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Hadas Shtrikman

Publications and source records attributed to Hadas Shtrikman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Discovery of New Zintl Films and Nanowires Grown by Topotaxy Conversion of III-V Semiconductors

Zintl phases draw broad interest for their diverse structural, magnetic, thermoelectric, topological and optical properties. Recently, Zintl Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ and Eu$_5$In$_2$As$_6$ nanowires with axion magneto-topology have been synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy via topotactic conversion of InAs wurtzite and zincblende nanowires. Here we extend this methodology, demonstrating that topotaxial mutual-exchange growth applies not only to a broader set of III-V semiconductors beyond InAs but also to three-dimensional substrates whose surfaces are converted into Zintl thin films, as well as to nanowires. We report the growth of two new compounds: Eu$_5$Ga$_2$As$_6$ thin films converted from GaAs substrates, and Eu$_5$Al$_2$As$_6$ thin films from AlAs films. We also convert GaAs nanowires of both wurtzite and zincblende structures into Eu$_5$Ga$_2$As$_6$ nanowires. Though the stoichiometry is the same as in the previously reported Eu$_5$In$_2$As$_6$ case, microscopy and diffraction reveal a single-phase Pnma symmetry group rather than Pbam, highlighting symmetry-guided topotactic pathways to new Zintl frameworks. The compounds host an intricate magnetic phase diagram with three magnetic transitions, including two distinct antiferromagnetic orders and a canted antiferromagnetic phase that evolves into another antiferromagnetic phase under applied field through a spin-flop transition. Ab initio calculations predict that both Zintls are semiconductors with gaps of 0.79 eV in Eu$_5$Ga$_2$As$_6$ and 0.90 eV in Eu$_5$Al$_2$As$_6$. The lower symmetry and increased structural complexity suggest suppressed lattice thermal conductivity, pointing to thermoelectric potential alongside prospects in spintronics and detector technologies. These results give an epitaxy-compatible route for discovering and integrating magnetic Zintl thin films and nanowires directly from relevant III-V semiconductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Topotactic Growth of Zintl Phase Eu$_5$In$_2$As$_6$ Nanowires with Antiferromagnetic Behavior

We demonstrate a topotactic transformation of zincblende InAs(Sb) nanowires into the Zintl phase Eu$_5$In$_2$As$_6$ through a vapor-solid mutual exchange process involving Eu and In in molecular beam epitaxy. This conversion preserves the polyhedral coordination lattice of the parent InAs(Sb) structure while inducing orthorhombic symmetry in the product phase, Eu$_5$In$_2$As$_6$, in which quasi-one-dimensional [InAs$_3$]$^6$$^-$ chains with tetrahedral sites align along the <110> direction of the zincblende structure. Local and global magnetic characterization identified two distinct antiferromagnetic phase transitions at approximately 7 K and 16 K in Eu$_5$In$_2$As$_6$ nanowires, potentially classified as altermagnetic phases. The versatility of the topotactic conversion of III-V semiconductor nanowires provides a platform for designing functional Zintl materials with tunable magnetic properties, making them promising candidates for spintronic applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Spectroscopic Visualization of Hard Quasi-1D Superconductivity Induced in Nanowires Deposited on a Quasi-2D Indium film

Following significant progress in the visualization and characterization of hybrid superconducting-semiconducting systems, greatly propelled by reports of Majorana zero modes in nanowire devices, considerable attention has been devoted to investigating the electronic structure at the buried superconducting-semiconducting interface and the nature of the induced superconducting correlations. The properties of that interface and the structure of the electronic wave functions that occupy it determine the functionality and the topological nature of the induced superconducting state. Here, we introduce a novel hybrid platform for proximity-inducing superconductivity in InAs$_{0.6}$Sb$_{0.4}$ nanowires, leveraging a unique architecture and material combination. By dispersing these nanowires over a superconducting Indium film we exploit Indium's high critical temperature of 3.7~K and the anticipated high spin-orbit and Zeeman couplings of InAs$_{0.6}$Sb$_{0.4}$. This design preserves the pristine top facet of the nanowires, making it highly compatible with scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Using this architecture we demonstrate that the mechanical contact supports Cooper-pair transparency as high as 90\%, comparable with epitaxial interfaces. The anisotropic angular response to an applied magnetic field shows the quasi-two-dimensional nature of the parent superconductivity in the Indium film and the quasi-one-dimensional nature of the induced superconductivity in the nanowires. Our platform offers robust and advantageous foundations for studying the emergence of topological superconductivity and the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism using atomic-scale spectroscopic tools.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Topotaxial Mutual-Exchange Growth of Magnetic Zintl Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ Nanowires with Axion Insulator Classification

