Evidence of $\phi_0$-Josephson junction from skewed diffraction patterns in Sn-InSb nanowires
We study Josephson junctions based on InSb nanowires with Sn shells. We observe skewed critical current diffraction patterns: the maxima in forward and reverse current bias are at different magnetic flux, with a displacement of 20-40 mT. The skew is greatest when the external field is nearly perpend...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SciPost
2025-01-01
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| Series: | SciPost Physics |
| Online Access: | https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.18.1.013 |
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| Summary: | We study Josephson junctions based on InSb nanowires with Sn shells. We observe skewed critical current diffraction patterns: the maxima in forward and reverse current bias are at different magnetic flux, with a displacement of 20-40 mT. The skew is greatest when the external field is nearly perpendicular to the nanowire, in the substrate plane. This orientation suggests that spin-orbit interaction plays a role. We develop a phenomenological model and perform tight-binding calculations, both methods reproducing the essential features of the experiment. The effect modeled is the $\phi_0$-Josephson junction with higher-order Josephson harmonics. The system is of interest for Majorana studies: the effects are either precursor to or concomitant with topological superconductivity. Current-phase relations that lack inversion symmetry can also be used to design quantum circuits with engineered nonlinearity. |
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| ISSN: | 2542-4653 |