Hysteretic Critical State in Coplanar Josephson Junction with Monolayer Graphene Barrier

Coplanar Al/graphene/Al junctions fabricated on the same graphene sheet deposited on silicon carbide (SiC), show robust Josephson coupling at subKelvin temperature, when the separations between the electrodes is below 400 nm. Remarkably, a hysteretic Critical State sets in when ramping an orthogonal magnetic field, with a sudden collapse of the Josephson critical current I _c when turning the field on, and a revival of I _c when inverting the sweep. Similar hysteresis can be found in granular superconducting films which may undergo the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. Here, we give quantitative arguments to prove that this odd behavior of the magnetoconductance gives evidence for an incipient Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition with drift and pinning of fluctuating free vortices induced by the current bias.     

Room-temperature gating of molecular junctions using few-layer graphene nanogap electrodes

We report on a method to fabricate and measure gateable molecular junctions that are stable at room temperature. The devices are made by depositing molecules inside a few-layer graphene nanogap, formed by feedback controlled electroburning. The gaps have separations on the order of 1-2 nm as estimated from a Simmons model for tunneling. The molecular junctions display gateable I-V-characteristics at room temperature.     

Josephson Current in a Gapped Graphene Superconductor/Barrier/Superconductor Junction: Case of Massive Electrons

The Josephson effect in a gapped graphene-based superconductor/barrier/superconductor junction is studied. The superconductivity in gapped graphene may be achieved by depositing conventional superconductor on the top of the gapped graphene such as graphene grown on SiC substrate. In gapped graphene system, the carriers exhibit massive Dirac fermions. We focus on the effect of pseudo-Dirac-like mass on the supercurrent. In contrast to that in the gapless graphene superconductor/barrier/superconductor junction, we find that the supercurrent exhibits dependency of the Fermi energy. Also, the massive supercurrent anomalously oscillates as a function of the gate potential. This novel behavior is due to the effect of electrons acquiring mass in gapped graphene.     

Y-Ba-Cu-O/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions

The authors fabricated Y-Ba-Cu-O/Au/AlO_x/Nb and Y-Ba-Cu-O/AlO_x/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions using electron-beam evaporation of Al and Nb films and natural oxidation. Sintered Y-Ba-Cu-O was used as the base electrode. Superconducting Josephson current and hysteresis of the current-voltage characteristics, which are typical features of Josephson tunnel junctions, have been observed at 4.2 K. RF-induced voltage steps at a voltage greater than 0.4 mV have been clearly observed, and RF-induced subharmonic steps have also appeared. The superconducting Josephson current was modulated by the magnetic field     

Investigation of Supercurrent in the Quantum Hall Regime in Graphene Josephson Junctions

In this study, we examine multiple encapsulated graphene Josephson junctions to determine which mechanisms may be responsible for the supercurrent observed in the quantum Hall (QH) regime. Rectangular junctions with various widths and lengths were studied to identify which parameters affect the occurrence of QH supercurrent. We also studied additional samples where the graphene region is extended beyond the contacts on one side, making that edge of the mesa significantly longer than the opposite edge. This is done in order to distinguish two potential mechanisms: (a) supercurrents independently flowing along both non-contacted edges of graphene mesa, and (b) opposite sides of the mesa being coupled by hybrid electron–hole modes flowing along the superconductor/graphene boundary. The supercurrent appears suppressed in extended junctions, suggesting the latter mechanism.     

Realization of In‐Plane p–n Junctions with Continuous Lattice of a Homogeneous Material

Two‐dimensional (2D) in‐plane p–n junctions with a continuous interface have great potential in next‐generation devices. To date, the general fabrication strategies rely on lateral epitaxial growth of p‐ and n‐type 2D semiconductors. An in‐plane p–n junction is fabricated with homogeneous monolayer Te at the step edge on graphene/6H‐SiC(0001). Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals that Te on the terrace of trilayer graphene is p‐type, and it is n‐type on monolayer graphene. Atomic‐resolution images demonstrate the continuous lattice of the junction, and mappings of the electronic states visualize the type‐II band bending across the space‐charge region of 6.2 nm with a build‐in field of 4 × 10⁵ V cm^?1. The reported strategy can be extended to other 2D semiconductors on patternable substrates for designed fabrication of in‐plane junctions.     