Nanomaterials bring to expression unique electronic properties that promote advanced functionality and technologies. Albeit, nanoscale growth presents paramount challenges for synthesis limiting the diversity in structures and compositions. Here, we demonstrate solid-state topotactic exchange that converts Wurtzite InAs nanowires into Zintl phase Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ nanowires. In situ evaporation of Eu and As over InAs nanowire cores in molecular beam epitaxy results in mutual exchange of Eu from the shell and In from the core. A continuous Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ shell thereby grows that gradually consumes the InAs core and converts it into a single phase Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ nanowire. Topotaxy, which facilitates the mutual exchange, is supported by the substructure of the As matrix which is similar across the Wurtzite InAs and Zintl Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$. We provide initial evidence of an antiferromagnetic transition at T$_N$ $\sim$ 6.5 K in the Zintl phase Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ nanowires. Ab initio calculation confirms the antiferromagnetic state and classifies Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ as a $C_2 T$ axion insulator hosting both chiral hinge modes and unpinned Dirac surface states. The topotactic mutual-exchange growth of Zintl Eu$_3$In$_2$As$_4$ nanowires thus enables the exploration of intricate magneto-topological states of nanomaterials. Moreover, it may open the path for topotactic mutual-exchange synthesis of nanowires made of other exotic compounds.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anomalous thermopower oscillations in graphene-InAs nanowire vertical heterostructures

Thermoelectric measurements have the potential to uncover the density of states of low-dimensional materials. Here, we present the anomalous thermoelectric behaviour of mono-layer graphene-nanowire (NW) heterostructures, showing large oscillations as a function of doping concentration. Our devices consist of InAs NW and graphene vertical heterostructures, which are electrically isolated by thin ($\sim$ 10nm) hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) layers. In contrast to conventional thermoelectric measurements, where a heater is placed on one side of a sample, we use the InAs NW (diameter $\sim 50$ nm) as a local heater placed in the middle of the graphene channel. We measure the thermoelectric voltage induced in graphene due to Joule heating in the NW as a function of temperature (1.5K - 50K) and carrier concentration. The thermoelectric voltage in bilayer graphene (BLG)- NW heterostructures shows sign change around the Dirac point, as predicted by Mott's formula. In contrast, the thermoelectric voltage measured across monolayer graphene (MLG)-NW heterostructures shows anomalous large-amplitude oscillations around the Dirac point, not seen in the Mott response derived from the electrical conductivity measured on the same device. The anomalous oscillations are a signature of the modified density of states in MLG by the electrostatic potential of the NW, which is much weaker in the NW-BLG devices. Thermal calculations of the heterostructure stack show that the temperature gradient is dominant in the graphene region underneath the NW, and thus sensitive to the modified density of states resulting in anomalous oscillations in the thermoelectric voltage. Furthermore, with the application of a magnetic field, we detect modifications in the density of states due to the formation of Landau levels in both MLG and BLG.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Au-Assisted Substrate-Faceting for Inclined Nanowire Growth

We study the role of gold droplets in the initial stage of nanowire growth via the vapor liquid solid method. Apart from serving as a collections center for growth species, the gold droplets carry an additional crucial role that necessarily precedes the nanowire emergence, that is, they assist the nucleation of nanocraters with strongly faceted 111B side walls. Only once these facets become sufficiently large and regular, the gold droplets start nucleating and guiding the growth of nanowires. We show that this dual role of the gold droplets can be detected and monitored by high energy electron diffraction during growth. Moreover, gold induced formation of craters and the onset of nanowires growth on the 111B facets inside the craters are confirmed by the results of Monte Carlo simulations. The detailed insight into the growth mechanism of inclined nanowires will help to engineer new and complex nanowire based device architectures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anomalous Coulomb Drag between InAs Nanowire and Graphene Heterostructures

