TY - JOUR
T1 - Proximity-induced superconductivity in epitaxial topological insulator/graphene/gallium heterostructures
AU - Li, Cequn
AU - Zhao, Yi Fan
AU - Vera, Alexander
AU - Lesser, Omri
AU - Yi, Hemian
AU - Kumari, Shalini
AU - Yan, Zijie
AU - Dong, Chengye
AU - Bowen, Timothy
AU - Wang, Ke
AU - Wang, Haiying
AU - Thompson, Jessica L.
AU - Watanabe, Kenji
AU - Taniguchi, Takashi
AU - Reifsnyder Hickey, Danielle
AU - Oreg, Yuval
AU - Robinson, Joshua A.
AU - Chang, Cui Zu
AU - Zhu, Jun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - The introduction of superconductivity to the Dirac surface states of a topological insulator leads to a topological superconductor, which may support topological quantum computing through Majorana zero modes1,2. The development of a scalable material platform is key to the realization of topological quantum computing3,4. Here we report on the growth and properties of high-quality (Bi,Sb)2Te3/graphene/gallium heterostructures. Our synthetic approach enables atomically sharp layers at both hetero-interfaces, which in turn promotes proximity-induced superconductivity that originates in the gallium film. A lithography-free, van der Waals tunnel junction is developed to perform transport tunnelling spectroscopy. We find a robust, proximity-induced superconducting gap formed in the Dirac surface states in 5–10 quintuple-layer (Bi,Sb)2Te3/graphene/gallium heterostructures. The presence of a single Abrikosov vortex, where the Majorana zero modes are expected to reside, manifests in discrete conductance changes. The present material platform opens up opportunities for understanding and harnessing the application potential of topological superconductivity.
AB - The introduction of superconductivity to the Dirac surface states of a topological insulator leads to a topological superconductor, which may support topological quantum computing through Majorana zero modes1,2. The development of a scalable material platform is key to the realization of topological quantum computing3,4. Here we report on the growth and properties of high-quality (Bi,Sb)2Te3/graphene/gallium heterostructures. Our synthetic approach enables atomically sharp layers at both hetero-interfaces, which in turn promotes proximity-induced superconductivity that originates in the gallium film. A lithography-free, van der Waals tunnel junction is developed to perform transport tunnelling spectroscopy. We find a robust, proximity-induced superconducting gap formed in the Dirac surface states in 5–10 quintuple-layer (Bi,Sb)2Te3/graphene/gallium heterostructures. The presence of a single Abrikosov vortex, where the Majorana zero modes are expected to reside, manifests in discrete conductance changes. The present material platform opens up opportunities for understanding and harnessing the application potential of topological superconductivity.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41563-023-01478-4
DO - 10.1038/s41563-023-01478-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 36781950
AN - SCOPUS:85147981745
SN - 1476-1122
VL - 22
SP - 570
EP - 575
JO - Nature Materials
JF - Nature Materials
IS - 5
ER -