arXiv subjects

Hartmut Buhmann

Publications and source records attributed to Hartmut Buhmann.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Interacting topological edge channels

Electrical currents in a quantum spin Hall insulator are confined to the boundary of the system. The charge carriers can be described as massless relativistic particles, whose spin and momentum are coupled to each other. While the helical character of those states is by now well established experimentally, it is a fundamental open question how those edge states interact with each other when brought in spatial proximity. We employ a topological quantum point contact to guide edge channels from opposite sides into a quasi-one-dimensional constriction, based on inverted HgTe quantum wells. Apart from the expected quantization in integer steps of $2 e^2/h$, we find a surprising additional plateau at $e^2/h$. We explain our observation by combining band structure calculations and repulsive electron-electron interaction effects captured within the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid model. The present results may have direct implications for the study of one-dimensional helical electron quantum optics, Majorana- and potentially para-fermions.

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arXiv2018

Microwave studies of the fractional Josephson effect in HgTe-based Josephson junctions

The rise of topological phases of matter is strongly connected to their potential to host Majorana bound states, a powerful ingredient in the search for a robust, topologically protected, quantum information processing. In order to produce such states, a method of choice is to induce superconductivity in topological insulators. The engineering of the interplay between superconductivity and the electronic properties of a topological insulator is a challenging task and it is consequently very important to understand the physics of simple superconducting devices such as Josephson junctions, in which new topological properties are expected to emerge. In this article, we review recent experiments investigating topological superconductivity in topological insulators, using microwave excitation and detection techniques. More precisely, we have fabricated and studied topological Josephson junctions made of HgTe weak links in contact with two Al or Nb contacts. In such devices, we have observed two signatures of the fractional Josephson effect, which is expected to emerge from topologically-protected gapless Andreev bound states. We first recall the theoretical background on topological Josephson junctions, then move to the experimental observations. Then, we assess the topological origin of the observed features and conclude with an outlook towards more advanced microwave spectroscopy experiments, currently under development.

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arXiv2017

Transport spectroscopy of induced superconductivity in the three-dimensional topological insulator HgTe

The proximity-induced superconducting state in the 3-dimensional topological insulator HgTe has been studied using electronic transport of a normal metal-superconducting point contact as a spectroscopic tool (Andreev point contact spectroscopy). By analyzing the conductance as a function of voltage for various temperatures, magnetic fields and gate-voltages, we find evidence, in equilibrium, for an induced order parameter in HgTe of $70\,μ$eV and a niobium order parameter of $1.1\,$meV. To understand the full conductance curve as a function of applied voltage we suggest a non-equilibrium driven transformation of the quantum transport process where the relevant scattering region and equilibrium reservoirs change with voltage. This implies that the spectroscopy probes the superconducting correlations at different positions in the sample, depending on the bias voltage.

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arXiv2016

Josephson radiation from gapless Andreev bound states in HgTe-based topological junctions

Frequency analysis of the rf emission of oscillating Josephson supercurrent is a powerful passive way of probing properties of topological Josephson junctions. In particular, measurements of the Josephson emission enables to detect the expected presence of topological gapless Andreev bound states that give rise to emission at half the Josephson frequency $f_J$, rather than conventional emission at $f_J$. Here we report direct measurement of rf emission spectra on Josephson junctions made of HgTe-based gate-tunable topological weak links. The emission spectra exhibit a clear signal at half the Josephson frequency $f_{\rm J}/2$. The linewidths of emission lines indicate a coherence time of $0.3-\SI{4}{ns}$ for the $f_{\rm J}/2$ line, much shorter than for the $f_{\rm J}$ line ($3-\SI{4}{ns}$). These observations strongly point towards the presence of topological gapless Andreev bound states, and pave the way for a future HgTe-based platform for topological quantum computation.