Correlated charge inhomogeneity breaks the electron-hole symmetry in two-dimensional (2D) bilayer heterostructures which is responsible for non-zero drag appearing at the charge neutrality point. Here we report Coulomb drag in novel drag systems consisting of a two-dimensional graphene and a one dimensional (1D) InAs nanowire (NW) heterostructure exhibiting distinct results from 2D-2D heterostructures. For monolayer graphene (MLG)-NW heterostructures, we observe an unconventional drag resistance peak near the Dirac point due to the correlated inter-layer charge puddles. The drag signal decreases monotonically with temperature ($\sim T^{-2}$) and with the carrier density of NW ($\sim n_{N}^{-4}$), but increases rapidly with magnetic field ($\sim B^{2}$). These anomalous responses, together with the mismatched thermal conductivities of graphene and NWs, establish the energy drag as the responsible mechanism of Coulomb drag in MLG-NW devices. In contrast, for bilayer graphene (BLG)-NW devices the drag resistance reverses sign across the Dirac point and the magnitude of the drag signal decreases with the carrier density of the NW ($\sim n_{N}^{-1.5}$), consistent with the momentum drag but remains almost constant with magnetic field and temperature. This deviation from the expected $T^2$ arises due to the shift of the drag maximum on graphene carrier density. We also show that the Onsager reciprocity relation is observed for the BLG-NW devices but not for the MLG-NW devices. These Coulomb drag measurements in dimensionally mismatched (2D-1D) systems, hitherto not reported, will pave the future realization of correlated condensate states in novel systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Spectroscopic Visualization of a Robust Electronic Response of Semiconducting Nanowires to Deposition of Superconducting Islands

Following significant progress in the visualization and characterization of Majorana end modes in hybrid systems of semiconducting nanowires and superconducting islands, much attention is devoted to the investigation of the electronic structure at the buried interface between the semiconductor and the superconductor. The properties of that interface and the structure of the electronic wavefunctions that occupy it determine the functionality and the topological nature of the superconducting state induced therein. Here we study this buried interface by performing spectroscopic mappings of superconducting aluminum islands epitaxially grown in-situ on indium arsenide nanowires. We find unexpected robustness of the hybrid system as the direct contact with the aluminum islands does not lead to any change in the chemical potential of the nanowires, nor does it induce a significant band bending in their vicinity. We attribute this to the presence of surface states bound to the facets of the nanowire. Such surface states, that are present also in bare nanowires prior to aluminum deposition, pin the Fermi-level thus rendering the nanowires resilient to surface perturbations. The aluminum islands further display Coulomb blockade gaps and peaks that signify the formation of a resistive tunneling barrier at the InAs-Al interface. At low energies we identify a potential energy barrier that further suppresses the transmittance through the interface. A corresponding barrier exists in bare semiconductors between surface states and the accumulation layer, induced to maintain charge neutrality. Our observations elucidate the delicate interplay between the resistive nature of the InAs-Al interface and the ability to proximitize superconductivity and tune the chemical potential in semiconductor-superconductor hybrid nanowires.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Concomitant opening of a topological bulk-gap with an emerging Majorana edge-state

