arXiv subjects

Colby J. Stoddard

Publications and source records attributed to Colby J. Stoddard.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Superconducting PdTe Thin Film Via Topotactic Transformation, Toward Topological Superconductors

Topological superconductors (TSCs) hosting Majorana zero modes (MZMs) offer a pathway to fault-tolerant quantum computation. PdTe is a promising TSC candidate due to its topological surface states and a reasonable superconducting critical temperature of ~4.5 K. However, it has been challenging to grow PdTe thin films with bulk-like superconducting properties. Here, we show that high-quality, superconducting PdTe thin films can be grown using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The films exhibit a sharp superconducting transition (T_onset = 4.43 K with transition width of 0.06 K), comparable to that of bulk crystals. This was made possible via a topotactic transformation from a PdTe_2 buffer layer to a PdTe phase by growing Pd on top under Te-deficient conditions. Structural and transport analyses confirm the NiAs-type structure of PdTe, as well as its two-dimensional superconducting behavior and excellent air stability. These findings suggest that the MBE-grown PdTe films and their heterostructures are a promising platform for topological superconductivity and Majorana physics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Efficient and affordable thermoelectric measurement setup using Arduino and LabVIEW for education and research

Thermoelectric materials can convert thermal energy into electricity, making them promising candidates for harvesting waste heat, an increasingly important challenge in the energy-intensive modern world. The search for improved thermoelectric materials is therefore an active area of research in materials physics. Despite their fundamental and practical significance, thermoelectric properties - such as the Seebeck coefficient and power factor - are rarely explored in student labs due to the complexity in measurement schemes and requirement for sophisticated equipment. In this work, we present a user-friendly, low-cost and efficient thermoelectric measurement system built with Arduino and LabVIEW, which can simultaneously measure Seebeck coefficients and power factors as a function of temperature. This was made possible by improving the resolution of Arduino over ~1000 times with amplifiers and noise reduction schemes. With a total cost of only ~$100 and simple measurement protocols, this setup is well suited not only for student labs but also for efficient thermoelectric research.

physics.ed-ph↗