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arXiv2016

Strain Engineering of the Band Gap of HgTe Quantum Wells using Superlattice Virtual Substrates

The HgTe quantum well (QW) is a well-characterized two-dimensional topological insulator (2D-TI). Its band gap is relatively small (typically on the order of 10 meV), which restricts the observation of purely topological conductance to low temperatures. Here, we utilize the strain-dependence of the band structure of HgTe QWs to address this limitation. We use $\text{CdTe}-\text{Cd}_{0.5}\text{Zn}_{0.5}\text{Te}$ strained-layer superlattices on GaAs as virtual substrates with adjustable lattice constant to control the strain of the QW. We present magneto-transport measurements, which demonstrate a transition from a semi- metallic to a 2D-TI regime in wide QWs, when the strain is changed from tensile to compressive. Most notably, we demonstrate a much enhanced energy gap of 55 meV in heavily compressively strained QWs. This value exceeds the highest possible gap on common II-VI substrates by a factor of 2-3, and extends the regime where the topological conductance prevails to much higher temperatures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Thermoelectrics with Coulomb coupled quantum dots

In this article we review the thermoelectric properties of three terminal devices with Coulomb coupled quantum dots (QDs) as observed in recent experiments [1,2]. The system we consider consists of two Coulomb-blockade QDs one of which can exchange electrons with only a single reservoir (heat reservoir) while the other dot is tunnel coupled to two reservoirs at a lower temperature (conductor). The heat reservoir and the conductor interact only via the Coulomb-coupling of the quantum dots. It has been found that two regimes have to be considered. In the first one heat flow between the two systems is small. In this regime thermally driven occupation fluctuations of the hot QD modify the transport properties of the conductor system. This leads to an effect called thermal gating. Experiment have shown how this can be used to control charge flow in the conductor by means of temperature in a remote reservoir. We further substantiate the observations with model calculations and implications for the realization of an all-thermal transistor are discussed. In the second regime, heat flow between the two systems is relevant. Here the system works as a nano scale heat engine, as proposed recently [3]. We review the conceptual idea, its experimental realization and the novel features arising in this new kind of thermoelectric device such as decoupling of heat and charge flow.

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arXiv2016

Three-Terminal Energy Harvester with Coupled Quantum Dots

Rectification of thermal fluctuations in mesoscopic conductors is the key idea of today's attempts to build nanoscale thermoelectric energy harvesters in order to convert heat into a useful electric power. So far, most concepts make use of the Seebeck effect in a two-terminal geometry where heat and charge are both carried by the same particles. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the working principle of a new kind of energy harvester, proposed recently using two capacitively coupled quantum dots. We show that due to its novel three-terminal design which spatially separates the heat reservoir from the conductor circuit, the directions of charge and heat flow become decoupled in our device. This enables us to manipulate the direction of the generated charge current by means of external gate voltages while leaving the direction of heat flow unaffected. Our results pave the way for a new generation of multi-terminal, highly efficient nanoscale heat engines.

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arXiv2015

$4π$-periodic Josephson supercurrent in HgTe-based topological Josephson junctions

The Josephson effect describes the generic appearance of a supercurrent in a weak link between two superconductors. Its exact physical nature however deeply influences the properties of the supercurrent. Detailed studies of Josephson junctions can reveal microscopic properties of the superconducting pairing (spin-triplet correlations, $d$-wave symmetry) or of the electronic transport (quantum dot, ballistic channels). In recent years, considerable efforts have focused on the coupling of superconductors to topological insulators, in which transport is mediated by topologically protected Dirac surface states with helical spin polarization (while the bulk remains insulating). Here, the proximity of a superconductor is predicted to give rise to unconventional induced $p$-wave superconductivity, with a doublet of topologically protected gapless Andreev bound states, whose energies varies $4π$-periodically with the superconducting phase difference across the junction. In this article, we report the observation of an anomalous response to rf irradiation in a Josephson junction with a weak link of the 3D topological insulator HgTe. The response is understood as due to a $4π$-periodic contribution to the supercurrent, and its amplitude is compatible with the expected contribution of a gapless Andreev doublet.

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arXiv2015

Phase-sensitive SQUIDs based on the 3D topological insulator HgTe

Three-dimensional topological insulators represent a new class of materials in which transport is governed by Dirac surface states while the bulk remains insulating. Due to helical spin polarization of the surface states, the coupling of a 3D topological insulator to a nearby superconductor is expected to generate unconventional proximity induced $p$-wave superconductivity. We report here on the development and measurements of SQUIDs on the surface of strained HgTe, a 3D topological insulator, as a potential tool to investigate this effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Controlled Finite Momentum Pairing and Spatially Varying Order Parameter in Proximitized HgTe Quantum Wells

