arXiv subjects

Wolfgang Belzig

Publications and source records attributed to Wolfgang Belzig.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Single-photon pump by Cooper-pair splitting

Hybrid quantum dot-oscillator systems have become attractive platforms to inspect quantum coherence effects at the nanoscale. Here, we investigate a Cooper-pair splitter setup consisting of two quantum dots, each linearly coupled to a local resonator. The latter can be realized either by a microwave cavity or a nanomechanical resonator. Focusing on the subgap regime, we demonstrate that cross-Andreev reflection, through which Cooper pairs are split into both dots, can efficiently cool down simultaneously both resonators into their ground state. Moreover, we show that a nonlocal heat transfer between the two resonators is activated when opportune resonance conditions are matched. The proposed scheme can act as a heat-pump device with potential applications in heat control and cooling of mesoscopic quantum resonators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Optimized proximity thermometer for ultra-sensitive detection

We present a set of experiments to optimize the performance of the noninvasive thermometer based on proximity superconductivity. Current through a standard tunnel junction between an aluminum superconductor and a copper electrode is controlled by the strength of the proximity induced to this normal metal, which in turn is determined by the position of a direct superconducting contact from the tunnel junction. Several devices with different distances were tested. We develop a theoretical model based on Usadel equations and dynamic Coulomb blockade which reproduces the measured results and yields a tool to calibrate the thermometer and to optimize it further in future experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Antiferromagnetic magnons as highly squeezed Fock states underlying quantum correlations

Employing the concept of two-mode squeezed states from quantum optics, we demonstrate a revealing physical picture for the antiferromagnetic ground state and excitations. Superimposed on a N{é}el ordered configuration, a spin-flip restricted to one of the sublattices is called a sublattice-magnon. We show that an antiferromagnetic spin-up magnon is comprised by a quantum superposition of states with $n+1$ spin-up and $n$ spin-down sublattice-magnons, and is thus an enormous excitation despite its unit net spin. Consequently, its large sublattice-spin can amplify its coupling to other excitations. Employing von Neumann entropy as a measure, we show that the antiferromagnetic eigenmodes manifest a high degree of entanglement between the two sublattices, thereby establishing antiferromagnets as reservoirs for strong quantum correlations. Based on these novel insights, we outline strategies for exploiting the strong quantum character of antiferromagetic (squeezed-)magnons and give an intuitive explanation for recent experimental and theoretical findings in antiferromagnetic magnon spintronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Exchange-enhanced Ultrastrong Magnon-Magnon Coupling in a Compensated Ferrimagnet

The ultrastrong coupling of (quasi-)particles has gained considerable attention due to its application potential and richness of the underlying physics. Coupling phenomena arising due to electromagnetic interactions are well explored. In magnetically ordered systems, the quantum-mechanical exchange-interaction should furthermore enable a fundamentally different coupling mechanism. Here, we report the observation of ultrastrong intralayer exchange-enhanced magnon-magnon coupling in a compensated ferrimagnet. We experimentally study the spin dynamics in a gadolinium iron garnet single crystal using broadband ferromagnetic resonance. Close to the ferrimagnetic compensation temperature, we observe ultrastrong coupling of clockwise and anticlockwise magnon modes. The magnon-magnon coupling strength reaches more than 30% of the mode frequency and can be tuned by varying the direction of the external magnetic field. We theoretically explain the observed phenomenon in terms of an exchange-enhanced mode-coupling mediated by a weak cubic anisotropy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Phase-controlled spin and charge currents in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids

We investigate spin-dependent quasiparticle and Cooper-pair transport through a central node interfaced with two superconductors and two ferromagnets. We demonstrate that voltage biasing of the ferromagnetic contacts induces superconducting triplet correlations on the node and reverses the supercurrent flowing between the two superconducting contacts. We further find that such triplet correlations can mediate a tunable spin current flow into the ferromagnetic contacts. Our key finding is that unequal spin-mixing conductances for the two interfaces with the ferromagnets result in equal-spin triplet correlations on the node, detectable via a net charge current between the two magnets. Our proposed device thus enables the generation, control, and detection of the typically elusive equal-spin triplet Cooper pairs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Local density of states in clean two-dimensional superconductor--normal metal--superconductor heterostructures

Motivated by recent advances in the fabrication of Josephson junctions in which the weak link is made of a low-dimensional non-superconducting material, we present here a systematic theoretical study of the local density of states (LDOS) in a clean 2D normal metal (N) coupled to two s-wave superconductors (S). To be precise, we employ the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity in the clean limit, based on Eilenberger's equations, to investigate the phase-dependent LDOS as function of factors such as the length or the width of the junction, a finite reflectivity, and a weak magnetic field. We show how the the spectrum of Andeeev bound states that appear inside the gap shape the phase-dependent LDOS in short and long junctions. We discuss the circumstances when a gap appears in the LDOS and when the continuum displays a significant phase-dependence. The presence of a magnetic flux leads to a complex interference behavior, which is also reflected in the supercurrent-phase relation. Our results agree qualitatively with recent experiments on graphene SNS junctions. Finally, we show how the LDOS is connected to the supercurrent that can flow in these superconducting heterostructures and present an analytical relation between these two basic quantities.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Continuous-Variable Entanglement Test in Driven Quantum Contacts

