Sn-InAs Nanowire Shadow-Defined Josephson Junctions

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Hybrid superconductor-semiconductor platforms are crucial for quantum information technologies.
• Integration of materials requires clean interfaces, robust superconductivity, and scalable architectures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and analyze inclined InAs nanowires conformally coated with β-Sn shells.
• To establish a self-aligned, criss-cross network for deterministic Josephson junction formation.
• To investigate the potential of this platform for quantum devices and exotic superconducting phases.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of inclined InAs nanowires.
• Conformal coating with β-Sn shells via angle-controlled, low-temperature deposition.
• Structural characterization (e.g., SEM, TEM) and low-temperature transport measurements.

Main Results:

• Formation of a self-aligned, criss-cross nanowire network.
• Deterministic fabrication of nanowire-shadow Josephson junctions.
• Observation of a hard induced superconducting gap (~600 μeV), high switching currents (~500 nA), and magnetic field resilience (>1T).

Conclusions:

• β-Sn/InAs nanowire networks offer a promising platform for superconducting qubits and low-noise microwave devices.
• This platform facilitates the exploration of triplet pairing and topological superconductivity.
• The developed method enables scalable architectures for future quantum information processing.