arXiv subjects

François Amet

Publications and source records attributed to François Amet.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Same-spin Andreev reflections in the quantum Hall regime: the role of loss

The interfaces of superconductors and topological materials hold promise for realizing exotic states and excitations. An important example is provided by the chiral Andreev edge states (CAES), which are formed at interfaces between quantum Hall (QH) states and superconductors (SC). CAES combine electron and hole amplitudes which are hybridized via Andreev reflections. This study explores the spin properties of the CAES through selective spin filtering of the QH edge channels. We find robust evidence of spin-flips accompanying the Andreev processes: electrons can be reflected from the superconductor as holes in the same spin channel. We demonstrate that the distribution of the reflection probabilities is exponential and then use random matrix theory to account for this observation. Finally, we observe Andreev reflections in the spin-polarized ν = 1 case, which is enabled by particle loss. Our findings shed light on the mechanism underlying Andreev reflections of spin-polarized chiral states. They also demonstrate the importance of considering non-Hermiticity when constructing topological superconductors in hybrid materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Noise-induced stabilization of dynamical states with broken time-reversal symmetry

Under a high frequency drive, Josephson junctions demonstrate "Shapiro steps" of quantized voltage. These are dynamically stabilized states, in which the phase across the junction locks to the external drive. We explore the stochastic switching between two symmetric steps at $\frac{\hbarω}{2e}$ and $-\frac{\hbarω}{2e}$. Surprisingly, the switching rate exhibits a pronounced non-monotonicity as a function of temperature, violating the general expectation that transitions should become faster with temperature. We explain this behavior by realizing that the system retains memory of the dynamic state from which it is switching, thereby breaking the conventional simplifying assumptions about separations of time scales.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Non-local transport measurements in hybrid quantum Hall - superconducting devices

There has been a growing interest in hybrid quantum Hall (QH) superconductor devices, driven by the prospect to realize exotic ground states and excitations with non-abelian exchange statistics. While the existing experiments clearly demonstrate Andreev coupling between the edge states and the superconductors, the question remains whether the quantum coherence could propagate between several superconducting contacts via chiral channels. To answer this question, we have first extended the Landauer-Büttiker (LB) formalism to samples with one superconducting contact and found a remarkable agreement within a series of measurements related to each other via LB-type formulae. We have then switched to the case of multiple superconducting contacts, and found that we can describe the measurements self-consistently if we neglect the superconducting phase coherence between multiple contacts. We interpret this result as a negative answer to the question posed above: the phase correlations between multiple superconducting contacts are not established via micron-long quantum Hall edge states. Looking forward, our approach may find applications in the broader field of topological superconductivity and proximal structures. Possible violations of the self-consistency tests presented here may be used as an indication that superconducting phase coherence is induced in the quantum Hall edges.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Interference of chiral Andreev edge states

The search for topological excitations such as Majorana fermions has spurred interest in the boundaries between distinct quantum states. Here, we explore an interface between two prototypical phases of electrons with conceptually different ground states: the integer quantum Hall insulator and the s-wave superconductor. We find clear signatures of hybridized electron and hole states similar to chiral Majorana fermions, to which we refer as chiral Andreev edge states (CAES). They propagate along the interface in the direction determined by magnetic field and their interference can turn an incoming electron into an outgoing electron or a hole, depending on the phase accumulated by the CAES along their path. Our results demonstrate that these excitations can propagate and interfere over a significant length, opening future possibilities for their coherent manipulation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Non-Reciprocal Supercurrents in a Field-Free Graphene Josephson Triode

Superconducting diodes are proposed non-reciprocal circuit elements that should exhibit non-dissipative transport in one direction while being resistive in the opposite direction. Multiple examples of such devices have emerged in the past couple of years, however their efficiency is typically limited, and most of them require magnetic field to function. Here we present a device achieving efficiencies upwards of 90% while operating at zero field. Our samples consist of a network of three graphene Josephson junctions linked by a common superconducting island, to which we refer as a Josephson triode. The triode is tuned by applying a control current to one of the contacts, thereby breaking the time-reversal symmetry of the current flow. The triode's utility is demonstrated by rectifying a small (tens of nA amplitude) applied square wave. We speculate that devices of this type could be realistically employed in the modern quantum circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Phase dynamics in an AC driven multiterminal Josephson junction analogue

In the presence of an AC drive, multiterminal Josephson junctions exhibit the inverse AC Josephson effect, where the oscillations of the superconducting phase of each junction can lock onto one another or onto the external drive. The competition between these different phase locked states results in a complex array of quantized voltage plateaus whose stability strongly depend on the circuit parameters of the shunted junctions. This phase diagram cannot be explored with low temperature transport experiments alone, given the breadth of the parameter space, so we present an easily tunable analog circuit whose dynamical properties emulate those of a three terminal junction. We focus on the observation of the multiterminal inverse AC Josephson effect, and we discuss how to identify Shapiro steps associated with each of the three junctions as well as their quartet states. We only observe integer phase locked states in strongly overdamped networks, but fractional Shapiro steps appear as well when the quality factor of the junctions increases. Finally, we discuss the role of transverse coupling in the synchronization of the junctions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Phase locking and noise driven dynamics in a Josephson junction electronic analog

We present an electronic circuit whose dynamical properties emulate those of a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junction (RCSJ). We show how it reproduces the switching properties of a shunted junction and its dependence on the quality factor. A thermal noise source is then used to characterize the temperature dependence of the phase dynamics. In the presence of an AC drive, phase locking is observed at integer and rational multiples of the drive frequency, and it competes with chaotic behavior when the quality factor of the junction exceeds unity. We characterize the stability of phase-locked and chaotic states in the presence of thermal noise.

cond-mat.supr-con↗