Synthesis of graphene on SiC substrate via Ni-silicidation reactions

In this work, the features of graphene layers are studied with the aim of preparing the thinnest layers possible. The graphene layers were prepared by the annealing of Ni/SiC structures. The main advantage of this process is a relatively low temperature compared with the method of graphene epitaxial growth on SiC and short annealing times compared with the chemical vapor deposition method. We prepared graphene layers from several Ni/SiC structures in which the Ni layer thickness ranged from 1 to 200 nm. The parameters of the annealing process (temperature, rate of temperature increase, annealing time) were modified during the experiments. The formed graphene layers were analyzed by means of Raman spectroscopy. From the spectra, the basic parameters of graphene, such as the number of carbon layers and crystallinity, were determined. The annealing of the Ni(200 nm)/SiC structure at 1080 °C for 10 s, produced graphene in the form of 3-4 carbon monolayers. The value was verified by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Good agreement was achieved in the results obtained using Raman spectroscopy and XPS.     

机械球磨法制备Ti3SiC2 / Al 纳米复合材料

研究了用微米级Ti₃SiC₂ 陶瓷颗粒与Al 粉复合球磨制备纳米复合材料的工艺过程。结果表明, 在其他实验参数相同的条件下, 不同材质的磨球对陶瓷颗粒的细化作用差异很大。采用氧化锆磨球可以使Ti₃SiC₂ 的颗粒更好地细化且均匀分散在Al 基体中, 而用钢球和玛瑙球则易产生混合粉的团聚。用氧化锆球进行球磨后的复合粉在550 ℃的温度及20 MPa 的压力下成功地制备了组织成分均匀的大块纳米复合材料。与同成分的非纳米材料相比, Ti₃SiC₂ / Al 纳米复合材料的硬度从HV60 提高到HV80 , 强度则从110 MPa 提高到150 MPa 。      

Novel fabrication methods for submicrometer Josephson junction qubits

Novel processes for the fabrication of mesoscopic Josephson junction qubits have been developed, based on superconducting Al/Al₂O₃/Al tunnel junctions. These are fabricated by electron beam lithography using single-layer and multi-layer resists, and standard processes that are compatible with conventional CMOS processing. The new single-layer resist process is found to have significant advantages over conventional fabrication methods using suspended tri-layer shadow masks.     

Stability,magnetic and electronic properties of SiC sheet doped with B,N, Al and P

Using DFT-based calculations, we study chemical doping of silicene–graphene hybrid with (B, N, Al and P). Planar structure of SiC sheet remains unaffected on doping and all the systems are stable. P and N dopants are strongly bonded to the hybrid compared with Al and N. Charge transfer calculations show that (B, N)/(Al, P) behave like acceptors/donors, respectively. All configurations retain the semi-conductor character of pure SiC and show magnetic order. Curie temperature is determined for the ferromagnetic structures. These results provide the possibility of tuning the gap and inducing magnetism in SiC as required for future applications.     

微波烧结Al2O3/SiC纳米复合陶瓷的研究

以分析纯Al(NO3)3.9H2O·NH3.H2O和50 nm的SiC粉体为原料,采用溶胶-凝胶法制备干凝胶,经热处理合成Al2O3/SiC纳米复合粉体。利用微波烧结制备Al2O3/SiC纳米复合陶瓷,并与常规烧结比较,分析了两种烧结方法对制备试样的力学性能影响。结果表明,与常规烧结相比,微波烧结可以提高Al2O3/SiC纳米复合陶瓷的强度和韧性,改善材料的显微结构,促进致密化和晶粒生长。     

Intrinsic Josephson junctions in high temperature superconductors

The high temperature superconductors form natural superconducting multilayers where adjacent superconducting layers are weakly coupled by the Josephson effect. As a consequence, single crystals act intrinsically as vertical stacks of Josephson junctions. At present, intrinsic Josephson junctions are fabricated and investigated by several groups. There has been considerable progress both in production of high quality junctions and in theoretical understanding of the intrinsic Josephson effect. In this paper the basic physics of intrinsic Josephson junctions is outlined. Some examples of the present status of research are given.     

不同填料复配对尼龙6/石墨烯复合材料导热性能的影响

高分子材料的绝热特性极大地限制了其作为导热材料在工业中的应用。选用多层石墨烯作为导热填料,并分别与导热填料氧化铝(Al_2O_3)和碳化硅(SiC)复配,探究导热填料的复配对尼龙6(PA6)复合材料导热性能的影响。加入质量分数为3%石墨烯时,PA6复合材料的热导率为0.548W·m^-1·K^-1,相比PA6基体提高161%。通过调节石墨烯与Al_2O_3和SiC复配的比例以及复合填料量,PA6复合材料的热导率可控在0.653~4.307W·m^-1·K^-1之间,最高是PA6基体的20倍。为拓展石墨烯在导热材料方面的应用及PA6导热材料在工业上应用提供了有价值的实验依据。     

Development and Investigation of SNS Josephson Arrays for the Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer

Superconductor–normalmetal–superconductor(SNS) Josephson junction series arrays are developed and investigated for applications in the Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer (JAWS). The series arrays contain up to about 10 000 junctions arranged in a meanderlike design. AC voltages and arbitrary waveforms are synthesized by operation of the Josephson junctions by short current pulses. Higher harmonics are at least 110 dB below the fundamental. To verify the generated waveforms, a spectrum analyzer that has initially been calibrated using a binary-divided programmable Josephson voltage standard is used.      

