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Superconducting Field-Effect Transistors with PdTe-Te Intimate Contacts
Chang Niu1,2, Mingyi Wang3, Zhuocheng Zhang1,2
1Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
Researchers developed a new method for high-quality superconductor-semiconductor interfaces using intimate contact. This advances superconducting electronic devices for quantum computing and other technologies.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Computing
Background:
- Superconducting electronic devices are crucial for quantum computing.
- Superconductor-semiconductor interfaces limit the performance of Josephson-junction (JJ) devices.
- High-quality interfaces are essential for controllable superconducting devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an alternative method for high-quality superconductor-semiconductor interfaces.
- To investigate proximity-induced superconductivity in tellurium (Te).
- To fabricate and characterize a novel superconducting device.
Main Methods:
- Utilized intimate contact for superconductor-semiconductor interface formation.
- Grew two-dimensional (2D) tellurium (Te) single crystals hydrothermally.
- Partially converted 2D Te to superconducting palladium telluride (PdTe) via controlled annealing.
- Fabricated a PdTe-Te-PdTe Josephson junction (JJ).
Main Results:
- Achieved high-quality superconductor-semiconductor interfaces.
- Demonstrated proximity-induced superconductivity in tellurium.
- Fabricated a gate-tunable Josephson junction with ambipolar supercurrent.
- Observed multiple Andreev reflections in the fabricated device.
Conclusions:
- The intimate contact method provides a promising route to high-quality superconducting interfaces.
- The developed PdTe-Te-PdTe JJ is a controllable superconducting device.
- This work advances the development of superconducting electronics for quantum computing and interface-based technologies.
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