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Wang SZ, Yu XQ, Wei LX, Wang L, Cheng QJ, Peng K, Cheng FJ, Liu Y, Li FS, Ma XC, Xue QK, Song CL. Quantum spin driven Yu-Shiba-Rusinov multiplets and fermion-parity-preserving phase transition in K 3C 60. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:1392-1399. [PMID: 38594099 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Magnetic impurities in superconductors are of increasing interest due to emergent Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states and Majorana zero modes for fault-tolerant quantum computation. However, a direct relationship between the YSR multiple states and magnetic anisotropy splitting of quantum impurity spins remains poorly characterized. By using scanning tunneling microscopy, we systematically resolve individual transition-metal (Fe, Cr, and Ni) impurities induced YSR multiplets as well as their Zeeman effects in the K3C60 superconductor. The YSR multiplets show identical d orbital-like wave functions that are symmetry-mismatched to the threefold K3C60(1 1 1) host surface, breaking point-group symmetries of the spatial distribution of YSR bound states in real space. Remarkably, we identify an unprecedented fermion-parity-preserving quantum phase transition between ground states with opposite signs of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy that can be manipulated by an external magnetic field. These findings can be readily understood in terms of anisotropy splitting of quantum impurity spins, and thus elucidate the intricate interplay between the magnetic anisotropy and YSR multiplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Ze Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xue-Qing Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Li-Xuan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Li Wang
- Vacuum Interconnected Nanotech Workstation, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Qiang-Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kun Peng
- Vacuum Interconnected Nanotech Workstation, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Fang-Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Fang-Sen Li
- Vacuum Interconnected Nanotech Workstation, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China.
| | - Xu-Cun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Frontier Science Center for Quantum Information, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qi-Kun Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Frontier Science Center for Quantum Information, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Can-Li Song
- State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Frontier Science Center for Quantum Information, Beijing 100084, China.
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Liu Y, Li C, Xue FH, Su W, Wang Y, Huang H, Yang H, Chen J, Guan D, Li Y, Zheng H, Liu C, Qin M, Wang X, Wang R, Li DY, Liu PN, Wang S, Jia J. Quantum Phase Transition in Magnetic Nanographenes on a Lead Superconductor. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:9704-9710. [PMID: 37870505 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Quantum spins, also known as spin operators that preserve SU(2) symmetry, lack a specific orientation in space and are hypothesized to display unique interactions with superconductivity. However, spin-orbit coupling and crystal field typically cause a significant magnetic anisotropy in d/f shell spins on surfaces. Here, we fabricate atomically precise S = 1/2 magnetic nanographenes on Pb(111) through engineering sublattice imbalance in the graphene honeycomb lattice. Through tuning the magnetic exchange strength between the unpaired spin and Cooper pairs, a quantum phase transition from the singlet to the doublet state has been observed, consistent with the quantum spin models. From our calculations, the particle-hole asymmetry is induced by the Coulomb scattering potential and gives a transition point about kBTk ≈ 1.6Δ. Our work demonstrates that delocalized π electron magnetism hosts highly tunable magnetic bound states, which can be further developed to study the Majorana bound states and other rich quantum phases of low-dimensional quantum spins on superconductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Can Li
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Fu-Hua Xue
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wei Su
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100084, China
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Center for Computational Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610068, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Haili Huang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Dandan Guan
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Yaoyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Canhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Mingpu Qin
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Rui Wang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Deng-Yuan Li
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Pei-Nian Liu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Shiyong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Jinfeng Jia
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), TD Lee Institute, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, 99 Xiupu Road, Shanghai 201315, China
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Ara F, Fakruddin Shahed SM, Hossain MI, Katoh K, Yamashita M, Komeda T. Control of the Magnetic Interaction between Single-Molecule Magnet TbPc 2 and Superconductor NbSe 2 Surface by an Intercalated Co Atom. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:6900-6906. [PMID: 37505070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate that an intercalated Co atom in superconductor NbSe2 could control the magnetic interaction between the adsorbed magnetic molecule of TbPc2 and the NbSe2 substrate. An intercalated Co atom enhances the magnetic interaction between the NbSe2 and the TbPc2 spin to cause Kondo resonance at the TbPc2 position, a spin-singlet state formed by the itinerary electron. By applying a surface-normal magnetic field, we change the molecule's spin direction from the initial one directed to the Co atom to the surface normal. The change appears as a split Kondo resonance at the TbPc2, one of which is enhanced at the Tb site, which disappears when the outer magnetic field normal to the surface is applied and never appears, even if we return B to 0 T. The phenomenon suggests that the intercalated magnetic atoms can control the magnetic interaction between a magnetic molecule and the superconductor NbSe2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdous Ara
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Syed Mohammad Fakruddin Shahed
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Mohammad Ikram Hossain
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Keiichi Katoh
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado, Saitama 350-0295, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yamashita
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Tadahiro Komeda
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
- Center for Spintronics Research Network, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
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4
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Zhang T, Hu Y, Su W, Chen C, Wang X, Li D, Lu Z, Yang W, Zhang Q, Dong X, Wang R, Wang X, Feng D, Zhang T. Phase Shift and Magnetic Anisotropy Induced Field Splitting of Impurity States in (Li_{1-x}Fe_{x})OHFeSe Superconductor. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:206001. [PMID: 37267540 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.206001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Revealing the energy and spatial characteristics of impurity-induced states in superconductors is essential for understanding their mechanism and fabricating a new quantum state by manipulating impurities. Here, by using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we investigate the spatial distribution and magnetic field response of the impurity states in (Li_{1-x}Fe_{x})OHFeSe. We detect two pairs of strong in-gap states on the "dumbbell-shaped" defects. They display damped oscillations with different phase shifts and a direct phase-energy correlation. These features have long been predicted for the classical Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) state and are demonstrated here with unprecedented resolution for the first time. Moreover, upon applying magnetic field, all in-gap state peaks remarkably split into two rather than shift, and the splitting strength is field orientation dependent. Via detailed numerical model calculations, we find such an anisotropic splitting behavior can be naturally induced by a high-spin impurity coupled to an anisotropic environment, highlighting how magnetic anisotropy affects the behavior of YSR states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhen Zhang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yining Hu
