arXiv subjects

Thilo Bauch

Publications and source records attributed to Thilo Bauch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Facet-selective ballistic supercurrent in a weak topological insulator

Topological superconductivity is widely pursued by inducing superconducting correlations in topologically protected boundary states. In two dimensions, this strategy has been realized using one-dimensional topological edge modes, but in three-dimensional crystals, spatially separated surface supercurrents confined to selected facets have not yet been achieved. Here we demonstrate facet-selective ballistic supercurrent in Josephson junctions based on the weak topological insulator ZrTe 5 . Superconducting quantum interferometry reveals SQUID-like critical current oscillations with flux-quantum periodicity, establishing that the supercurrent is spatially concentrated on specific crystallographic facets that host gapless topological surface states. Rotating the magnetic field yields markedly distinct interference patterns, linking the supercurrent distribution to the underlying bulk topology. The exponential temperature dependence of the critical current and triangular interference lobes provide signatures of ballistic transport due to high-transmission topological channels. These results establish weak topological insulators as a platform for facet-resolved superconducting devices and higher-order topological superconductivity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Wafer-Scale Single-Crystalline Monolayer Graphene

Producing large-area single-crystalline graphene is key to realizing its full potential in advanced applications, including twistronics. Yet, controlling graphene growth kinetics to avoid grain boundaries or multilayer growth remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate single-crystalline graphene free from multilayer domains via one-step delamination of epitaxial graphene from silicon carbide (SiC). This is enabled by a specific surface reconstruction of 4H-SiC(0001) achieved in our growth conditions. High crystalline quality is confirmed by the observation of the half-integer quantum Hall effect -- the hallmark of monolayer graphene -- in near cm-sized crystals. The scalability of our process, explored with 4''-wafers, represents an advance toward large-scale integration of high-performance graphene applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

THz mixing of high-order harmonics using $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-{\delta}}$ nanobridges

Superconducting materials are a key for technologies enabling a large number of devices including THz wave mixers and single photon detectors, though limited at very low temperatures for conventional superconductors. High temperature operation could in principle be offered using cuprate superconductors. However, the complexity of the material in thin film form, the extremely short coherence length and material stability, have hindered the realization of THz devices working at liquid nitrogen temperatures. $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-{\delta}}$ (YBCO) nanodevices have demonstrated non-linear properties typical of Josephson-like behavior, which have the potential for the mixing of AC signals in the THz range due to the large superconducting energy gap. Here, we present AC Josephson functionalities for terahertz waves utilizing Abrikosov vortex motion in nanoscale-confined fully planar YBCO thin film bridges. We observe Shapiro step-like features in the current voltage characteristics when irradiating the device with monochromatic sub-THz waves (100 GHz to 215 GHz) at 77 K. We further explore these nonlinear effects by detecting THz high-order harmonic mixing for signals from 200 GHz up to 1.4 THz using a local oscillator at 100 GHz. Our results open a path to an easy-fabricated HTS nonlinear nanodevice based on dimensional confinement suitable for terahertz applications.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Boosting superconductivity in ultrathin YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ films via nanofaceted substrates

In cuprate high-temperature superconductors the doping level is fixed during synthesis, hence the charge carrier density per CuO$_2$ plane cannot be easily tuned by conventional gating, unlike in 2D materials. Strain engineering has recently emerged as a powerful tuning knob for manipulating the properties of cuprates, in particular charge and spin orders, and their delicate interplay with superconductivity. In thin films, additional tunability can be introduced by the substrate surface morphology, particularly nanofacets formed by substrate surface reconstruction. Here we show a remarkable enhancement of the superconducting onset temperature $T_{\mathrm{c}}^{\mathrm{on}}$ and the upper critical magnetic field $H_{c,2}$ in nanometer-thin YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ films grown on a substrate with a nanofaceted surface. We theoretically show that the enhancement is driven by electronic nematicity and unidirectional charge density waves, where both elements are captured by an additional effective potential at the interface between the film and the uniquely textured substrate. Our findings show a new paradigm in which substrate engineering can effectively enhance the superconducting properties of cuprates. This approach opens an exciting frontier in the design and optimization of high-performance superconducting materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Current-phase relation of a short multi-mode Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoribbon Josephson junction with ballistic transport modes

