Topological superconductors from proximity effect in InSb nanowires

• Grant number: 24/06943-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: January 13, 2025
• End date: January 12, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Anderson Kenji Okazaki
• Grantee: Anderson Kenji Okazaki
• Host Investigator: Erik Petrus Antonius Maria Bakkers
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands
• Associated research grant: 18/00823-0 - New topological states of matter under extreme conditions, AP.JP

Abstract

Topological superconductor is a new material class that can be used as a building block for decoherence free qubits. A major signature of this nontrivial state is the presence of Majorana quasiparticles. To explore these quantum-based devices a key ingredient is the induced superconductivity in one-dimensional semiconductor wire. Here we propose to further investigate the interface between InSb nanowire and Pb superconducting epitaxial layer. Fabrication success is assessed by measuring the hard gap via differential conductance. Applying an external magnetic field can tune the system to the topological phase that led to the occurrence of zero-bias peak, evidence of the Majorana fermions.