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Silicon-Aluminum Phase-Transformation-Induced Superconducting Rings
Brett C Johnson1, Michael Stuiber2, Daniel L Creedon3
1School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria3001, Australia.
Nano Letters
|December 27, 2022
Summary
Researchers explored superconducting nanowires on silicon-on-insulator, observing aluminum-silicon interdiffusion. This process enabled the creation of superconducting devices exhibiting quantized fluxoid oscillations, crucial for quantum technologies.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Technologies
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Developing hybrid superconducting-semiconducting devices is key for advancing quantum technologies.
- Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platforms offer a promising substrate for fabricating such devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fabrication and superconducting properties of nanowires on a SOI platform.
- To understand the interdiffusion of aluminum with silicon in these nanowires.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of superconducting aluminum nanowires on a silicon-on-insulator platform.
- Analysis of aluminum-silicon interdiffusion at the nanoscale.
- Measurement of low-temperature magnetoresistance in mesoscopic rings.
Main Results:
- Aluminum-silicon interdiffusion was observed along the entire nanowire length, even below the eutectic temperature.
- The phase-transformed material conformed to the device patterns.
- Quantized magnetoresistance oscillations (in units of h/2e) were detected in a superconducting mesoscopic ring.
Conclusions:
- Aluminum-silicon interdiffusion can be utilized to create superconducting structures on SOI.
- The observed quantized oscillations confirm the superconducting nature and potential for fluxon manipulation in these novel devices.
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