We used the asymmetric superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) technique to extract the current phase relation (CPR) of a Josephson junction with a 3D-topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 nanobelt as the barrier. The obtained CPR shows deviations from the standard sinusoidal CPR with a pronounced forward skewness. At temperatures below 200 mK, the junction skewness values are above the zero temperature limit for short diffusive junctions. Fitting of the extracted CPR shows that most of the supercurrent is carried by ballistic topological surface states (TSSs), with a small contribution of diffusive channels primarily due to the bulk. These findings are instrumental in engineering devices that can fully exploit the properties of the topologically protected surface states of 3D TIs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Superconducting microsphere magnetically levitated in an anharmonic potential with integrated magnetic readout

Magnetically levitated superconducting microparticles offer a promising path to quantum experiments with picogram to microgram objects. In this work, we levitate a 700ng $\sim 10^{17}$amu superconducting microsphere in a magnetic chip trap in which detection is integrated. We measure the particle's center-of-mass motion using a DC-SQUID magnetometer. The trap frequencies are continuously tunable between 30 and 160 Hz and the particle remains stably trapped over days in a dilution refrigerator environment. We characterize motional-amplitude-dependent frequency shifts, which arise from trap anharmonicities, namely Duffing nonlinearities and mode couplings. We explain this nonlinear behavior using finite element modelling of the chip-based trap potential. This work constitutes a first step towards quantum experiments and ultrasensitive inertial sensors with magnetically levitated superconducting microparticles.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Engineering underdoped CuO$_2$ nanoribbons in nm-thick $a$-axis YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ films

In underdoped cuprate high $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ superconductors, various local orders and symmetry breaking states, in addition to superconductivity, reside in the CuO$_2$ planes. The confinement of the CuO$_2$ planes can therefore play a fundamental role in modifying the hierarchy between the various orders and their intertwining with superconductivity. Here we present the growth of $a$-axis oriented YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ films, spanning the whole underdoped side of the phase diagram. In these samples, the CuO$_2$ planes are confined by the film thickness, effectively forming unit-cell-thick nanoribbons. The unidirectional confinement at the nanoscale enhances the in-plane anisotropy of the films. By X-ray diffraction and resistance vs temperature measurements, we have discovered the suppression of the orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition at low dopings, and a very high anisotropy of the normal state resistance in the $b$-$c$ plane, the latter being connected to a weak coupling between adjacent CuO$_2$ nanoribbons. These findings show that the samples we have grown represent a novel system, different from the bulk, where future experiments can possibly shed light on the rich and mysterious physics occurring within the CuO$_2$ planes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Highly efficient UV detection in a metal-semiconductor-metal detector with epigraphene

We show that epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide (epigraphene) grown at high temperatures (T > 1850 {\deg}C) readily acts as material for implementing solar-blind ultraviolet (UV) detectors with outstanding performance. We present centimeter-sized epigraphene metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) detectors with peak external quantum efficiency of ~ 85% for wavelengths 250-280 nm, corresponding to nearly 100% internal quantum efficiency when accounting for reflection losses. Zero bias operation is possible in asymmetric devices, with the responsivity to UV remaining as high as R = 134 mA/W, making this a self-powered detector. The low dark currents Io ~50 fA translate into an estimated record high specific detectivity D = 3.5 x 10^15 Jones. The performance that we demonstrate, together with material reproducibility, renders epigraphene technologically attractive to implement high-performance planar MSM devices with a low processing effort, including multi-pixel UV sensor arrays, suitable for a number of practical applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Mapping the phase diagram of a YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ nanowire through electromigration

We use electromigration (EM) to tune the oxygen content of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ (YBCO) nanowi\-res. During EM, the dopant oxygen atoms in the nanowire are moved under the combined effect of electrostatic force and Joule heating. The EM current can be tuned to either deplete or replenish nanowires with oxygen, allowing fine tuning of its hole doping level. Electrical transport measurements and Kelvin probe microscopy corroborate good homogeneity of the doping level along the electromigrated nanowires. Thus, EM provides an effective method to study transport properties of YBCO in a wide doping range at the nanoscale in one and the same device.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Gate-tunable hallmarks of unconventional superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric nanowires