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Wei Su
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100084, China
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Center for Computational Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610068, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Dong Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zouyouwei Lu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qingle Zhang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaoli Dong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, China
| | - Rui Wang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Donglai Feng
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, Shanghai 201315, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Advanced Material Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, Shanghai 201315, China
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5
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Schneider L, Beck P, Rózsa L, Posske T, Wiebe J, Wiesendanger R. Probing the topologically trivial nature of end states in antiferromagnetic atomic chains on superconductors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2742. [PMID: 37173332 PMCID: PMC10182033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38369-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Spin chains proximitized by s-wave superconductors are predicted to enter a mini-gapped phase with topologically protected Majorana modes (MMs) localized at their ends. However, the presence of non-topological end states mimicking MM properties can hinder their unambiguous observation. Here, we report on a direct method to exclude the non-local nature of end states via scanning tunneling spectroscopy by introducing a locally perturbing defect on one of the chain's ends. We apply this method to particular end states observed in antiferromagnetic spin chains within a large minigap, thereby proving their topologically trivial character. A minimal model shows that, while wide trivial minigaps hosting end states are easily achieved in antiferromagnetic spin chains, unrealistically large spin-orbit coupling is required to drive the system into a topologically gapped phase with MMs. The methodology of perturbing candidate topological edge modes in future experiments is a powerful tool to probe their stability against local disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Schneider
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philip Beck
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Levente Rózsa
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Theoretical Solid State Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, H-1525, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Thore Posske
- I. Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Hamburg, D-22607, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens Wiebe
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355, Hamburg, Germany.
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6
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Trishin S, Lotze C, Lohss F, Franceschi G, Glazman LI, von Oppen F, Franke KJ. Tuning a Two-Impurity Kondo System by a Moiré Superstructure. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:176201. [PMID: 37172244 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.176201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Two-impurity Kondo models are paradigmatic for correlated spin-fermion systems. Working with Mn atoms on Au(111) covered by a monolayer of MoS_{2}, we tune the interadatom exchange via the adatom distance and the adatom-substrate exchange via the location relative to a moiré structure of the substrate. Differential-conductance measurements on isolated adatoms exhibit Kondo peaks with heights depending on the adatom location relative to the moiré structure. Mn dimers spaced by a few atomic lattice sites exhibit split Kondo resonances. In contrast, adatoms in closely spaced dimers couple antiferromagnetically, resulting in a molecular-singlet ground state. Exciting the singlet-triplet transition by tunneling electrons, we find that the singlet-triplet splitting is surprisingly sensitive to the moiré structure. We interpret our results theoretically by relating the variations in the singlet-triplet splitting to the heights of the Kondo peaks of single adatoms, finding evidence for coupling of the adatom spin to multiple conduction electron channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Trishin
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Lotze
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Friedemann Lohss
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Giada Franceschi
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leonid I Glazman
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Felix von Oppen
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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7
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Müller H, Eckstein M, Viola Kusminskiy S. Control of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States through a Bosonic Mode. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:106905. [PMID: 36962057 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.106905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the impact of a bosonic degree of freedom on Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states emerging from a magnetic impurity in a conventional superconductor. Starting from the Anderson impurity model, we predict that an additional p-wave conduction band channel opens up if a bosonic mode is coupled to the tunneling between impurity and host, which implies an additional pair of odd-parity Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. The bosonic mode can be a vibrational mode or the electromagnetic field in a cavity. The exchange couplings in the two channels depend sensitively on the state of the bosonic mode (ground state, few quanta, or classically driven Floquet state), which opens possibilities for phononics or photonics control of such systems, with a rich variety of ground and excited states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Müller
- Department of Physics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Staudtstrasse 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Eckstein
- Department of Physics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Silvia Viola Kusminskiy
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Staudtstrasse 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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8
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Trahms M, Melischek L, Steiner JF, Mahendru B, Tamir I, Bogdanoff N, Peters O, Reecht G, Winkelmann CB, von Oppen F, Franke KJ. Diode effect in Josephson junctions with a single magnetic atom. Nature 2023; 615:628-633. [PMID: 36890238 PMCID: PMC10033399 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05743-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Current flow in electronic devices can be asymmetric with bias direction, a phenomenon underlying the utility of diodes1 and known as non-reciprocal charge transport2. The promise of dissipationless electronics has recently stimulated the quest for superconducting diodes, and non-reciprocal superconducting devices have been realized in various non-centrosymmetric systems3-10. Here we investigate the ultimate limits of miniaturization by creating atomic-scale Pb-Pb Josephson junctions in a scanning tunnelling microscope. Pristine junctions stabilized by a single Pb atom exhibit hysteretic behaviour, confirming the high quality of the junctions, but no asymmetry between the bias directions. Non-reciprocal supercurrents emerge when inserting a single magnetic atom into the junction, with the preferred direction depending on the atomic species. Aided by theoretical modelling, we trace the non-reciprocity to quasiparticle currents flowing by means of electron-hole asymmetric Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states inside the superconducting energy gap and identify a new mechanism for diode behaviour in Josephson junctions. Our results open new avenues for creating atomic-scale Josephson diodes and tuning their properties through single-atom manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Trahms