Majorana 'zero-modes' are expected to be immune to decoherence. The primary method for their characterization in a 1D topological superconductor, is measuring the tunneling current into the edge of the superconductor. Presently, the hallmark of a localized Majorana edge-state is an emergent quantized zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP). However, such a conductance peak can also result from other mechanisms; e.g., crossing (and sticking) of two branches of a standard Andreev bound state, or a soft potential at the edge of the superconductor. Since the emergence of a 'Majorana-ZBCP' must be accompanied by an opening of a topological gap in the bulk, we performed two simultaneous tunneling measurements: one in the bulk and another at the edge of the 1D superconductor. Measurements were performed with an InAs nanowire in-situ coated with epitaxial aluminum. For particular gate-tuning of the chemical potential in the wire and a Zeeman field parallel to the wire, we observed a closing of the superconducting bulk-gap followed by its reopening concomitant with the appearance of a ZBCP at the edge. We note that a ZBCP could also be observed with different tuning parameters without an observed reopening of the bulk-gap. This demonstrates the importance of simultaneous probing of the bulk and edge when searching for a Majorana edge-state.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Non-local Supercurrent of Quartets in a Three-Terminal Josephson Junction

We report an observation of a new, non dissipative and non local supercurrent, carried by quartets; each consisting of four entangled electrons. The supercurrent is a result of a novel Andreev bound state (ABS), formed among three superconducting terminals. While in a two-terminal Josephson junction the usual ABS, and thus the DC Josephson current, exist only in equilibrium, in the present realization the ABS exists also in the strongly nonlinear regime (biased terminals). The presence of supercurrent carried by quartets was established by performing non-local conductance and cross-correlation of current fluctuations measurements, in different devices made of aluminum-InAs nanowire junctions. An extensive and detailed theoretical study is intertwined with the experimental results.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Hot Electrons Regain Coherence in Semiconducting Nanowires

The higher the energy of a particle is above equilibrium the faster it relaxes due to the growing phase-space of available electronic states it can interact with. In the relaxation process phase coherence is lost, thus limiting high energy quantum control and manipulation. In one-dimensional systems high relaxation rates are expected to destabilize electronic quasiparticles. We show here that the decoherence induced by relaxation of hot electrons in one-dimensional semiconducting nanowires evolves non-monotonically with energy such that above a certain threshold hot-electrons regain stability with increasing energy. We directly observe this phenomenon by visualizing for the first time the interference patterns of the quasi-one-dimensional electrons using scanning tunneling microscopy. We visualize both the phase coherence length of the one-dimensional electrons, as well as their phase coherence time, captured by crystallographic Fabry-Perot resonators. A remarkable agreement with a theoretical model reveals that the non-monotonic behavior is driven by the unique manner in which one dimensional hot-electrons interact with the cold electrons occupying the Fermi-sea. This newly discovered relaxation profile suggests a high-energy regime for operating quantum applications that necessitate extended coherence or long thermalization times, and may stabilize electronic quasiparticles in one dimension.

cond-mat.mes-hall

MBE growth of self-assisted InAs nanowires on graphene

Self-assisted growth of InAs nanowires on graphene by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. Nanowires with diameter of ~50 nm and aspect ratio of up to 100 were achieved. The morphological and structural properties of the nanowires were carefully studied by changing the substrate from bilayer graphene through buffer layer to quasi-free-standing monolayer graphene. The positional relation of the InAs NWs with the graphene substrate was determined. A 30° orientation configuration of some of the InAs NWs is shown to be related to the surface corrugation of the graphene substrate. InAs NW-based devices for transport measurements were fabricated, and the conductance measurements showed a semi-ballistic behavior. In Josephson junction measurements in the non-linear regime, Multiple Andreev Reflections were observed, and an inelastic scattering length of about 900 nm was derived.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Cotunneling drag effect in Coulomb-coupled quantum dots

In Coulomb drag, a current flowing in one conductor can induce a voltage across an adjacent conductor via the Coulomb interaction. The mechanisms yielding drag effects are not always understood, even though drag effects are sufficiently general to be seen in many low-dimensional systems. In this Letter, we observe Coulomb drag in a Coulomb-coupled double quantum dot (CC-DQD) and, through both experimental and theoretical arguments, identify cotunneling as essential to obtaining a correct qualitative understanding of the drag behavior.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Charge of a quasiparticle in a superconductor