Two dimensional SrTiO3-based interfaces stand out among non-centrosymmetric superconductors due to their intricate interplay of gate tunable Rashba spin-orbit coupling and multi-orbital electronic occupations, whose combination theoretically prefigures various forms of non-standard superconductivity. However, a convincing demonstration by phase sensitive measurements has been elusive so far. Here, by employing superconducting transport measurements in nano-devices we present clear-cut experimental evidences of unconventional superconductivity in the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface. The central observations are the substantial anomalous enhancement of the critical current by small magnetic fields applied perpendicularly to the plane of electron motion, and the asymmetric response with respect to the magnetic field direction. These features have a unique trend in intensity and sign upon electrostatic gating that, together with their dependence on temperature and nanowire dimensions, cannot be accommodated within a scenario of canonical spin-singlet superconductivity. We theoretically demonstrate that the hall-marks of the experimental observations unambiguously indicate a coexistence of Josephson channels with sign difference and intrinsic phase shift. The character of these findings establishes the occurrence of independent components of unconventional pairing in the superconducting state due to inversion symmetry breaking. The outcomes open new venues for the investigation of multi-orbital non-centrosymmetric superconductivity and Josephson-based devices for quantum technologies.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Stoichiometric Bi2Se3 Topological Insulator Ultra-Thin Films Obtained Through a New Fabrication Process for Optoelectronic Applications

A new fabrication process is developed for growing Bi2Se3 topological insulators in the form of nanowires/nanobelts and ultra-thin films. It consists of two consecutive procedures: first Bi2Se3 nanowires/nanobelts are deposited by standard catalyst free vapour-solid deposition on different substrates positioned inside a quartz tube. Then, the Bi2Se3, stuck on the inner surface of the quartz tube, is re-evaporated and deposited in the form of ultra-thin films on new substrates at temperature below 100 °C, which is of relevance for flexible electronic applications. The method is new, quick, very inexpensive, easy to control and allows obtaining films with different thickness down to one quintuple layer (QL) during the same procedure. The composition and the crystal structure of both the nanowires/nanobelts and the thin films is analysed by different optical, electronic and structural techniques. For the films, scanning tunnelling spectroscopy shows that the Fermi level is positioned in the middle of the energy bandgap as a consequence of the achieved correct stoichiometry. Ultra-thin films, with thickness in the range 1-10 QLs deposited on n-doped Si substrates, show good rectified properties suitable for their use as photodetectors in the ultra violet-visible-near infrared wavelength range

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Tailoring Superconductivity in Large-Area Single-Layer NbSe2 via Self-Assembled Molecular Adlayers

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) represent an ideal testbench for the search of materials by design, because their optoelectronic properties can be manipulated through surface engineering and molecular functionalization. However, the impact of molecules on intrinsic physical properties of TMDs, such as superconductivity, remains largely unexplored. In this work, the critical temperature (TC) of large-area NbSe2 monolayers is manipulated, employing ultrathin molecular adlayers. Spectroscopic evidence indicates that aligned molecular dipoles within the self-assembled layers act as a fixed gate terminal, collectively generating a macroscopic electrostatic field on NbSe2. This results in an \sim 55\% increase and a 70\% decrease in TC depending on the electric field polarity, which is controlled via molecular selection. The reported functionalization, which improves the air stability of NbSe2, is efficient, practical, up-scalable, and suited to functionalize large-area TMDs. Our results indicate the potential of hybrid 2D materials as a novel platform for tunable superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Topological insulator nanoribbon Josephson junctions: evidence for size effect in transport properties

We have used Bi$_2$Se$_3$ nanoribbons, grown by catalyst-free Physical Vapor Deposition to fabricate high quality Josephson junctions with Al superconducting electrodes. In our devices we observe a pronounced reduction of the Josephson critical current density $J_c$ by reducing the width of the junction, which in our case corresponds to the width of the nanoribbon. Because the topological surface states extend over the entire circumference of the nanoribbon, the superconducting transport associated to them is carried by modes on both the top and bottom surfaces of the nanoribbon. We show that the $J_c$ reduction as a function of the nanoribbons width can be accounted for by assuming that only the modes travelling on the top surface contribute to the Josephson transport as we derive by geometrical consideration. This finding is of a great relevance for topological quantum circuitry schemes, since it indicates that the Josephson current is mainly carried by the topological surface states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