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Larissa Melischek
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems, Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacob F Steiner
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems, Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bharti Mahendru
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Idan Tamir
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils Bogdanoff
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olof Peters
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gaël Reecht
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Felix von Oppen
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems, Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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9
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Schulte S, Néel N, Rózsa L, Palotás K, Kröger J. Changing the Interaction of a Single-Molecule Magnetic Moment with a Superconductor. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:1622-1628. [PMID: 36603183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The exchange interaction of a brominated Co-porphyrin molecule with the Cooper pair condensate of Pb(111) is modified by reducing the Co-surface separation. The stepwise dehalogenation and dephenylation change the Co adsorption height by a few picometers. Only the residual Co-porphine core exhibits a Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bound state with low binding energy in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer energy gap. Accompanying density functional calculations reveal that the Co dz2 orbital carries the molecular magnetic moment and is responsible for the intragap state. The calculated spatial evolution of the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov wave function is compatible with the experimentally observed oscillatory attenuation of the electron-hole asymmetry with increasing lateral distance from the magnetic porphine center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schulte
- Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, D-98693Ilmenau, Germany
- Peter Grünberg Institut, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425Jülich, Germany
- II. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, D-50923Cologne, Germany
| | - Nicolas Néel
- Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, D-98693Ilmenau, Germany
| | - Levente Rózsa
- Fachbereich Physik, Universität Konstanz, D-78457Konstanz, Germany
| | - Krisztián Palotás
- Department of Theoretical Solid State Physics, Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Center for Physics, H-1121Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Reaction Kinetics and Surface Chemistry Research Group, University of Szeged, H-6720Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jörg Kröger
- Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, D-98693Ilmenau, Germany
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10
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Spin-orbital Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states in single Kondo molecular magnet. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6388. [PMID: 36302772 PMCID: PMC9613647 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34187-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of single-spin objects are essential for designing emergent quantum states. We investigate a molecular magnet Tb2Pc3 interacting with a superconducting Pb(111) substrate, which hosts unprecedented Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) subgap states, dubbed spin-orbital YSR states. Upon adsorption of the molecule on Pb, the degeneracy of its lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO) is lifted, and the lower LUMO forms a radical spin via charge transfer. This leads to Kondo screening and subgap states. Intriguingly, the YSR states display two pairs of resonances with clearly distinct behavior. The energy of the inner pair exhibits prominent inter and intra molecular variation, and it strongly depends on the tip height. The outer pair, however, shifts only slightly. As is unveiled through theoretical calculations, the two pairs of YSR states originate from the ligand spin and charge-fluctuating higher LUMO, coexisting in a single molecule, but only weakly coupled presumably due to different spatial distribution. Our work paves the way for understanding complex many-body excitations and constructing molecule-based topological superconductivity. Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states result from the exchange coupling between a localized magnetic moment and a superconductor. Traditionally, the YSR states have been studied for magnetic atoms. For molecular magnets with extended ligand spin, the entanglement of spin and ligand orbital gives rise to new forms of YSR excitations. Here, Xia et al uncovered spin-orbital YSR states in an unpaired ligand spin in the molecular magnet Tb2Pc3 on Pb.
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11
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Abstract
Cooper pairing and Coulomb repulsion are antagonists, producing distinct energy gaps in superconductors and Mott insulators. When a superconductor exchanges unpaired electrons with a quantum dot, its gap is populated by a pair of electron-hole symmetric Yu-Shiba-Rusinov excitations between doublet and singlet many-body states. The fate of these excitations in the presence of a strong Coulomb repulsion in the superconductor is unknown, but of importance in applications such as topological superconducting qubits and multi-channel impurity models. Here we couple a quantum dot to a superconducting island with a tunable Coulomb repulsion. We show that a strong Coulomb repulsion changes the singlet many-body state into a two-body state. It also breaks the electron-hole energy symmetry of the excitations, which thereby lose their Yu-Shiba-Rusinov character.
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12
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Quantum spins and hybridization in artificially-constructed chains of magnetic adatoms on a superconductor. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2160. [PMID: 35443753 PMCID: PMC9021194 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29879-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic adatom chains on surfaces constitute fascinating quantum spin systems. Superconducting substrates suppress interactions with bulk electronic excitations but couple the adatom spins to a chain of subgap Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) quasiparticles. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, we investigate such correlated spin-fermion systems by constructing Fe chains adatom by adatom on superconducting NbSe2. The adatoms couple entirely via the substrate, retaining their quantum spin nature. In dimers, we observe that the deepest YSR state undergoes a quantum phase transition due to Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interactions, a distinct signature of quantum spins. Chains exhibit coherent hybridization and band formation of the YSR excitations, indicating ferromagnetic coupling. Longer chains develop separate domains due to coexisting charge-density-wave order of NbSe2. Despite the spin-orbit-coupled substrate, we find no signatures of Majoranas, possibly because quantum spins reduce the parameter range for topological superconductivity. We suggest that adatom chains are versatile systems for investigating correlated-electron physics and its interplay with topological superconductivity. Previous studies of magnetic adatom chains on superconducting substrates have mostly focused on the regime of dense chains and classical spins. Here, using scanning tunnelling microscopy, the authors study the excitation spectra of Fe chains on a NbSe2 surface, adatom by adatom, in the regime of quantum spins.