Non-linear charge transport in SIS Josephson junctions has a unique signature in the shuttled charge quantum between the two superconductors. In the zero-bias limit Cooper pairs, each with twice the electron charge, carry the Josephson current. An applied bias $V_{SD}$ leads to multiple Andreev reflections (MAR), which in the limit of weak tunneling probability should lead to integer multiples of the electron charge $ne$ traversing the junction, with $n$ integer larger than $2Δ/eV_{SD}$ and $Δ$ the superconducting order parameter. Exceptionally, just above the gap, $eV_{SD}>2Δ$, with Andreev reflections suppressed, one would expect the current to be carried by partitioned quasiparticles; each with energy dependent charge, being a superposition of an electron and a hole. Employing shot noise measurements in an SIS junction induced in an InAs nanowire (with noise proportional to the partitioned charge), we first observed quantization of the partitioned charge $q=e^*/e=n$, with $n=1-4$; thus reaffirming the validity of our charge interpretation. Concentrating next on the bias region $eV_{SD}{\approx}2Δ$, we found a reproducible and clear dip in the extracted charge to $q{\approx}0.6$, which, after excluding other possibilities, we attribute to the partitioned quasiparticle charge. Such dip is supported by numerical simulations of our SIS structure.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Suppression of Coulomb blockade peaks by electronic correlations in InAs nanowires

We performed electronic transport measurements on 1D InAs quantum wires. In sufficiently disordered wires, transport is dominated by Coulomb blockade, and the conductance can be well described by tunneling through a quantum dot embedded between two one-dimensional Luttinger liquid wires. In contrast to previous experiments in other material systems, in our system the conductance difference between peak to valley decreases with decreasing temperature for several consecutive peaks. This phenomenon is theoretically expected to occur only for strongly interacting systems with small Luttinger interaction parameter g < 1/2; we find for our InAs wires a value of g~0.4. Possible mechanisms leading to these strong correlations are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el

Unintentional high density p-type modulation doping of a GaAs/AlAs core-multi-shell nanowire

Achieving significant doping in GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowires (NWs) is of considerable technological importance but remains a challenge due to the amphoteric behavior of the dopant atoms. Here we show that placing a narrow GaAs quantum well in the AlAs shell effectively getters residual carbon acceptors leading to an \emph{unintentional} p-type doping. Magneto-optical studies of such a GaAs/AlAs core multi-shell NW reveal quantum confined emission. Theoretical calculations of NW electronic structure confirm quantum confinement of carriers at the core/shell interface due to the presence of ionized carbon acceptors in the 1~nm GaAs layer in the shell. Micro-photoluminescence in high magnetic field shows a clear signature of avoided crossings of the $n=0$ Landau level emission line with the $n=2$ Landau level TO phonon replica. The coupling is caused by the resonant hole-phonon interaction, which points to a large 2D hole density in the structure.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Observation of the SU(4) Kondo state in a double quantum dot

Central to condensed matter physics are quantum impurity models, which describe how a local degree of freedom interacts with a continuum. Surprisingly, these models are often universal in that they can quantitatively describe many outwardly unrelated physical systems. Here we develop a double quantum dot-based experimental realization of the SU(4) Kondo model, which describes the maximally symmetric screening of a local four-fold degeneracy. As demonstrated through transport measurements and detailed numerical renormalization group calculations, our device affords exquisite control over orbital and spin physics. Because the two quantum dots are coupled only capacitively, we can achieve orbital state- or "pseudospin"-resolved bias spectroscopy, providing intimate access to the interplay of spin and orbital Kondo effects. This cannot be achieved in the few other systems realizing the SU(4) Kondo state.

cond-mat.mes-hall

High magnetic field reveals the nature of excitons in a single GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowire

Magneto-photoluminescence measurements of individual zinc-blende GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowires are reported. At low temperature a strong emission line at 1.507 eV is observed under low power (nW) excitation. Measurements performed in high magnetic field allowed us to detect in this emission several lines associated with excitons bound to defect pairs. Such lines were observed before in epitaxial GaAs of very high quality, as reported by Kunzel and Ploog. This demonstrates that the optical quality of our GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowires is comparable to the best GaAs layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Moreover, strong free exciton emission is observed even at room temperature. The bright optical emission of our nanowires in room temperature should open the way for numerous optoelectronic device applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall