Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2026

Writing and Low-Temperature Characterization of Oxide Nanostructures
Published on: July 18, 2014
Proximitized Topological Insulator Charge Island Fabricated via In Situ Multi-Angle Stencil Lithography
Benedikt Frohn1, Tobias Schmitt1, Vanessa Serrano1
1PGI-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, 52425Jülich, Germany.
Abstract:
Hybrid superconductor-topological insulator (TI) nanostructures constitute a promising material platform for exploring proximity-induced superconductivity in systems with topologically protected surface states. A key obstacle has been the realization of clean and well-controlled superconductor-TI interfaces, as TI surfaces rapidly degrade under ambient conditions. Here, we introduce a fully in situ, multi-angle stencil lithography technique that enables the fabrication of proximitized charge islands in TIs. The approach combines selective area growth of (Bi,Sb)2Te3 nanoribbons with angle-controlled deposition of diffusion barriers, superconducting Al, and ultrathin oxide tunnel barriers, allowing scalable fabrication of hybrid nanostructures without post-growth processing. Low-temperature transport measurements reveal robust Coulomb blockade and a pronounced suppression of low-energy conductance, which vanishes with a magnetic field, consistent with proximity-induced superconductivity in the island. These results establish a versatile nanofabrication platform that enables access to previously unexplored TI-based hybrid quantum devices and opens new routes for investigating superconductivity in topological nanostructures.