The performance limits of epigraphene Hall sensors

Epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide, or epigraphene, provides an excellent platform for Hall sensing devices in terms of both high electrical quality and scalability. However, the challenge in controlling its carrier density has thus far prevented systematic studies of epigraphene Hall sensor performance. In this work we investigate epigraphene Hall sensors where epigraphene is doped across the Dirac point using molecular doping. Depending on the carrier density, molecular-doped epigraphene Hall sensors reach room temperature sensitivities $S_V=0.23 V/VT$,$S_I=1440 V/AT$ and magnetic field detection limits down to $B_{MIN}=27$ $nT/\sqrt{Hz}$ at 20 kHz. Thermally stabilized devices demonstrate operation up to $T=150$ $^oC$ with $S_V=0.12 V/VT$, $S_I=300 V/AT$ and $B_{MIN}\approx 100$ $nT/\sqrt{Hz}$ at 20 kHz.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Untwinned YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ thin films on MgO substrates: a platform to study strain effects on the local orders in cuprates

We have grown untwinned YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ (YBCO) films on (110) MgO substrates that were pre-annealed at high temperature in oxygen atmosphere. The annealing results in surface reconstruction with shallow facets, which induce the suppression of the YBCO twinning domains, and the preferential alignment of the CuO chains along one of the in-plane directions of the substrate. Because of the large mismatch between the in-plane lattice parameters of film and substrate, the strain induced by the MgO into the YBCO layer is strong and very peculiar. The YBCO film is compressed, with respect to the bulk, and presents a unidirectional buckling of the atomic planes, along the chains' direction, due to a deformation of the copper-oxygen octahedra. The YBCO films, which can be grown with thicknesses down to few unit cells and oxygen doping levels spanning most of the superconducting dome, are patterned into nanowires with dimensions down to 50 nm. The anisotropies due to the untwinning state are preserved in these structures; moreover, additional anisotropies appear, in ultrathin structures where strain effects become more pronounced. Such untwinned and compressively strained films can therefore be used as a platform to study the interplay between strain and the various local orders in the normal state of YBCO.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Fabrication and electrical transport characterization of high quality underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ nanowires

We present the fabrication and electrical transport characterization of underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ nanowires. The nanowires have been realized without any protective capping layer and they show transport properties similar to those of the parent thin film, demonstrating that they have not been damaged by the nanopatterning. The current-voltage characteristics of the underdoped nanowires show large hysteretic voltage switching at the critical current, in contrast to the flux-flow like characteristics of optimally doped nanostructures, indicating the formation of a self-stabilizing hot spot. These results open up new possibilities of using the underdoped nanowires for single photon detection and for exploring the underdoped side of the YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ phase diagram at the nanoscale.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

High transparency Bi2Se3 topological insulator nanoribbon Josephson junctions with low resistive noise properties

Bi$_2$Se$_3$ nanoribbons, grown by catalyst-free Physical Vapour Deposition, have been used to fabricate high quality Josephson junctions with Al superconducting electrodes. The conductance spectra (dI/dV) of the junctions show clear dip-peak structures characteristic of multiple Andreev reflections. The temperature dependence of the dip-peak features reveals a highly transparent Al/Bi$_2$Se$_3$ topological insulator nanoribbon interface and Josephson junction barrier. This is supported by the high values of the Bi$_2$Se$_3$ induced gap and of I$_c$R$_n$ (I$_c$ critical current, R$_n$ normal resistance of the junction) product both of the order of 160 $μ$eV, a value close to the Al gap. The devices present an extremely low relative resistance noise below 1$\times$10$^{-12}$ $μ$m$^2$/Hz comparable to the best Al tunnel junctions, which indicates a high stability in the transmission coefficients of transport channels. The ideal Al/Bi$_2$Se$_3$ interface properties, perfect transparency for Cooper pair transport in conjunction with low resistive noise make these junctions a suitable platform for further studies of the induced topological superconductivity and Majorana bound states physics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

SQUID magnetometer based on Grooved Dayem nanobridges and a flux transformer

We report noise measurements performed on a SQUID magnetometer implementing Grooved Dayem nanobridge of YBCO as weak-links. The SQUID shows magnetic flux noise as low as 10 $\mu \Phi_0$/Hz$^{0.5}$. The magnetometer is realized by coupling the SQUID to a flux transformer with a two-level coupling scheme using a flip-chip approach. This improves the effective area of the SQUID and result in a magnetic field noise of 50 fT/Hz$^{0.5}$ at T=77 K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