Thin Semiconductor Devices Successfully Linked to Superconductors for Initial Time
In a groundbreaking development, a team of physicists from the University of Basel has managed to equip an ultrathin semiconductor with superconducting contacts for the first time. The researchers, led by Dr. Andreas Baumgartner, have published their findings in the prestigious journal Nano Letters.
The component in question was fabricated using a protective sandwich of different materials, requiring multiple steps to avoid contamination. The semiconductor layer is molybdenum disulfide, protected by two thin layers of boron nitride. The contacts were etched vertically using electron-beam lithography and ion etching, and the component was stacked with a boron nitride layer, a layer of graphene for electrical control, and placed on a silicon/silicon-dioxide wafer.
The contact material used is molybdenum rhenium, which retains its superconducting properties in strong magnetic fields. This choice of material allows for the potential application of the vertical contacts to a large number of semiconductors.
The combination of semiconductor and superconductor is expected to exhibit new properties and physical phenomena. Until now, scientists have not succeeded in combining a monolayer of a semiconductor with superconducting contacts. The strong coupling between the semiconductor layer and the superconductor is a key element in the new physical phenomena expected in van der Waals heterostructures.
The study, with the DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c00615, reveals indications of this strong coupling. Electrons in a superconductor arrange themselves into pairs, while electrons in the semiconductor molybdenum disulfide perform a unique solo routine that includes their magnetic moments.
The researchers found that these complex quantum mechanical phenomena take place in these semiconducting monolayers and may have applications in quantum technology. The electrical measurements at low temperatures required for superconductivity show effects caused by the superconductor, such as single electrons being disallowed at certain energies.
The hybrid monolayer semiconductor components exhibit the possibility of being combined with other, more exotic contact materials for further insights. The fabrication process allows for the potential application of the vertical contacts to a large number of semiconductors, opening up a new realm of possibilities in the field of physics.
The combination of ultrathin semiconductors and superconductors promises unique characteristics, such as the use of electric fields to influence the magnetic moments of electrons. These semiconductors, with their unique properties, could pave the way for advancements in technology and science.
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