We propose a tunable topological Josephson junction in silicene where electrostatic gates could switch between a trivial and a topological junction. These aspects are a consequence of a tunable phase transition of the topologically confined valley-chiral states from a spin-degenerate to a spin-helical regime. We calculate the Andreev bound states in such a junction analytically using a low-energy approximation to the tight-binding model of silicene in proximity to s-wave superconductors as well as numerically in the short- and long-junction regime and in the presence of intervalley scattering. Combining topologically trivial and non-trivial regions, we show how intervalley scattering can be effectively switched on and off within the Josephson junction. This constitutes a topological Josephson junction with an electrically tunable quasiparticle poisoning source.
We investigate theoretically the dynamics of a Josephson junction in the framework of the RSJ model. We consider a junction that hosts two supercurrrent contributions: a $2pi$- and a $4pi$-periodic in phase, with intensities $I_{2pi}$ and $I_{4pi}$ respectively. We study the size of the Shapiro steps as a function of the ratio of the intensity of the mentioned contributions, i.e. $I_{4pi}/I_{2pi}$. We provide detailed explanations where to expect clear signatures of the presence of the $4pi$-periodic contribution as a function of the external parameters: the intensity AC-bias $I_text{ac}$ and frequency $omega_text{ac}$. On the one hand, in the low AC-intensity regime (where $I_text{ac}$ is much smaller than the critical current, $I_text{c}$), we find that the non-linear dynamics of the junction allows the observation of only even Shapiro steps even in the unfavorable situation where $I_{4pi}/I_{2pi}ll 1$. On the other hand, in the opposite limit ($I_text{ac}gg I_text{c}$), even and odd Shapiro steps are present. Nevertheless, even in this regime, we find signatures of the $4pi$-supercurrent in the beating pattern of the even step sizes as a function of $I_text{ac}$.
We study a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor island hosting spatially separated Majorana Kramers pairs, with weak tunnel couplings to two s-wave superconducting leads. When the topological superconductor island is in the Coulomb blockade regime, we predict that a Josephson current flows between the two leads due to a non-local transfer of Cooper pairs mediated by the Majorana Kramers pairs. Interestingly, we find that the sign of the Josephson current is controlled by the joint parity of all four Majorana bound states on the island. Consequently, this parity-controlled Josephson effect can be used for qubit read-out in Majorana-based quantum computing.
Bilayer graphene hosts valley-chiral one dimensional modes at domain walls between regions of different interlayer potential or stacking order. When such a channel is brought into proximity to a superconductor, the two electrons of a Cooper pair which tunnel into it move in opposite directions because they belong to different valleys related by the time-reversal symmetry. This is a kinetic variant of Cooper pair splitting, which requires neither Coulomb repulsion nor energy filtering but is enforced by the robustness of the valley isospin in the absence of atomic-scale defects. We derive an effective model for the guided modes in proximity to an s-wave superconductor, calculate the conductance carried by split and spin-entangled electron pairs, and interpret it as a result of local Andreev reflection processes, whereas crossed Andreev reflection is absent.
We report on total-energy electronic structure calculations in the density-functional theory performed for the ultra-thin atomic layers of Si on Ag(111) surfaces. We find several distinct stable silicene structures: $sqrt{3}timessqrt{3}$, $3times3$, $sqrt{7}timessqrt{7}$ with the thickness of Si increasing from monolayer to quad-layer. The structural bistability and tristability of the multilayer silicene structures on Ag surfaces are obtained, where the calculated transition barriers infer the occurrence of the flip-flop motion at low temperature. The calculated STM images agree well with the experimental observations. We also find the stable existence of $2times1$ $pi$-bonded chain and $7times7$ dimer-adatom-stacking fault Si(111)-surface structures on Ag(111), which clearly shows the crossover of silicene-silicon structures for the multilayer Si on Ag surfaces. We further find the absence of the Dirac states for multilayer silicene on Ag(111) due to the covalent interactions of silicene-Ag interface and Si-Si interlayer. Instead, we find a new state near Fermi level composed of $pi$ orbitals locating on the surface layer of $sqrt{3}timessqrt{3}$ multilayer silicene, which satisfies the hexagonal symmetry and exhibits the linear energy dispersion. By examining the electronic properties of $2times1$ $pi$-bonded chain structures, we find that the surface-related $pi$ states of multilayer Si structures are robust on Ag surfaces.
We adopt the tight-binding mode-matching method to study the strain effect on silicene heterojunctions. It is found that valley- and spin-dependent separation of electrons cannot be achieved by the electric field only. When a strain and an electric field are simultaneously applied to the central scattering region, not only are the electrons of valleys K and K separated into two distinct transmission lobes in opposite transverse directions, but the up-spin and down-spin electrons will also move in the two opposite transverse directions. Therefore, one can realize an effective modulation of valley- and spin-dependent transport by changing the amplitude and the stretch direction of the strain. The phenomenon of the strain-induced valley and spin deflection can be exploited for silicene-based valleytronics devices.
Daniel Frombach
,Sunghun Park
,Alexander Schroer
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(2018)
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"Electrically controlled crossover between $2pi$- and $4pi$-Josephson effects through topologically-confined channels in silicene"
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Patrik Recher
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