Conductance Spectroscopy of Exfoliated Thin Flakes of Nb xBi2Se3.

We study unconventional superconductivity in exfoliated single crystals of a promising three-dimensional (3D) topological superconductor candidate, Nb-doped Bi2Se3 through differential conductance spectroscopy and magneto-transport. The strong anisotropy of the critical field along the out-of-plane direction suggests that the thin exfoliated flakes are in the quasi-2D limit. Normal metal-superconductor (NS) contacts with either high or low transparencies made by depositing gold leads onto Nb-doped Bi2Se3 flakes both show significant enhancement in zero bias conductance and coherence dips at the superconducting energy gap. Such behavior is inconsistent with conventional Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory. Instead, we discuss how our results are consistent with p-wave pairing symmetry, supporting the possibility of topological superconductivity in Nb-doped Bi2Se3. Finally, we observe signatures of multiple superconducting energy gaps, which could originate from multiple Fermi surfaces reported earlier in bulk crystals.

Evidence for an anomalous current-phase relation in topological insulator Josephson junctions.

Josephson junctions with topological insulator weak links can host low-energy Andreev-bound states giving rise to a current-phase relation that deviates from sinusoidal behaviour. Of particular interest are zero-energy Majorana-bound states that form at a phase difference of π. Here we report on interferometry studies of Josephson junctions and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) incorporating topological insulator weak links. We find that the nodes in single-junction diffraction patterns and SQUID oscillations are lifted and independent of chemical potential. At high temperatures, the SQUID oscillations revert to conventional behaviour, ruling out asymmetry. The node-lifting of the SQUID oscillations is consistent with low-energy Andreev-bound states exhibiting a nonsinusoidal current-phase relation, co-existing with states possessing a conventional sinusoidal current-phase relation. However, the finite nodal currents in the single-junction diffraction pattern suggest an anomalous contribution to the supercurrent possibly carried by Majorana-bound states, although we also consider the possibility of inhomogeneity.

Anomalous modulation of a zero-bias peak in a hybrid nanowire-superconductor device.

We report on transport measurements of an InAs nanowire coupled to niobium nitride leads at high magnetic fields. We observe a zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) in the differential conductance of the nanowire for certain ranges of magnetic field and chemical potential. The ZBA can oscillate in width with either the magnetic field or chemical potential; it can even split and re-form. We discuss how our results relate to recent predictions of hybridizing Majorana fermions in semiconducting nanowires, while considering more mundane explanations.

Exciton condensation and perfect Coulomb drag.

Coulomb drag is a process whereby the repulsive interactions between electrons in spatially separated conductors enable a current flowing in one of the conductors to induce a voltage drop in the other. If the second conductor is part of a closed circuit, a net current will flow in that circuit. The drag current is typically much smaller than the drive current owing to the heavy screening of the Coulomb interaction. There are, however, rare situations in which strong electronic correlations exist between the two conductors. For example, double quantum well systems can support exciton condensates, which consist of electrons in one well tightly bound to holes in the other. 'Perfect' drag is therefore expected; a steady transport current of electrons driven through one quantum well should be accompanied by an equal current of holes in the other. Here we demonstrate this effect, taking care to ensure that the electron-hole pairs dominate the transport and that tunnelling of charge between the quantum wells, which can readily compromise drag measurements, is negligible. We note that, from an electrical engineering perspective, perfect Coulomb drag is analogous to an electrical transformer that functions at zero frequency.

Exciton transport and Andreev reflection in a bilayer quantum Hall system.

We demonstrate that counterflowing electrical currents can move through the bulk of the excitonic quantized Hall phase found in bilayer two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) even as charged excitations cannot. These counterflowing currents are transported by neutral excitons which are emitted and absorbed at the inner and outer boundaries of an annular 2DES via Andreev reflection.

Quantum Hall exciton condensation at full spin polarization.

Using Coulomb drag as a probe, we explore the excitonic phase transition in quantum Hall bilayers at nu(T) = 1 as a function of Zeeman energy E(Z). The critical layer separation (d/l)(c) for exciton condensation initially increases rapidly with E(Z), but then reaches a maximum and begins a gentle decline. At high E(Z), where both the excitonic phase at small d/l and the compressible phase at large d/l are fully spin polarized, we find that the width of the transition, as a function of d/l, is much larger than at small E(Z) and persists in the limit of zero temperature. We discuss these results in the context of two models in which the system contains a mixture of the two fluids.