Flux-periodic supercurrent oscillations in an Aharonov-Bohm-type nanowire Josephson junction

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

Phase winding effects in hollow semiconductor nanowires with superconducting shells have been proposed as a route to engineer topological superconducting states. We investigate GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires with half-shells of epitaxial aluminium as a potential platform for such devices, where the thin InAs shell confines the electron wave function around the GaAs core. With normal contacts we observed pronounced $h/e$ flux periodic oscillations in the magnetoconductance, indicating the presence of a tubular conductive channel in the InAs shell. Conversely, the switching current in Josephson junctions oscillates with approximately half that period, i.e. $h/2e$, indicating transport via Andreev transport processes in the junction enclosing threading magnetic flux. On these structures, we systematically studied the gate-, field-, and temperature-dependent evolution of the supercurrent. Results indicate that Andreev transport processes can occur about the wire circumference indicating full proximitization of the InAs shell from the half-shell superconducting contacts.

Authors 13

1. Patrick Zellekens
2. Russell Deacon
3. Farah Basarić Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

4. R. R. Juluri
5. Michael D. Randle
6. Benjamin Bennemann Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

7. Christoph Krause Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

8. Erik Zimmermann Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

9. Ana M. Sánchez
10. Detlev Grützmacher Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    RWTH Aachen

11. Alexander Pawlis Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    RWTH Aachen

12. Koji Ishibashi
13. Thomas Schäpers Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    RWTH Aachen