects.
  • To explore potential applications in quantum technologies and energy harvesting.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication and characterization of superconducting tunnel junctions.
  • Measurement of Seebeck coefficients under thermal gradients.
  • Integration of junctions into a Josephson interferometer to create a thermoelectric engine.
  • Development of a persistent thermoelectric memory cell prototype.

Main Results:

  • Observed large bipolar thermoelectricity with Seebeck coefficients up to ±300 μV/K, significantly exceeding those in normal metals.
  • Demonstrated a bipolar thermoelectric Josephson engine generating tunable electric power.
  • Successfully implemented a prototype persistent thermoelectric memory cell.

Conclusions:

  • Spontaneous particle-hole symmetry breaking in superconducting tunnel junctions leads to substantial thermoelectric effects.
  • These findings open new avenues for superconducting quantum technologies, energy harvesting, and memory devices.
  • The demonstrated thermoelectric properties are orders of magnitude larger than those in conventional metals.