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13
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Schneider L, Beck P, Neuhaus-Steinmetz J, Rózsa L, Posske T, Wiebe J, Wiesendanger R. Precursors of Majorana modes and their length-dependent energy oscillations probed at both ends of atomic Shiba chains. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 17:384-389. [PMID: 35256768 PMCID: PMC9018407 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01078-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Isolated Majorana modes (MMs) are highly non-local quantum states with non-Abelian exchange statistics, which localize at the two ends of finite-size 1D topological superconductors of sufficient length. Experimental evidence for MMs is so far based on the detection of several key signatures: for example, a conductance peak pinned to the Fermi energy or an oscillatory peak splitting in short 1D systems when the MMs overlap. However, most of these key signatures were probed only on one of the ends of the 1D system, and firm evidence for an MM requires the simultaneous detection of all the key signatures on both ends. Here we construct short atomic spin chains on a superconductor-also known as Shiba chains-up to a chain length of 45 atoms using tip-assisted atom manipulation in scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments. We observe zero-energy conductance peaks localized at both ends of the chain that simultaneously split off from the Fermi energy in an oscillatory fashion after altering the chain length. By fitting the parameters of a low-energy model to the data, we find that the peaks are consistent with precursors of MMs that evolve into isolated MMs protected by an estimated topological gap of 50 μeV in chains of at least 35 nm length, corresponding to 70 atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Schneider
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philip Beck
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Levente Rózsa
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thore Posske
- I. Institute for Theoretical Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens Wiebe
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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14
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Küster F, Brinker S, Lounis S, Parkin SSP, Sessi P. Long range and highly tunable interaction between local spins coupled to a superconducting condensate. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6722. [PMID: 34795233 PMCID: PMC8602442 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26802-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Interfacing magnetism with superconducting condensates is rapidly emerging as a viable route for the development of innovative quantum technologies. In this context, the development of rational design strategies to controllably tune the interaction between magnetic moments is crucial. Here we address this problem demonstrating the possibility of tuning the interaction between local spins coupled through a superconducting condensate with atomic scale precision. By using Cr atoms coupled to superconducting Nb, we use atomic manipulation techniques to precisely control the relative distance between local spins along distinct crystallographic directions while simultaneously sensing their coupling by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Our results reveal the existence of highly anisotropic interactions, lasting up to very long distances, demonstrating the possibility of crossing a quantum phase transition by acting on the direction and interatomic distance between spins. The high tunability provides novel opportunities for the realization of topological superconductivity and the rational design of magneto-superconducting interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Küster
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, 06120, Germany
| | - Sascha Brinker
- Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich & JARA, Jülich, D-52425, Germany
| | - Samir Lounis
- Peter Grünberg Institut and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich & JARA, Jülich, D-52425, Germany.
- Faculty of Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen and CENIDE, Duisburg, 47053, Germany.
| | - Stuart S P Parkin
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, 06120, Germany.
| | - Paolo Sessi
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, 06120, Germany.
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15
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Spin-orbit coupling induced splitting of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states in antiferromagnetic dimers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2040. [PMID: 33795672 PMCID: PMC8016932 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22261-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic atoms coupled to the Cooper pairs of a superconductor induce Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states (in short Shiba states). In the presence of sufficiently strong spin-orbit coupling, the bands formed by hybridization of the Shiba states in ensembles of such atoms can support low-dimensional topological superconductivity with Majorana bound states localized on the ensembles’ edges. Yet, the role of spin-orbit coupling for the hybridization of Shiba states in dimers of magnetic atoms, the building blocks for such systems, is largely unexplored. Here, we reveal the evolution of hybridized multi-orbital Shiba states from a single Mn adatom to artificially constructed ferromagnetically and antiferromagnetically coupled Mn dimers placed on a Nb(110) surface. Upon dimer formation, the atomic Shiba orbitals split for both types of magnetic alignment. Our theoretical calculations attribute the unexpected splitting in antiferromagnetic dimers to spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry at the surface. Our observations point out the relevance of previously unconsidered factors on the formation of Shiba bands and their topological classification. The influence of spin-orbit coupling on the hybridization of Shiba states in dimers of magnetic atoms on superconducting surfaces remains unexplored. Here, the authors reveal a splitting of atomic Shiba orbitals due to spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry in antiferromagnetically coupled Mn dimers placed on a Nb(110) surface.
