RESEARCH

We are developing mesoscopic devices based on novel materials for applications in quantum information processing. Such devices also provide a playground for exploring exotic electronic states at (sub)-nano length scales. Currently, our main focus are devices based on two-dimensional materials, topological insulators and topological superconductors. These promising new material systems offer a platform for studying various topological phenomena related to a quantum spin hall effect and Majorana bound states. Furthermore, since in these materials spin and orbital degrees of freedom are strongly coupled, they are also serve as a platform for developing novel schemes for coupling and quantum control of spin based quantum bits. For further information about current research topics contact Stevan.

PAST PROJECTS:

Josephson $\bf{\phi_0}$-junctions

The Josephson effect describes supercurrent flowing through a junction connecting two superconducting leads by a thin barrier. This current is driven by a superconducting phase difference $\phi$ between the leads. In the presence of chiral and time reversal symmetry of the Cooper pair tunneling process, the current is strictly zero when $\phi$ vanishes. Only if these underlying symmetries are broken the supercurrent for $\phi=0$ may be finite. This corresponds to a ground state of the junction being offset by a phase $\phi_0$. We realized such junctions in nanowire quantum dot and probed the phase offsets using superconducting quantum interference device (see Figure on the left). This work is done in the group of Leo Kouwenhoven at QuTech.

Related publications:

Josephson $\bf{\phi_0}$-junction in nanowire quantum dots

D. B. Szombati, S. Nadj-Perge, D. Car, S. R. Plissard, E. P. A. M. Bakkers, and L. P. Kouwenhoven

Nature Physics doi:10.1038/nphys3742 (2016).

Two dimensional topological insulator InAs/GaSb

In two dimensional (2D) topological insulators band structure is inverted compared to the usual (trivial) insulators. Topological materials in 2D host helical boundary states which have various applications in the fields of spintronics and topological quantun information processing. We investigated heterostructure based on Indium Arsenide (InAs) and Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) layers (panel (a)) and found that in these heterostructures both trivial and topological phase can be accessed just by the means of electrostatic gating ((b) and (c)). This work has been performed in the group of Leo Kouwenhoven at QuTech.

Related publications:

Electric and Magnetic Tuning Between the Trivial and Topological Phases in InAs/GaSb Double Quantum Wells

F. Qu, A. J. A. Beukman, S. Nadj-Perge, M. Wimmer, B.-M. Nguyen, Wei Yi, J. Thorp, M. Sokolich, A. A. Kiselev, M. J. Manfra, C. M. Marcus, and L. P. Kouwenhoven

Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 036803 (2015).

Majorana bound states in magnetic atomic chains on a surface of a superconductor

Majorana bound states are zero energy topological excitation appearing at boundaries of one-dimensional (1D) topological superconductors. In order to realize 1D topological superconductor, we have assembled iron atomic chains on the surface of superconducting lead. Figure on the left shows image of a chain obtained using scanning tunneling microscopy technique (STM). The inset shows spatially resolved conductance taken at zero voltage bias. The enhanced conductance near the end of the chain indicates the existence of zero-energy end mode consistent with the existence of Majorana modes in this system. This work has been performed in the group of Ali Yazdani at Princeton University.

Related publications:

Observation of Majorana fermions in ferromagnetic atomic chains on a superconductor

S. Nadj-Perge, I. K. Drozdov, J. Li, H. Chen, S. Jeon, J. Seo, A. H. MacDonald, B. A. Bernevig, and A. Yazdani

Science 346, 602 (2014).

Proposal for realizing Majorana fermions in chains of magnetic atoms on a superconductor

S. Nadj-Perge, I. K. Drozdov, B. A. Bernevig, and Ali Yazdani

Phys. Rev. B 88, 020407 (Rapid communication) (2013).

Quantum bits in semiconductor nanowires

In materials with strong spin-orbit interaction spin and orbital degree of freedom are strongly coupled. This effect can be used for spin manipulation by means of electric fields (as opposed to using magnetic fields which couple directly to spin). In small band gap semiconductors such as Indium Arsenide and Indium Antimonide the spin-orbit coupling is sufficiently strong to enable such spin manipulation on a very fast timescales (~5ns for pi/2 rotation). This work has been performed in the group of Leo Kouwenhoven at Delft University of Technology.

Figure on the left shows schematics of the voltage pulse sequence used for spin manipulation and readout (panels (a) and (b)). Panel (c) shows the spin precession (Rabi oscillations) data for various driving powers.

Related publications:

Fast spin-orbit qubit in an indium antimonide nanowire

J. W. G. van den Berg, S. Nadj-Perge, V. S. Pribiag, S. R. Plissard, E. P. A. M. Bakkers, S. M. Frolov, and L. P. Kouwenhoven

Physical Review Letters 110, 066806 (2013).

Spectroscopy of spin-orbit quantum bits in indium antimonide nanowires

S. Nadj-Perge, V. S. Pribiag, J. W. G. van den Berg, K. Zuo, S. R. Plissard, E. P. A. M. Bakkers, S. M. Frolov, and L. P. Kouwenhoven

Physical Review Letters 108, 166801 (2012). (Editor suggestion)

Spin-orbit qubit in semiconductor nanowire

S. Nadj-Perge, S. M. Frolov, E. P. A. M. Bakkers and L. P. Kouwenhoven

Nature 468, 1084 (2010).