The standard entanglement test using the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is known to fail in mesoscopic junctions at finite temperatures. Since this is due to the bidirectional particle flow, a similar failure is expected to occur in an ac-driven contact. We develop a continuous-variable entanglement test suitable for electrons and holes that are created by the ac drive. The generalized Bell inequality is violated in junctions with low conductance or small number of transport channels and with ac voltages which create few electron-hole pairs per cycle. Our ac-entanglement test depends on the total number of electron-hole pairs and on the distribution of probabilities of pair creations similar to the Fano factor.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Decoherence and relaxation of topological states in extended quantum Ising models

We study the decoherence and the relaxation dynamics of topological states in an extended class of quantum Ising chains which can present a manyfold ground state subspace. The leading interaction of the spins with the environment is assumed to be the local fluctuations of the transverse magnetic field. By deriving the Lindblad equation using the many-body states, we investigate the relation between decoherence, energy relaxation and topology. In particular, in the topological phase and at low temperature, we analyze the dephasing rates between the different degenerate ground states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Paramagnetic Meissner effect in voltage-biased proximity systems

Conventional superconductors respond to external magnetic fields by generating diamagnetic screening currents. However, theoretical work has shown that one can engineer systems where the screening current is paramagnetic, causing them to attract magnetic flux -- a prediction that has recently been experimentally verified. In contrast to previous studies, we show that this effect can be realized in simple superconductor/normal-metal structures with no special properties, using only a simple voltage bias to drive the system out of equilibrium. This is of fundamental interest, since it opens up a new avenue of research, and at the same time highlights how one can realize paramagnetic Meissner effects without having odd-frequency states at the Fermi level. Moreover, a voltage-tunable electromagnetic response in such a simple system may be interesting for future device design.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2019

Nonlocal thermoelectricity in a Cooper-pair splitter

We investigate the nonlocal thermoelectric transport in a Cooper-pair splitter based on a double-quantum-dot-superconductor three-terminal hybrid structure. We find that the nonlocal coupling between the superconductor and the quantum dots gives rise to nonlocal thermoelectric effects which originate from the nonlocal particle-hole breaking of the system. We show that Cooper-pair splitting induces the generation of a thermo-current in the superconducting lead without any transfer of charge between the two normal metal leads. Conversely, we show that a nonlocal heat exchange between the normal leads is mediated by non-local Andreev reflection. We discuss the influence of finite Coulomb interaction and study under which conditions nonlocal power generation becomes possible, and when the Cooper-pair splitter can be employed as a cooling device.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Dynamical multistability in a quantum-dot laser

We study the dynamical multistability of a solid-state single-atom laser implemented in a quantum-dot spin valve. The system is formed by a resonator that interacts with a two-level system in a dot in contact with two ferromagnetic leads of antiparallel polarization. We show that a spin-polarized current provides high-efficiency pumping leading to regimes of multistable lasing, in which the Fock distribution of the oscillator displays a multi-peaked distribution. The emergence of multistable lasing follows from the breakdown of the usual rotating-wave approximation for the coherent spin-resonator interaction which occurs at relatively weak couplings. The multistability manifests itself directly in the charge current flowing through the dot, switching between distinct current levels corresponding to the different states of oscillation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Signatures of spin-triplet Cooper pairing in the density of states of spin-textured superconductor-ferromagnet bilayers

The existence of spin-triplet superconductivity in non-collinear magnetic heterostructures with superconductors is by now well established. This observation lays the foundation of superconducting spintronics with the aim to create a low-power consuming devices in order to replace the conventional electronics limited by heating. From a fundamental point of view the investigation of the structure and properties of spin-triplet Cooper pairs continues. Recently, spectroscopic evidence has shown to offer more detailed insights in the structure of triplet Cooper pairs than the supercurrent. Hence, we study here the structure of spin-triplet Cooper pairs through the density of states in bilayers of a textured magnetic insulator in proximity to a superconductor. Using quasiclassical Green function methods, we study the local density of states, both spin-resolved and spin-independent. We show that the equal-spin and mixed-spin triplet Cooper pairs leads to different spectroscopic signatures, which can be further enhanced by spin-polarized spectroscopy. Our results show the huge potential spin-polarized tunneling methods offer in characterizing unconventional superconductivity in heterostructures.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Spin splitting induced in a superconductor by an antiferromagnetic insulator