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16
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Wang D, Wiebe J, Zhong R, Gu G, Wiesendanger R. Spin-Polarized Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States in an Iron-Based Superconductor. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:076802. [PMID: 33666492 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.076802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states appear when a magnetic atom interacts with a superconductor. Here, we report on spin-resolved spectroscopic studies of YSR states related with Fe atoms deposited on the surface of the topological superconductor FeTe_{0.55}Se_{0.45} using a spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscope. We clearly identify the spin signature of pairs of YSR bound states at finite energies within the superconducting gap having opposite spin polarization as theoretically predicted. In addition, we also observe zero-energy bound states for some of the adsorbed Fe atoms. In this case, a spin signature is found to be absent indicating the absence of Majorana bound states associated with Fe adatoms on FeTe_{0.55}Se_{0.45}.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfei Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens Wiebe
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ruidan Zhong
- Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
| | - Genda Gu
- Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
| | - Roland Wiesendanger
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany
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17
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Rubio-Verdú C, Zaldívar J, Žitko R, Pascual JI. Coupled Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States Induced by a Many-Body Molecular Spin on a Superconductor. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:017001. [PMID: 33480757 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.017001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A magnetic impurity on a superconductor induces Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states, detected by tunneling spectroscopy as long-lived quasiparticle excitations inside the superconducting gap. Coupled YSR states constitute basic elements to engineer artificial superconducting states, but their substrate-mediated interactions are generally weak. In this Letter, we report that intramolecular (Hund's-like) exchange interactions produce coupled YSR states across a molecular platform. We measured YSR spectra along a magnetic iron-porphyrin on Pb(111) and found evidence of two distinct interaction channels, which invert their particle-hole asymmetry across the molecule. Numerical calculations show that the identical YSR asymmetry pattern of the two channels is caused by two spin-hosting orbitals with opposite potential scattering and coupled strongly. Both channels can be similarly excited by tunneling electrons into each orbital, depicting a new scenario for entangled superconducting bound states using molecular platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rubio-Verdú
- CIC nanoGUNE-BRTA, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | | | - Rok Žitko
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jose Ignacio Pascual
- CIC nanoGUNE-BRTA, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
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18
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Schneider L, Beck P, Wiebe J, Wiesendanger R. Atomic-scale spin-polarization maps using functionalized superconducting probes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/4/eabd7302. [PMID: 33523927 PMCID: PMC7817096 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd7302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with a magnetic tip that has a sufficiently strong spin polarization can be used to map the sample's spin structure down to the atomic scale but usually lacks the possibility to absolutely determine the value of the sample's spin polarization. Magnetic impurities in superconducting materials give rise to pairs of perfectly, i.e., 100%, spin-polarized subgap resonances. In this work, we functionalize the apex of a superconducting Nb STM tip with such impurity states by attaching Fe atoms to probe the spin polarization of atom-manipulated Mn nanomagnets on a Nb(110) surface. By comparison with spin-polarized STM measurements of the same nanomagnets using Cr bulk tips, we demonstrate an extraordinary spin sensitivity and the possibility to measure the sample's spin-polarization values close to the Fermi level quantitatively with our new functionalized probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Schneider
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philip Beck
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens Wiebe
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany.
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19
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Farinacci L, Ahmadi G, Ruby M, Reecht G, Heinrich BW, Czekelius C, von Oppen F, Franke KJ. Interfering Tunneling Paths through Magnetic Molecules on Superconductors: Asymmetries of Kondo and Yu-Shiba-Rusinov Resonances. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:256805. [PMID: 33416394 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.256805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic adsorbates on superconductors induce a Kondo resonance outside and Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states inside the superconducting energy gap. When probed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, the associated differential-conductance spectra frequently exhibit characteristic bias-voltage asymmetries. Here, we observe correlated variations of Kondo and YSR asymmetries across an Fe-porphyrin molecule adsorbed on Pb(111). We show that both asymmetries originate in interfering tunneling paths via a spin-carrying orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). Strong evidence for this model comes from nodal planes of the HOMO, where tunneling reveals symmetric Kondo and YSR resonances. Our results establish an important mechanism for the asymmetries of Kondo and YSR line shapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Farinacci
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gelavizh Ahmadi
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Ruby
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gaël Reecht
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin W Heinrich
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Constantin Czekelius
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix von Oppen
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina J Franke
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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20
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Kim H, Rózsa L, Schreyer D, Simon E, Wiesendanger R. Long-range focusing of magnetic bound states in superconducting lanthanum. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4573. [PMID: 32917904 PMCID: PMC7486372 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18406-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantum mechanical systems with long-range interactions between quasiparticles provide a promising platform for coherent quantum information technology. Superconductors are a natural choice for solid-state based quantum devices, while magnetic impurities inside superconductors give rise to quasiparticle excitations of broken Cooper pairs that provide characteristic information about the host superconductor. Here, we reveal that magnetic impurities embedded below a superconducting La(0001) surface interact via quasiparticles extending to very large distances, up to several tens of nanometers. Using low-temperature scanning probe techniques, we observe the corresponding anisotropic and giant oscillations in the LDOS. Theoretical calculations indicate that the quasi-two-dimensional surface states with their strongly anisotropic Fermi surface play a crucial role for the focusing and long-range extension of the magnetic bound states. The quasiparticle focusing mechanism should facilitate the design of versatile magnetic structures with tunable and directed magnetic interactions over large distances, thereby paving the way toward the design of low-dimensional magnet-superconductor hybrid systems exhibiting topologically non-trivial quantum states as possible elements of quantum computation schemes based on Majorana quasiparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howon Kim
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Levente Rózsa
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Dominik Schreyer
- Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-20355, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eszter Simon
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 8, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary
- Department Chemie, Physikalische Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, D-81377, München, Germany
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21
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Yang X, Yuan Y, Peng Y, Minamitani E, Peng L, Xian JJ, Zhang WH, Fu YS. Observation of short-range Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states with threefold symmetry in layered superconductor 2H-NbSe 2. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:8174-8179. [PMID: 32242592 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr01383h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states arise when magnetic impurities interact with superconductivity. The intricacy of coupling and the nature of the superconductivity determine the behavior of the YSR state, whose detailed correlations are not yet fully understood. Here, we study the YSR state of a single Fe adatom on the surface of 2H-NbSe2 with combined low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations and tight-binding modeling. It is found that the Fe adatom occupies the hollow site of the Se surface layer. A prominent YSR state close to the Fermi level is observed. The YSR state exhibits a threefold symmetry along the diagonal direction of the Se lattice. The spatial decay of the YSR state follows a behavior in three-dimensional superconductivity. This behavior contrasts with a previous study of imbedded Fe impurities, whose YSR state shows a six-fold symmetry and a two-dimensional long-range decay. According to our theoretical modeling, the coupling configurations affect the adatom-substrate hopping and the interlayer coupling of the substrate. Both factors are crucial for the consequent behavior of the YSR state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Yang
- School of Physics and Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
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22
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Large spatial extension of the zero-energy Yu-Shiba-Rusinov state in a magnetic field. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1834. [PMID: 32286260 PMCID: PMC7156378 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15322-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Various promising qubit concepts have been put forward recently based on engineered superconductor subgap states like Andreev bound states, Majorana zero modes or the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (Shiba) states. The coupling of these subgap states via a superconductor strongly depends on their spatial extension and is an essential next step for future quantum technologies. Here we investigate the spatial extension of a Shiba state in a semiconductor quantum dot coupled to a superconductor. With detailed transport measurements and numerical renormalization group calculations we find a remarkable more than 50 nm extension of the zero energy Shiba state, much larger than the one observed in very recent scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. Moreover, we demonstrate that its spatial extension increases substantially in a magnetic field. Local magnetic moments coupled to superconductors can form subgap Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states. Here the authors show that Shiba states made with an InAs nanowire quantum dot have large spatial extent, which is beneficial for making Shiba chains that are predicted to host Majorana zero modes.