Conventional $s$-wave superconductivity is understood to arise from singlet pairing of electrons with opposite Fermi momenta, forming Cooper pairs whose net momentum is zero [1]. Several recent studies have focused on structures where such conventional $s$-wave superconductors are coupled to systems with an unusual configuration of electronic spin and momentum at the Fermi surface. Under these conditions, the nature of the paired state can be modified and the system may even undergo a topological phase transition [2, 3]. Here we present measurements and theoretical calculations of several HgTe quantum wells coupled to either aluminum or niobium superconductors and subject to a magnetic field in the plane of the quantum well. By studying the oscillatory response of Josephson interference to the magnitude of the in-plane magnetic field, we find that the induced pairing within the quantum well is spatially varying. Cooper pairs acquire a tunable momentum that grows with magnetic field strength, directly reflecting the response of the spin-dependent Fermi surfaces to the in-plane magnetic field. In addition, in the regime of high electron density, nodes in the induced superconductivity evolve with the electron density in agreement with our model based on the Hamiltonian of Bernevig, Hughes, and Zhang [4]. This agreement allows us to quantitatively extract the value of $\tilde{g}/v_{F}$, where $\tilde{g}$ is the effective g-factor and $v_{F}$ is the Fermi velocity. However, at low density our measurements do not agree with our model in detail. Our new understanding of the interplay between spin physics and superconductivity introduces a way to spatially engineer the order parameter, as well as a general framework within which to investigate electronic spin texture at the Fermi surface of materials.

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arXiv2015

Unexpected edge conduction in HgTe quantum wells under broken time reversal symmetry

The realization of quantum spin Hall (QSH) effect in HgTe quantum wells (QWs) is considered a milestone in the discovery of topological insulators. The QSH edge states are predicted to allow current to flow at the edges of an insulating bulk, as demonstrated in various experiments. A key prediction of QSH theory that remains to be experimentally verified is the breakdown of the edge conduction under broken time reversal symmetry (TRS). Here we first establish a rigorous framework for understanding the magnetic field dependence of electrostatically gated QSH devices. We then report unexpected edge conduction under broken TRS, using a unique cryogenic microwave impedance microscopy (MIM), on a 7.5 nm HgTe QW device with an inverted band structure. At zero magnetic field and low carrier densities, clear edge conduction is observed in the local conductivity profile of this device but not in the 5.5 nm control device whose band structure is trivial. Surprisingly, the edge conduction in the 7.5 nm device persists up to 9 T with little effect from the magnetic field. This indicates physics beyond simple QSH models, possibly associated with material- specific properties, other symmetry protection and/or electron-electron interactions.

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arXiv2015

Temperature-driven transition from a semiconductor to a topological insulator

We report on a temperature-induced transition from a conventional semiconductor to a two-dimensional topological insulator investigated by means of magnetotransport experiments on HgTe/CdTe quantum well structures. At low temperatures, we are in the regime of the quantum spin Hall effect and observe an ambipolar quantized Hall resistance by tuning the Fermi energy through the bulk band gap. At room temperature, we find electron and hole conduction that can be described by a classical two-carrier model. Above the onset of quantized magnetotransport at low temperature, we observe a pronounced linear magnetoresistance that develops from a classical quadratic low-field magnetoresistance if electrons and holes coexist. Temperature-dependent bulk band structure calculations predict a transition from a conventional semiconductor to a topological insulator in the regime where the linear magnetoresistance occurs.

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arXiv2015

Thermal Gating of Charge Currents with Coulomb Coupled Quantum Dots

We have observed thermal gating, i.e. electrostatic gating induced by hot electrons. The effect occurs in a device consisting of two capacitively coupled quantum dots. The double dot system is coupled to a hot electron reservoir on one side (QD1), whilst the conductance of the second dot (QD2) is monitored. When a bias across QD2 is applied we observe a current which is strongly dependent on the temperature of the heat reservoir. This current can be either enhanced or suppressed, depending on the relative energetic alignment of the QD levels. Thus, the system can be used to control a charge current by hot electrons.

