Superconducting EdgE D-waves States – SEEDS

Superconducting electronics is relevant for applications in many areas that span from astrophysics and telecommunications to quantum information. Its cornerstone is a device known as the Josephson junction. This project proposes to experimentally develop and characterize a novel type of superconducting Josephson device resulting from coupling a high temperature d-wave superconductor (S) to 2D Dirac materials having topological properties, in particular 2D topological insulators (2D TIs)

2D TIs present 1D conduction channels at their boundaries, known as edge states, in which electrons are topologically protected from backscattering. Proximity with a S can induce superconductivity in those states, resulting in topologically protected superconducting 1D channels. The singularity of d-wave Ss in this scenario is that they allow envisioning new devices that exploit the specificities of nodal pairing, such as the pi phase-shift between superconducting nodes ?a possibility absent with conventional s-wave superconductors. This project aims at demonstrating d-wave Josephson coupling across 2D TIs and its potential novel functionalities. The proposed developments could have a significant fundamental and industrial impacts, especially considering the close ties of the host laboratory with Thales, which develops and commercializes Josephson devices.

This project relies on the expertise of the PI (superconductivity, TIs) and on the research environment provided by the host laboratory (UMPhy), as well on the researcher’s network. The project will allow the researcher to develop his own research line, by enabling the recruitment of a PhD student and the purchase of crucial pieces of equipment for this project.