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23
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Liebhaber E, Acero González S, Baba R, Reecht G, Heinrich BW, Rohlf S, Rossnagel K, von Oppen F, Franke KJ. Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States in the Charge-Density Modulated Superconductor NbSe 2. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:339-344. [PMID: 31842547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
NbSe2 is a remarkable superconductor in which charge-density order coexists with pairing correlations at low temperatures. Here, we study the interplay of magnetic adatoms and their Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states with the charge density order. Exploiting the incommensurate nature of the charge-density wave (CDW), our measurements provide a thorough picture of how the CDW affects both the energies and the wave functions of the YSR states. Key features of the dependence of the YSR states on adsorption site relative to the CDW are explained by model calculations. Several properties make NbSe2 a promising substrate for realizing topological nanostructures. Our results will be important in designing such systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sebastian Rohlf
- Ruprecht-Haensel-Labor and Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik , Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , 24098 Kiel , Germany
| | - Kai Rossnagel
- Ruprecht-Haensel-Labor and Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik , Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , 24098 Kiel , Germany
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY , 22607 Hamburg , Germany
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24
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Lee C, Dong B, Lei XL. Enhanced Negative Nonlocal Conductance in an Interacting Quantum Dot Connected to Two Ferromagnetic Leads and One Superconducting Lead. ENTROPY 2019; 21:1003. [PMCID: PMC7514214 DOI: 10.3390/e21101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the electronic transport properties of a quantum dot (QD) connected to two ferromagnetic leads and one superconducting lead in the Kondo regime by means of the finite-U slave boson mean field approach and the nonequilibrium Green function technique. In this three-terminal hybrid nanodevice, we focus our attention on the joint effects of the Kondo correlation, superconducting proximity pairing, and spin polarization of leads. It is found that the superconducting proximity effect will suppress the linear local conductance (LLC) stemming from the weakened Kondo peak, and when its coupling Γs is bigger than the tunnel-coupling Γ of two normal leads, the linear cross conductance (LCC) becomes negative in the Kondo region. Regarding the antiparallel configuration, increasing spin polarization further suppresses LLC but enhances LCC, i.e., causing larger negative values of LCC, since it is beneficial for the emergence of cross Andreev reflection. On the contrary, for the parallel configuration, with increasing spin polarization, the LLC decreases and greatly widens with the appearance of shoulders, and eventually splits into four peaks, while the LCC decreases relatively rapidly to the normal conductance.
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25
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Kezilebieke S, Žitko R, Dvorak M, Ojanen T, Liljeroth P. Observation of Coexistence of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States and Spin-Flip Excitations. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:4614-4619. [PMID: 31251066 PMCID: PMC6628613 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the spectral evolution in different metal phthalocyanine molecules on NbSe2 surface using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) as a function of the coupling with the substrate. For manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc), we demonstrate a smooth spectral crossover from Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states to spin-flip excitations. This has not been observed previously and it is in contrast to simple theoretical expectations. We corroborate the experimental findings using numerical renormalization group calculations. Our results provide fundamental new insight on the behavior of atomic scale magnetic/SC hybrid systems, which is important, for example, for engineered topological superconductors and spin logic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rok Žitko
- Jožef
Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty
of Mathematics and Physics, University of
Ljubljana, Jadranska
19, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marc Dvorak
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Teemu Ojanen
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, 00076 Aalto, Finland
- Computational
Physics Laboratory, Physics Unit, Faculty of Engineering and Natural
Sciences, Tampere University, P.O. Box 692, FI-33014 Tampere, Finland
| | - Peter Liljeroth
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, 00076 Aalto, Finland
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26
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Farinacci L, Ahmadi G, Reecht G, Ruby M, Bogdanoff N, Peters O, Heinrich BW, von Oppen F, Franke KJ. Tuning the Coupling of an Individual Magnetic Impurity to a Superconductor: Quantum Phase Transition and Transport. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 121:196803. [PMID: 30468615 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.121.196803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The exchange scattering at magnetic adsorbates on superconductors gives rise to Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states. Depending on the strength of the exchange coupling, the magnetic moment perturbs the Cooper pair condensate only weakly, resulting in a free-spin ground state, or binds a quasiparticle in its vicinity, leading to a (partially) screened spin state. Here, we use the flexibility of Fe-porphin (FeP) molecules adsorbed on a Pb(111) surface to reversibly and continuously tune between these distinct ground states. We find that the FeP moment is screened in the pristine adsorption state. Approaching the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope, we exert a sufficiently strong attractive force to tune the molecule through the quantum phase transition into the free-spin state. We ascertain and characterize the transition by investigating the transport processes as function of tip-molecule distance, exciting the YSR states by single-electron tunneling as well as (multiple) Andreev reflections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Farinacci
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gelavizh Ahmadi
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gaël Reecht
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Ruby
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils Bogdanoff
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Olof Peters
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin W Heinrich
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix von Oppen
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina J Franke
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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27
