arXiv subjects

J. C. Portal

Publications and source records attributed to J. C. Portal.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

Proximity effects and Andreev reflection in mesoscopic SNS junction with perfect NS interfaces

Low temperature transport measurements on superconducting film - normal metal wire - superconducting film (SNS) junctions fabricated on the basis of 6 nm thick superconducting polycrystalline PtSi films are reported. The structures with the normal metal wires of two different lengths L=1.5 $μ$m and L=6$μ$m and the same widths W=0.3$μ$m are studied. Zero bias resistance dip related to pair current proximity effect is observed for all junctions whereas the subharmonic energy gap structure originating from phase coherent multiple Andreev reflections have occurs only in the SNS junctions with short wires.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1998

Searches for Skyrmions in the Limit of Zero g-Factor

Energy gaps have been measured for the ferromagnetic quantum Hall effect states at v=1 and 3 in GaAs/GaAlAs heterojunctions as a function of Zeeman energy, which is reduced to zero by applying hydrostatic pressures of up to 20kbar. At large Zeeman energy the gaps are consistent with spin wave excitations. For a low density sample the gap at v=1 decreases with increasing pressure and reaches a minimum when the g-factor vanishes. At small Zeeman energy the excitation appears to consist of a large number of reversed spins and may be interpreted as a Skyrmion. The data also suggest Skyrmionic excitations take place at v=3. The width of the minimum at v=1 is found to decrease as the g-factor is reduced in a similar way for all samples.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1998

2D Lattice of coupled Sinai billiards: metal or insulator at g<<1

We investigate the transport in a two-dimensional (2D) lattice of coupled Sinai billiards fabricated on the basis of a high-mobility 2D electron gas in GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction. For the states with low reduced conductivity g<<1 an anomalously weak temperature dependence of g was found. The large negative magnetoresistance described by the Lorentz line-shape of the width corresponding to the half magnetic flux quantum through the area of the billiard is observed. In going from g>1 to g<<1 it strongly increases. The Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and commensurability magnetoresistance peak are preserved at g<<1. The data suggest that the system studied behaves more like a metal than an insulator at g<<1 and is not described by the generally accepted picture of Anderson localization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1997

Interaction effects at the magnetic-field induced metal-insulator transition in Si/SiGe superlattices

A metal-insulator transition was induced by in-plane magnetic fields up to 27 T in homogeneously Sb-doped Si/SiGe superlattice structures. The localisation is not observed for perpendicular magnetic fields. A comparison with magnetoconductivity investigations in the weakly localised regime shows that the delocalising effect originates from the interaction-induced spin-triplet term in the particle-hole diffusion channel. It is expected that this term, possibly together with the singlet particle-particle contribution, is of general importance in disordered n-type Si bulk and heterostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1997

Edge Channel Dominated Magnetotransport in PbTe Wide Parabolic Quantum Wells

In PbTe wide parabolic quantum wells (WPQW) a plateau-like structure is observed in the Hall resistance, which corresponds to the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in the same manner as known from the quantum Hall effect. At the same time a non-local signal is observed which corresponds to the structure in Rxx and Rxy. We find a striking correspondence between a standard quantum Hall system and this quasi 3D WPQW system.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Phasecoherent Transport in PbTe Wide Parabolic Quantum Wells

Conductance fluctuations have been observed in macroscopic, quasi 3D PbTe wide quantum wells. A significant increase of the correlation field occurs in a temperature range from 40 mK to 1.2K. At the same time the fluctuation amplitude stays near e^2/h although the lateral sample size is two orders of magnitude larger than any typical length scale of diffusive electron transport. We interpret this behavior in terms of phasecoherent electrontransport, which takes advantage of a dramatic enhancement of the phasecoherence length of electrons in edgechannels and edge channel loops in the bulk region.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Quenching of the Quantum Hall Effect in PbTe Wide Parabolic Quantum Wells

We show that for the case of a many valley host semiconductor an edge channel (EC) related non-local behaviour can persist also in the 3D-regime where the quantum Hall effect (QHE) is already quenched. We demonstrate that the QHE is replaced by conductance fluctuations due to EC backscattering in the contact arms, which leads to a fluctuating current redistribution between a dissipative bulk electron system and a less-dissipative EC-system. Both electron systems are located in different valleys of the band structure. The linear increase of Rxx with the magnetic field is explained by EC-backscattering in the Hall bar

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Non Local Transport in PbTe Wide Parabolic Quantum Wells

The results of non-local experiments in different contact configurations are discussed in terms of a non-local behaviour of the contact arms. It is shown that the observed reproducible fluctuations can be understood to result from fluctuations of a non-local bulk current in the contact arms. The fluctuations are explained by edge channel backscattering because of potential fluctuations in the bulk region.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Anomalous magnetotransport in wide quantum wells

We present magneto transport experiments of quasi 3D PbTe wide quantum wells. A plateau-like structure in the Hall resistance is observed, which corresponds to the Shubnikov de Haas oscillations in the same manner as known from the quantum Hall effect. The onsets of plateaux in Rxy do not correspond to 2D filling factors but coincide with the occupation of 3D (bulk-) Landau levels. At the same time a non-local signal is observed which corresponds to the structure in Rxx and Rxy and fulfils exactly the Onsager-Casimir relation (Rij,kl(B) = Rkl,ij(-B)). We explain the behaviour in terms of edge channel transport which is controlled by a permanent backscattering across a system of "percolative EC - loops" in the bulk region. Long range potential fluctuations with an amplitude of the order of the subband splitting are explained to play an essential role in this electron system.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Magnetotransport in wide parabolic PbTe quantum wells

The 3D- and 2D- behaviour of wide parabolic PbTe single quantum wells, which consist of PbTe p-n-p-structures, are studied theoretically and experimentally. A simple model combines the 2D- subband levels and the 3D-Landau levels in order to calculate the density of states in a magnetic field perpendicular to the 2D plane. It is shown that at a channel width of about 300nm on can expect to observe 3D- and 2D-behaviour at the same time. Magnetotransport experiments in selectively contacted Hall bar samples are performed at temperatures down to T = 50 mK and at magnetic fields up to B = 17 T.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Conductance Fluctuations in PbTe Wide Parabolic Quantum Wells

We report on conductance fluctuations which are observed in local and non-local magnetotransport experiments. Although the Hall bar samples are of macroscopic size, the amplitude of the fluctuations from the local measurements is close to e^2/h. It is shown that the fluctuations have to be attributed to edge channel effects.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv1997

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect Measurements at Zero g-Factor

Fractional quantum Hall effect energy gaps have been measured in GaAs/GaAlAs heterojunctions as a function of Zeeman energy, which is varied by applying hydrostatic pressure up to 20 kbar. The gap at v=1/3 decreases with pressure until the g-factor changes sign when it again increases. The behavior is similar to that seen at v=1 and shows that excitations from the 1/3 ground state can be spin-like in character. At small Zeeman energy, the excitation appears to consist of 3 spins and may be interpreted as a small composite skyrmion.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