SiCw/6061Al复合材料的界面研究

本研究用CM12型透射电镜配备的PV9100X射线能谱,对SiCw/6061Al复合材料中碳化硅晶须和相邻铝基体之间界而区域的铝、硅二元素的相对含量进行了测试;并利用JCXA733电子探针设备,测试了由复合材料溶下的碳化硅晶须中铝、硅二元素的相对含量。测试结果表明:铝元素没有向碳化硅晶须中扩散。虽然在碳化硅晶须表层大约50nm范围内存在铝元素的浓度梯度变化,但是否由扩散所致,尚需进一步探讨。     

Synthesis of graphene on Co/SiC structure

Bi-layer graphene sheets have been prepared on the basis of a reaction of cobalt with silicon carbide at temperatures around 1,000 °C. This is a type of viable low temperature graphene synthesis. Preparation of graphene was carried out with various thicknesses of the Co layer deposited onto the SiC surface and parameters of the annealing process (temperature, annealing time) were varied. Number of carbon mono-layers in the prepared graphene and its crystallinity were determined from the results of Raman spectroscopy. The best results have been obtained for a structure with Cobalt layer of 300 nm thickness, annealed at 1,080 °C for the period of 120 s. When using shorter annealing times, significantly non-homogenous reaction of Co with SiC has been observed, forming two different phases on the surface.     

The effect of alternating current on the thermal activation threshold of the tunnel Josephson junctions

The process of thermal activation in the tunnel Josephson junctions simultaneously carrying both constant (dc) and alternating (ac) currents has been studied. The presence of the ac component leads to a decrease in the potential barrier for a metastable state of the Josephson junction. The thermal activation threshold is expressed as a function of the ac current amplitude. The results agree with the data of recent experiments on the statistics of switching from a superconducting to resistive state in the Josephson tunneling junctions.     

Nanotechnology for next generation Josephson voltage standards

We have developed two voltage standard systems: 1) the programmable Josephson voltage standard and 2) the Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer. The programmable system is fully automated and provides stable programmable dc voltages from -1.2 V to +1.2 V. The synthesizer is the first quantum-based ac voltage standard source. It uses perfectly quantized Josephson pulses to generate arbitrary waveforms with low harmonic distortion and stable, calculable time-dependent voltages. Both systems are presently limited to output voltages less than 10 V as a result of frequency requirements and the limits of junction fabrication technology. We describe the development of fabrication technology for these systems and describe the circuit- and fabrication-related constraints that presently limit system performance. Finally, we propose the use of lumped arrays of junctions to achieve higher practical voltages through development of a nanoscale junction technology, in which 13 000 junctions are closely spaced at 50 nm-100 nm intervals     

Anomaly in Fabrication Processes for Large-Scale Array Detectors of Superconducting Tunnel Junctions

The STJ array detectors with an effective detection area of 4 mm², which consist of 100 Nb/Al-AlOx/Al/Nb junctions with a size of 200×200 μm, have been fabricated. In order to improve the reproducibility of the STJ array fabrication, we investigated a correlation between the junction surface structures and the leakage currents. It has been found that the junctions near the fringe of the array detectors have a step of about 5 nm at the middle of the array detector, of which leakage currents are considerably larger than 1 μA. The step structure was formed after the etching of the bottom Nb layer for complete separation of Nb/Al/AlOx/Al/Nb/Si. In case of the sputtered Nb/Al/Nb/Si multilayers without 1 nm-thick tunneling barrier, no stepped surface was observed even after the bottom Nb layer etching. Therefore, it is apparent that the 5 nm step structure is a cause of the large leakage currents. We solved the step-fringe problem by a kind of extra patterning along the fringe of the array or lift-off patterning of the Nb/Al multilayers. It is concluded that the number of the junctions with the step structure depends on a slight difference in film deposition or etching conditions.      

10 V SINIS Josephson junction series arrays for programmablevoltage standards

A programmable dc voltage standard for output voltages of up to 10 V has been realized. The series arrays, consisting of about 69120 overdamped superconductor/insulator/normal metal/insulator/superconductor (SINIS) Josephson junctions, have been fabricated using the reliable Nb-Al/Al₂O₃ technology. The arrays can be operated in conventional Josephson voltage standards at microwave frequencies from 70 GHz to 75 GHz. Steps of constant voltage are observed at very low microwave power levels, since the major part of the microwave power is generated by the junctions themselves. The operation of the arrays and the formation of Shapiro steps are discussed