Inspired by recent feats in exchange coupling antiferromagnets to an adjacent material, we demonstrate the possibility of employing them for inducing spin splitting in a superconductor, thereby avoiding the detrimental, parasitic effects of ferromagnets employed to this end. We derive the Gor'kov equation for the matrix Green's function in the superconducting layer, considering a microscopic model for its disordered interface with a two-sublattice magnetic insulator. We find that an antiferromagnetic insulator with effectively uncompensated interface induces a large, disorder-resistant spin splitting in the adjacent superconductor. In addition, we find contributions to the self-energy stemming from the interfacial disorder. Within our model, these mimic impurity and spin-flip scattering, while another breaks the symmetries in particle-hole and spin spaces. The latter contribution, however, drops out in the quasi-classical approximation and thus, does not significantly affect the superconducting state.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Spin current cross-correlations as a probe of magnon coherence

Motivated by the important role of the normalized second order coherence function, often called $g^{(2)}$, in the field of quantum optics, we propose a method to determine magnon coherence in solid-state devices. Namely, we show that the cross-correlations of pure spin-currents injected by a ferromagnet into two metal leads, normalized by their dc value, replicate the behavior of $g^{(2)}$ when magnons are driven far from equilibrium. We consider two scenarios: driving by ferromagnetic resonance, which leads to the coherent occupation of a single mode, and driving by heating of the magnons, which leads to an excess of incoherent magnons. We find an enhanced normalized cross-correlation in the latter case, thereby demonstrating bunching of nonequilibrium thermal magnons due to their bosonic statistics. Our results contribute to the burgeoning field of quantum magnonics, which seeks to explore and exploit the quantum nature of magnons.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Creation of equal-spin triplet superconductivity at the Al/EuS interface

In conventional superconductors, electrons of opposite spins are bound into Cooper pairs. However, when the superconductor is in contact with a non-uniformly ordered ferromagnet, an exotic type of superconductivity can appear at the interface, with electrons bound into three possible spin-triplet states. Triplet pairs with equal spin play a vital role in low-dissipation spintronics. Despite the observation of supercurrents through ferromagnets, spectroscopic evidence for the existence of equal-spin triplet pairs is still missing. Here we show a theoretical model that reveals a characteristic gap structure in the quasiparticle density of states which provides a unique signature for the presence of equal-spin triplet pairs. By scanning tunnelling spectroscopy we measure the local density of states to reveal the spin configuration of triplet pairs. We demonstrate that the Al/EuS interface causes strong and tunable spin-mixing by virtue of its spin-dependent transmission.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Gilbert damping phenomenology for two-sublattice magnets

We present a systematic phenomenological description of Gilbert damping in two-sublattice magnets. Our theory covers the full range of materials from ferro- via ferri- to antiferromagnets. Following a Rayleigh dissipation functional approach within a Lagrangian classical field formulation, the theory captures intra- as well as cross-sublattice terms in the Gilbert damping, parameterized by a 2$\times$2 matrix. When spin-pumping into an adjacent conductor causes dissipation, we obtain the corresponding Gilbert damping matrix in terms of the interfacial spin-mixing conductances. Our model reproduces the experimentally observed enhancement of the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth in a ferrimagnet close to its compensation temperature without requiring an increased Gilbert parameter. It also predicts new contributions to damping in an antiferromagnet and suggests the resonance linewidths as a direct probe of the sublattice asymmetry, which may stem from boundary or bulk.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Single Channel Josephson Effect in a High Transmission Atomic Contact

The Josephson effect in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is an excellent tool to probe the properties of the superconducting order parameter on a local scale through the Ambegaokar-Baratoff (AB) relation. Using single atomic contacts created by means of atom manipulation, we demonstrate that in the extreme case of a single transport channel through the atomic junction modifications of the current-phase relation lead to significant deviations from the linear AB formula relating the critical current to the involved gap parameters. Using the full current-phase relation for arbitrary channel transmission, we model the Josephson effect in the dynamical Coulomb blockade regime because the charging energy of the junction capacitance cannot be neglected. We find excellent agreement with the experimental data. Projecting the current-phase relation onto the charge transfer operator shows that at high transmission multiple Cooper pair tunneling may occur. These deviations become non-negligible in Josephson-STM, for example, when scanning across single adatoms.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Quantum Coherent Multielectron Processes in an Atomic Scale Contact

The light emission from a scanning tunneling microscope operated on a Ag(111) surface at 6 K is analyzed from low conductances to values approaching the conductance quantum. Optical spectra recorded at a sample voltages V reveal emission with photon energies hv> 2eV. A model of electrons interacting coherently via a localized plasmon-polariton mode reproduces the experimental data, in particular the kinks in the spectra at eV and 2eV as well as the scaling of the intensity at low and intermediate conductances.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