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Ibañez-Azpiroz J, Dos Santos Dias M, Blügel S, Lounis S. Spin-fluctuation and spin-relaxation effects of single adatoms from first principles. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2018; 30:343002. [PMID: 30020083 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aad43d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Single adatoms offer an exceptional playground for studying magnetism and its associated dynamics at the atomic scale. Here we review recent results on single adatoms deposited on metallic substrates, based on time-dependent density functional theory. First we analyze quantum zero-point spin-fluctuations (ZPSF) as calculated from the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, and show how they affect the magnetic stability by modifying the magnetic anisotropy energy. We also assess the impact of ZPSF in the limit of small hybridization to the substrate characteristic of semi-insulating substrates, connecting to recent experimental investigations where magnetic stability of a single adatom was achieved for the first time. Secondly, we inspect further the dynamics of single adatoms by considering the longitudinal and transverse spin-relaxation processes, whose time-scales are analyzed and related to the underlying electronic structure of both the adatom and the substrate. Thirdly, we analyze spin-fluctuation modes of paramagnetic adatoms, i.e. adatoms where the Stoner criterion for magnetism is almost fulfilled. Interestingly, such modes can develop well-defined peaks in the meV range, their main characteristics being determined by two fundamental electronic properties, namely the Stoner parameter and the density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, simulated inelastic scanning tunneling spectroscopy curves reveal that these spin-fluctuation modes can be triggered by tunneling electrons, opening up potential applications also for paramagnetic adatoms. Lastly, an overview of the outstanding issues and future directions is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julen Ibañez-Azpiroz
- Centro de Física de Materiales, Universidad del País Vasco, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain
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28
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Yu-Shiba-Rusinov screening of spins in double quantum dots. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2376. [PMID: 29915280 PMCID: PMC6006160 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04683-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A magnetic impurity coupled to a superconductor gives rise to a Yu–Shiba–Rusinov (YSR) state inside the superconducting energy gap. With increasing exchange coupling the excitation energy of this state eventually crosses zero and the system switches to a YSR ground state with bound quasiparticles screening the impurity spin by ħ/2. Here we explore indium arsenide (InAs) nanowire double quantum dots tunnel coupled to a superconductor and demonstrate YSR screening of spin-1/2 and spin-1 states. Gating the double dot through nine different charge states, we show that the honeycomb pattern of zero-bias conductance peaks, archetypal of double dots coupled to normal leads, is replaced by lines of zero-energy YSR states. These enclose regions of YSR-screened dot spins displaying distinctive spectral features, and their characteristic shape and topology change markedly with tunnel coupling strengths. We find excellent agreement with a simple zero-bandwidth approximation, and with numerical renormalization group calculations for the two-orbital Anderson model. Coupling superconductors to mesoscopic systems leads to unusual effects that could be exploited in new devices including topological quantum computers. Here the authors present a double quantum dot with a Yu–Shiba–Rusinov ground state arising from the interplay of Coulomb interactions and superconductivity.
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29
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Choi DJ, Fernández CG, Herrera E, Rubio-Verdú C, Ugeda MM, Guillamón I, Suderow H, Pascual JI, Lorente N. Influence of Magnetic Ordering between Cr Adatoms on the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States of the β-Bi_{2}Pd Superconductor. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:167001. [PMID: 29756947 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.167001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We show that the magnetic ordering of coupled atomic dimers on a superconductor is revealed by their intragap spectral features. Chromium atoms on the superconductor β-Bi_{2}Pd surface display Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bound states, detected as pairs of intragap excitations in tunneling spectra. By means of atomic manipulation with a scanning tunneling microscope's tip, we form Cr dimers with different arrangements and find that their intragap features appear either shifted or split with respect to single atoms. These spectral variations are associated with the magnetic coupling, ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic, of the dimer, as confirmed by density functional theory simulations. The striking qualitative differences between the observed tunneling spectra prove that intragap Shiba states are extremely sensitive to the magnetic ordering on the atomic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deung-Jang Choi
- Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC (CSIC-UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- CIC nanoGUNE, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Edwin Herrera
- Laboratorio de Bajas Temperaturas, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolás Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Miguel M Ugeda
- Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC (CSIC-UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Isabel Guillamón
- Laboratorio de Bajas Temperaturas, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolás Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Hermann Suderow
- Laboratorio de Bajas Temperaturas, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto Nicolás Cabrera and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Ignacio Pascual
- CIC nanoGUNE, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Nicolás Lorente
- Centro de Física de Materiales CFM/MPC (CSIC-UPV/EHU), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
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30
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Ruby M, Heinrich BW, Peng Y, von Oppen F, Franke KJ. Wave-Function Hybridization in Yu-Shiba-Rusinov Dimers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:156803. [PMID: 29756863 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.156803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic adsorbates on superconductors induce local bound states within the superconducting gap. These Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) states decay slowly away from the impurity compared to atomic orbitals, even in 3D bulk crystals. Here, we use scanning tunneling spectroscopy to investigate their hybridization between two nearby magnetic Mn adatoms on a superconducting Pb(001) surface. We observe that the hybridization leads to the formation of symmetric and antisymmetric combinations of YSR states. We investigate how the structure of the dimer wave functions and the energy splitting depend on the shape of the underlying monomer orbitals and the orientation of the dimer with respect to the Pb lattice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ruby
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yang Peng
