Search results for "Wire"

Coulomb Blockade and Bloch Oscillations in Superconducting Ti Nanowires

2012

Quantum fluctuations in quasi-one-dimensional superconducting channels leading to spontaneous changes of the phase of the order parameter by $2\pi$, alternatively called quantum phase slips (QPS), manifest themselves as the finite resistance well below the critical temperature of thin superconducting nanowires and the suppression of persistent currents in tiny superconducting nanorings. Here we report the experimental evidence that in a current-biased superconducting nanowire the same QPS process is responsible for the insulating state -- the Coulomb blockade. When exposed to RF radiation, the internal Bloch oscillations can be synchronized with the external RF drive leading to formation of…

Corrigendum: The quantum phase slip phenomenon in superconducting nanowires with a low-Ohmic environment

2013

Fabrication of Quasi-One-Dimensional Superconducting Micro- and Nanostructures

2007

Wires capable of conducting electric current are basic blocks of all electronic applications. Of particular interest for nanoelectronics are superconducting elements taking advantage of the superconductor's macroscopic quantum coherence and zero resistance. Recently there appeared indications that due to quantum fluctuations the dissipationless electric current (supercurrent) can be suppressed in ultra-narrow superconducting channels with the effective diameter below approximately 10 nm. In this Review we will describe methods of fabrication of quasi-one-dimensional superconducting micro- and nanowires suitable for electric transport measurements at cryogenic temperatures. In the first sect…

Quantum fluctuations in ultranarrow superconducting aluminum nanowires

2008

Progressive reduction of the effective diameter of a nanowire is applied to trace evolution of the shape of the superconducting transition $R(T)$ in quasi-one-dimensional aluminum structures. In nanowires with effective diameter $\ensuremath{\leqslant}15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ the $R(T)$ dependences are much wider than predicted by the model of thermally activated phase slips. The effect can be explained by quantum fluctuations of the order parameter. Negative magnetoresistance is observed in the thinnest samples. Experimental results are in reasonable agreement with existing theoretical models. The effect should have a universal validity, indicating a breakdown of the zero-…

Superconducting nanowire quantum interference device based on Nb ultrathin films deposited on self-assembled porous Si templates

2014

Magnetoresistance oscillations were observed on networks of superconducting ultrathin Nb nanowires presenting evidences of either thermal or quantum activated phase slips. The magnetic transport data, discussed in the framework of different scenarios, reveal that the system behaves coherently in the temperature range where the contribution of the fluctuations is important.

Nonlinear current-voltage characteristics due to quantum tunneling of phase slips in superconducting Nb nanowire networks

2013

We report on the transport properties of an array of N about 30 interconnected Nb nanowires, grown by sputtering on robust porous Si substrates. The analyzed system exhibits a broad resistive transition in zero magnetic field, H, and highly nonlinear V(I) characteristics as a function of H which can be both consistently described by quantum tunneling of phase slips.

Quantum phase slips in superconducting Nb nanowire networks deposited on self-assembled Si templates

2012

Robust porous silicon substrates were employed for generating interconnected networks of superconducting ultrathin Nb nanowires. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was performed to investigate the morphology of the samples, which constitute of polycrystalline single wires with grain size of about 10 nm. The samples exhibit nonzero resistance over a broad temperature range below the critical temperature, fingerprint of phase slippage processes. The transport data are satisfactory reproduced by models describing both thermal and quantum fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter in thin homogeneous superconducting wires.

Experimental limits of the observation of thermally activated phase-slip mechanism in superconducting nanowires

2007

The shape of experimentally observed $R(T)$ transition of thin superconducting wires is analyzed. From theoretical point of view, broadening of the transition in quasi-one-dimensional superconducting channels is typically associated with phase-slip mechanism. It is shown that such interpretation can be misleading if to consider geometrical inhomogeneity and finite dimensions of real samples studied in experiments. The analysis is based on experimental fact that for many superconducting materials the critical temperature depends on the characteristic dimension of a sample: film thickness or wire cross section.

Critical current modulation induced by an electric field in superconducting tungsten-carbon nanowires

2021

The critical current of a superconducting nanostructure can be suppressed by applying an electric field in its vicinity. This phenomenon is investigated throughout the fabrication and electrical characterization of superconducting tungsten-carbon (W-C) nanostructures grown by Ga+ focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID). In a 45 nm-wide, 2.7 μm-long W-C nanowire, an increasing side-gate voltage is found to progressively reduce the critical current of the device, down to a full suppression of the superconducting state below its critical temperature. This modulation is accounted for by the squeezing of the superconducting current by the electric field within a theoretical model based on th…

Quantum phase slip phenomenon in ultra-narrow superconducting nanorings

2012

The smaller the system, typically - the higher is the impact of fluctuations. In narrow superconducting wires sufficiently close to the critical temperature Tc thermal fluctuations are responsible for the experimentally observable finite resistance. Quite recently it became possible to fabricate sub-10 nm superconducting structures, where the finite resistivity was reported within the whole range of experimentally obtainable temperatures. The observation has been associated with quantum fluctuations capable to quench zero resistivity in superconducting nanowires even at temperatures T-->0. Here we demonstrate that in tiny superconducting nanorings the same phenomenon is responsible for s…