Leveraging (Bi,Sb)2Te3 topological insulators in future Majorana devices through stencil lithography (Einladende: EQO)

by Dr Peter Schüffelgen (FZ Juelich)

Thursday 26 Oct 2023, 17:15 → 18:30 Europe/Berlin

D 114 (ENC)

Topological insulators, a class of materials discovered only fifteen years ago, continue to be a subject of great scientific interest due to their distinctive electronic characteristics. These materials are defined by an exotic band structure that categorizes them as topologically distinct from conventional semiconductors. They exhibit an insulating bulk while simultaneously having conducting surface states, notable for their inherent spin-momentum coupling. When interfaced with superconductors, these properties have the potential to facilitate the emergence of elusive Majorana zero modes, which have been predicted to possess significant prospects for topological quantum computing.

In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the opportunities and challenges of (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ in combination with s-wave superconductors. I will report on the different routes we investigate in order to find signatures of Majorana modes in (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃-based topological insulator-superconductor hybrid devices. Notably, our device fabrication is fully conducted under ultra-high vacuum conditions, acknowledging the inherent sensitivity of (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ -based topological insulators to environmental exposure to ambient conditions.