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Quantum Information and Matter and Department of Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
- Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Felix von Oppen
- Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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31
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Kezilebieke S, Dvorak M, Ojanen T, Liljeroth P. Coupled Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States in Molecular Dimers on NbSe 2. NANO LETTERS 2018; 18:2311-2315. [PMID: 29533636 PMCID: PMC6095633 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b05050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic impurities have a dramatic effect on superconductivity by breaking the time-reversal symmetry and inducing so-called Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) low energy bound states within the superconducting gap. The spatial extent of YSR states is greatly enhanced in two-dimensional (2D) systems, which should facilitate the formation of coupled states. Here, we observe YSR states on single cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPC) molecules on a 2D superconductor NbSe2 using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy. We use STM lateral manipulation to create controlled CoPc dimers and demonstrate the formation of coupled YSR states. The experimental results are corroborated by theoretical analysis of the coupled states in lattice and continuum models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawulienu Kezilebieke
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, P.O. Box 15100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Marc Dvorak
- Centre
of Excellence in Computational Nanoscience (COMP) and Department of
Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Teemu Ojanen
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, P.O. Box 15100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
- E-mail:
| | - Peter Liljeroth
- Department
of Applied Physics, Aalto University School
of Science, P.O. Box 15100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
- E-mail:
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32
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Cornils L, Kamlapure A, Zhou L, Pradhan S, Khajetoorians AA, Fransson J, Wiebe J, Wiesendanger R. Spin-Resolved Spectroscopy of the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov States of Individual Atoms. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 119:197002. [PMID: 29219531 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.119.197002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A magnetic atom in a superconducting host induces so-called Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states inside the superconducting energy gap. By combining spin-resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy with simulations we demonstrate that the pair of peaks associated with the YSR states of an individual Fe atom coupled to an oxygen-reconstructed Ta surface gets spin polarized in an external magnetic field. As theoretically predicted, the electron and hole parts of the YSR states have opposite signs of spin polarizations which keep their spin character when crossing the Fermi level through the quantum phase transition. The simulation of a YSR state right at the Fermi level reveals zero spin polarization which can be used to distinguish such states from Majorana zero modes in chains of YSR atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Cornils
- Department of Physics, Hamburg University, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Kamlapure
- Department of Physics, Hamburg University, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - L Zhou
- Department of Physics, Hamburg University, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - S Pradhan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 516, Uppsala SE-751 21, Sweden
| | | | - J Fransson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 516, Uppsala SE-751 21, Sweden
| | - J Wiebe
- Department of Physics, Hamburg University, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
| | - R Wiesendanger
- Department of Physics, Hamburg University, D-20355 Hamburg, Germany
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33
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Mapping the orbital structure of impurity bound states in a superconductor. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15175. [PMID: 28480879 PMCID: PMC5424157 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
A magnetic atom inside a superconductor locally distorts superconductivity. It scatters Cooper pairs as a potential with broken time-reversal symmetry, leading to localized bound states with subgap excitation energies, named Shiba states. Most conventional approaches regarding Shiba states treat magnetic impurities as point scatterers with isotropic exchange interaction. Here, we show that the number and the shape of Shiba states are correlated to the spin-polarized atomic orbitals of the impurity, hybridized with the superconductor. Using scanning tunnelling spectroscopy, we spatially map the five Shiba excitations found on subsurface chromium atoms in Pb(111), resolving their particle and hole components. While particle components resemble d orbitals of embedded Cr atoms, hole components differ strongly from them. Density functional theory simulations correlate the orbital shapes to the magnetic ground state of the atom, and identify scattering channels and interactions, all valuable tools for designing atomic-scale superconducting devices.
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34
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Mashkoori M, Björnson K, Black-Schaffer AM. Impurity bound states in fully gapped d-wave superconductors with subdominant order parameters. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44107. [PMID: 28281570 PMCID: PMC5345048 DOI: 10.1038/srep44107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Impurities in superconductors and their induced bound states are important both for engineering novel states such as Majorana zero-energy modes and for probing bulk properties of the superconducting state. The high-temperature cuprates offer a clear advantage in a much larger superconducting order parameter, but the nodal energy spectrum of a pure d-wave superconductor only allows virtual bound states. Fully gapped d-wave superconducting states have, however, been proposed in several cuprate systems thanks to subdominant order parameters producing d + is- or d + id'-wave superconducting states. Here we study both magnetic and potential impurities in these fully gapped d-wave superconductors. Using analytical T-matrix and complementary numerical tight-binding lattice calculations, we show that magnetic and potential impurities behave fundamentally different in d + is- and d + id'-wave superconductors. In a d + is-wave superconductor, there are no bound states for potential impurities, while a magnetic impurity produces one pair of bound states, with a zero-energy level crossing at a finite scattering strength. On the other hand, a d + id'-wave symmetry always gives rise to two pairs of bound states and only produce a reachable zero-energy level crossing if the normal state has a strong particle-hole asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Mashkoori
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristofer Björnson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
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