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arXiv2014

Non-sinusoidal current-phase relationship in Josephson junctions from the 3D topological insulator HgTe

We use Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) microscopy to characterize the current-phase relation (CPR) of Josephson Junctions from 3-dimentional topological insulator HgTe (3D-HgTe). We find clear skewness in the CPRs of HgTe junctions ranging in length from 200 nm to 600 nm. The skewness indicates that the Josephson current is predominantly carried by Andreev bound states with high transmittance, and the fact that the skewness persists in junctions that are longer than the mean free path suggests that the effect may be related to the helical nature of the Andreev bound states in the surface of HgTe.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Dirac-screening stabilized surface-state transport in a topological insulator

We report magnetotransport studies on a gated strained HgTe device. This material is a threedimensional topological insulator and exclusively shows surface state transport. Remarkably, the Landau level dispersion and the accuracy of the Hall quantization remain unchanged over a wide density range ($3 \times 10^{11} cm^{-2} < n < 1 \times 10^{12} cm^{-2}$). This implies that even at large carrier densities the transport is surface state dominated, where bulk transport would have been expected to coexist already. Moreover, the density dependence of the Dirac-type quantum Hall effect allows to identify the contributions from the individual surfaces. A $k \cdot p$ model can describe the experiments, but only when assuming a steep band bending across the regions where the topological surface states are contained. This steep potential originates from the specific screening properties of Dirac systems and causes the gate voltage to influence the position of the Dirac points rather than that of the Fermi level.

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arXiv2013

Induced Superconductivity in the Quantum Spin Hall Edge

Topological insulators are a newly discovered phase of matter characterized by a gapped bulk surrounded by novel conducting boundary states. Since their theoretical discovery, these materials have encouraged intense efforts to study their properties and capabilities. Among the most striking results of this activity are proposals to engineer a new variety of superconductor at the surfaces of topological insulators. These topological superconductors would be capable of supporting localized Majorana fermions, particles whose braiding properties have been proposed as the basis of a fault-tolerant quantum computer. Despite the clear theoretical motivation, a conclusive realization of topological superconductivity remains an outstanding experimental goal. Here we present measurements of superconductivity induced in two-dimensional HgTe/HgCdTe quantum wells, a material which becomes a quantum spin Hall insulator when the well width exceeds d_{C}=6.3 nm. In wells that are 7.5 nm wide, we find that supercurrents are confined to the one-dimensional sample edges as the bulk density is depleted. However, when the well width is decreased to 4.5 nm the edge supercurrents cannot be distinguished from those in the bulk. These results provide evidence for superconductivity induced in the helical edges of the quantum spin Hall effect, a promising step toward the demonstration of one-dimensional topological superconductivity. Our results also provide a direct measurement of the widths of these edge channels, which range from 180 nm to 408 nm.

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arXiv2013

Josephson supercurrent through the topological surface states of strained bulk HgTe

Strained bulk HgTe is a three-dimensional topological insulator, whose surface electrons have a high mobility (30,000 cm^2/Vs), while its bulk is effectively free of mobile charge carriers. These properties enable a study of transport through its unconventional surface states without being hindered by a parallel bulk conductance. Here, we show transport experiments on HgTe-based Josephson junctions to investigate the appearance of the predicted Majorana states at the interface between a topological insulator and a superconductor. Interestingly, we observe a dissipationless supercurrent flow through the topological surface states of HgTe. The current-voltage characteristics are hysteretic at temperatures below 1 K with critical supercurrents of several microamperes. Moreover, we observe a magnetic field induced Fraunhofer pattern of the critical supercurrent, indicating a dominant 2π-periodic Josephson effect in the unconventional surface states. Our results show that strained bulk HgTe is a promising material system to get a better understanding of the Josephson effect in topological surface states, and to search for the manifestation of zero-energy Majorana states in transport experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Imaging currents in HgTe quantum wells in the quantum spin Hall regime

The quantum spin Hall (QSH) state is a genuinely new state of matter characterized by a non-trivial topology of its band structure. Its key feature is conducting edge channels whose spin polarization has potential for spintronic and quantum information applications. The QSH state was predicted and experimentally demonstrated to exist in HgTe quantum wells. The existence of the edge channels has been inferred from the fact that local and non-local conductance values in sufficiently small devices are close to the quantized values expected for ideal edge channels and from signatures of the spin polarization. The robustness of the edge channels in larger devices and the interplay between the edge channels and a conducting bulk are relatively unexplored experimentally, and are difficult to assess via transport measurements. Here we image the current in large Hallbars made from HgTe quantum wells by probing the magnetic field generated by the current using a scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). We observe that the current flows along the edge of the device in the QSH regime, and furthermore that an identifiable edge channel exists even in the presence of disorder and considerable bulk conduction as the device is gated or its temperature is raised. Our results represent a versatile method for the characterization of new quantum spin Hall materials systems, and confirm both the existence and the robustness of the predicted edge channels.

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