Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Two-step growth of high-quality Nb/(Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3/Nb heterostructures for topological Josephson junctions

  • Article
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The topological insulator/superconductor heterostructure is one of the most promising platforms to create and manipulate Majorana bound states. Here, we used molecular beam epitaxy to grow high-quality (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3 films on Nb surfaces. To promote proper (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3 film nucleation in the early growth stage, we developed a two-step growth method. Bi, Sb, and Te clusters were first evaporated at a low temperature of 180 °C, which is below the typical growth temperature and then annealed to form a crystalized passivation layer. Second, a standard (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3 film was grown under the normal deposition temperature of 280 °C. We used reflection high-energy electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction to further characterize the (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3 film and passivation layer quality. Finally, the top Nb film was laid down by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The hetero-Nb/epitaxial (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3/Nb stacks were further fabricated into micro-Josephson junctions and showed clear Josephson currents demonstrating an excellent material quality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

FIG. 1
FIG. 2
FIG. 3
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
FIG. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D.A. Ivanov: Non-abelian statistics of half-quantum vortices in p-wave superconductors. Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 268–271 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. K. Catherine: Chiral p-wave order in Sr2RuO4. Rep. Prog. Phys. 75, 042501 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Y. Ando and L. Fu: Topological crystalline insulators and topological superconductors: From concepts to materials. Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter. Phys. 6, 361 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. V. Mourik, K. Zuo, S.M. Frolov, S.R. Plissard, E.P.A.M. Bakkers, and L.P. Kouwenhoven: Signatures of Majorana fermions in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor nanowire devices. Science 336, 1003 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. J.D. Sau, R.M. Lutchyn, S. Tewari, and S.D. Sarma: Generic new platform for topological quantum computation using semiconductor heterostructures. Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 040502 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. H. Zhang, C-X. Liu, X-L. Qi, X. Dai, Z. Fang, and S-C. Zhang: Topological insulators in Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, and Sb2Te3 with a single Dirac cone on the surface. Nat. Phys. 5, 438 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Y.L. Chen, J.G. Analytis, J-H. Chu, Z.K. Liu, S-K. Mo, X.L. Qi, H.J. Zhang, D.H. Lu, X. Dai, Z. Fang, S.C. Zhang, I.R. Fisher, Z. Hussain, and Z-X. Shen: Experimental realization of a three-dimensional topological insulator, Bi2Te3. Science 325, 178 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Y. Xia, D. Qian, D. Hsieh, L. Wray, A. Pal, H. Lin, A. Bansil, D. Grauer, Y.S. Hor, R.J. Cava, and M.Z. Hasan: Observation of a large-gap topological-insulator class with a single Dirac cone on the surface. Nat. Phys. 5, 398 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. D. Hsieh, Y. Xia, L. Wray, D. Qian, A. Pal, J.H. Dil, J. Osterwalder, F. Meier, G. Bihlmayer, C.L. Kane, Y.S. Hor, R.J. Cava, and M.Z. Hasan: Observation of unconventional quantum spin textures in topological insulators. Science 323, 919 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. L. Fu and C.L. Kane: Superconducting proximity effect and Majorana fermions at the surface of a topological insulator. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 096407 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. A.Yu. Kitaev: Fault-tolerant quantum computation by anyons. Ann. Phys. 303, 2 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. C. Nayak, S.H. Simon, A. Stern, M. Freedman, and S.D. Sarma: Non-abelian anyons and topological quantum computation. Rev. Mod. Phys. 80, 1083 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. M-X. Wang, C. Liu, J-P. Xu, F. Yang, L. Miao, M-Y. Yao, C.L. Gao, C. Shen, X. Ma, X. Chen, Z-A. Xu, Y. Liu, S-C. Zhang, D. Qian, J-F. Jia, and Q-K. Xue: The coexistence of superconductivity and topological order in the Bi2Se3 thin films,. Science 336, 52 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. J-P. Xu, C. Liu, M-X. Wang, J. Ge, Z-L. Liu, X. Yang, Y. Chen, Y. Liu, Z-A. Xu, C-L. Gao, D. Qian, F-C. Zhang, and J-F. Jia: Artificial topological superconductor by the proximity effect. Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 217001 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. J-P. Xu, M-X. Wang, Z.L. Liu, J-F. Ge, X. Yang, C. Liu, Z.A. Xu, D. Guan, C.L. Gao, D. Qian, Y. Liu, Q-H. Wang, F-C. Zhang, Q-K. Xue, and J-F. Jia: Experimental detection of a Majorana mode in the core of a magnetic vortex inside a topological insulator-superconductor Bi2Te3/NbSe2 heterostructure. Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 017001 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. H-H. Sun, K-W. Zhang, L-H. Hu, C. Li, G-Y. Wang, H-Y. Ma, Z-A. Xu, C-L. Gao, D-D. Guan, Y-Y. Li, C. Liu, D. Qian, Y. Zhou, L. Fu, S-C. Li, F-C. Zhang, and J-F. Jia: Majorana zero mode detected with spin selective Andreev reflection in the vortex of a topological superconductor. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 257003 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. S-Y. Xu, N. Alidoust, I. Belopolski, A. Richardella, C. Liu, M. Neupane, G. Bian, S-H. Huang, R. Sankar, C. Fang, B. Dellabetta, W. Dai, Q. Li, M.J. Gilbert, F. Chou, N. Samarth, and M.Z. Hasan: Momentum-space imaging of Cooper pairing in a half-Dirac-gas topological superconductor. Nat. Phys. 10, 943 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. P. Zareapour, A. Hayat, S.Y.F. Zhao, M. Kreshchuk, A. Jain, D.C. Kwok, N. Lee, S-W. Cheong, Z. Xu, A. Yang, G.D. Gu, S. Jia, R.J. Cava, and K.S. Burch: Proximity-induced high-temperature superconductivity in the topological insulators Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3. Nat. Commun. 3, 1056 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. E. Wang, H. Ding, A.V. Fedorov, W. Yao, Z. Li, Y-F. Lv, K. Zhao, L-G. Zhang, Z. Xu, J. Schneeloch, R. Zhong, S-H. Ji, L. Wang, K. He, X. Ma, G. Gu, H. Yao, Q-K. Xue, X. Chen, and S. Zhou: Fully gapped topological surface states in Bi2Se3 films induced by a d-wave high-temperature superconductor. Nat. Phys. 9, 621 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. G. Koren and T. Kirzhner: Zero-energy bound states in tunneling conductance spectra at the interface of an s-wave superconductor and a topological insulator in NbN/Bi2Se3/Au thin-film junctions. Phys. Rev. B 86, 144508 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. G. Koren, T. Kirzhner, Y. Kalcheim, and O. Millo: Signature of proximity-induced px + i py triplet pairing in the doped topological insulator Bi2Se3 by the s-wave superconductor NbN. Europhys. Lett. 103, 67010 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. G. Koren: Proximity effects at the interface of a superconductor and a topological insulator in NbN–Bi2Se3 thin film bilayers. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 28, 2 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  23. G. Koren: Reflections on the first year of PLD of high temperature superconducting thin films and some recent advances in PLD of topological superconducting NbN–Bi2Se3–Au junctions. Mater. Sci. Eng., A 4, 334 (2014).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Q.L. He, L. Pan, A.L. Stern, E.C. Burks, X. Che, G. Yin, J. Wang, B. Lian, Q. Zhou, E.S. Choi, K. Murata, X. Kou, Z. Chen, T. Nie, Q. Shao, Y. Fan, S-C. Zhang, K. Liu, J. Xia, and K.L. Wang: Chiral Majorana fermion modes in a quantum anomalous Hall insulator–superconductor structure. Science 357, 294 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. J.R. Williams, A.J. Bestwick, P. Gallagher, S.S. Hong, Y. Cui, A.S. Bleich, J.G. Analytis, I.R. Fisher, and D.G. Gordon: Unconventional Josephson effect in hybrid superconductor-topological insulator devices. Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 056803 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. M. Veldhorst, C.G. Molenaar, X.L. Wang, H. Hilgenkamp, and A. Brinkman: Experimental realization of superconducting quantum interference devices with topological insulator junctions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 072602 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. S. Cho, B. Dellabetta, A. Yang, J. Schneeloch, Z. Xu, T. Valla, G. Gu, M.J. Gilbert, and N. Mason: Symmetry protected Josephson supercurrents in three-dimensional topological insulators. Nat. Commun. 4, 1689 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Y. Pang, J.H. Wang, Z.Z. Lyu, G. Yang, J. Fan, G.T. Liu, Z.Q. Ji, X.N. Jing, C.L. Yang, and L. Lu: Spatially resolved gap closing in single Josephson junctions constructed on Bi2Te3 surface. Chin. Phys. B 25, 117402 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. C-K. Chiu, M.J. Gilbert, and T.L. Hughes: Vortex lines in topological insulator-superconductor heterostructures. Phys. Rev. B 84, 144507 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Y. Fan, P. Upadhyaya, X. Kou, M. Lang, S. Takei, Z. Wang, J. Tang, L. He, L-T. Chang, M. Montazeri, G. Yu, W. Jiang, T. Nie, R.N. Schwartz, Y. Tserkovnyak, and K.L. Wang: Magnetization switching through giant spin–orbit torque in a magnetically doped topological insulator heterostructure. Nat. Mater. 13, 699 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. X. Kou, L. He, M. Lang, Y. Fan, K. Wong, Y. Jiang, T. Nie, W. Jiang, P. Upadhyaya, Z. Xing, Y. Wang, F. Xiu, R.N. Schwartz, and K.L. Wang: Manipulating surface-related ferromagnetism in modulation-doped topological insulators. Nano Lett. 13, 4587 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Y. Zhang, K. He, C-Z. Chang, C-L. Song, L-L. Wang, X. Chen, J-F. Jia, Z. Fang, X. Dai, W-Y. Shan, S-Q. Shen, Q. Niu, X-L. Qi, S-C. Zhang, X-C. Ma, and Q-K. Xue: Crossover of the three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3 to the two-dimensional limit. Nat. Phys. 6, 584 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. J. Zhang, C-Z. Chang, Z. Zhang, J. Wen, X. Feng, K. Li, M. Liu, K. He, L. Wang, X. Chen, Q-K. Xue, X. Ma, and Y. Wang: Band structure engineering in (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 ternary topological insulators. Nat. Commun. 2, 574 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Y.C. Tang, H. Zhang, S. Kwon, H.R. Mohebbi, D.G. Cory, L.C. Peng, L. Gu, H.Z. Guo, K.J. Jin, and G.X. Miao: Superconducting resonators based on TiN/tapering/NbN/tapering/TiN heterostructures. Adv. Eng. Mater 18, 1816 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. S-K. Jerng, K. Joo, Y. Kim, S-M. Yoon, J.H. Lee, M. Kim, J.S. Kim, E. Yoon, S-H. Chuna, and Y.S. Kim: Ordered growth of topological insulator Bi2Se3 thin films on dielectric amorphous SiO2 by MBE. Nanoscale 5, 10618 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. N. Bansal, Y.S. Kim, E. Edrey, M. Brahlek, Y. Horibe, K. Iida, M. Tanimura, G-H. Li, T. Feng, H-D. Lee, T. Gustafsson, E. Andrei, and S. Oh: Epitaxial growth of topological insulator Bi2Se3 film on Si(111) with atomically sharp interface. Thin Solid Films 520, 224 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. H.D. Li, Z.Y. Wang, X. Kan, X. Guo, H.T. He, Z. Wang, J.N. Wang, T.L. Wong, N. Wang, and M.H. Xie: The Van der Waals epitaxy of Bi2Se3 on the vicinal Si(111) surface: An approach for preparing high-quality thin films of a topological insulator. New J. Phys. 12, 103038 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Z.Y. Wang, H.D. Li, X. Guo, W.K. Ho, and M.H. Xie: Growth characteristics of topological insulator Bi2Se3 films on different substrates. J. Cryst. Growth 334, 96 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. L. Li, H. Zhang, Y. Yang, and G.X. Miao: High-quality epitaxial MgB2 Josephson junctions grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Adv. Eng. Mater 19, 1600792 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant Nos. RGPIN-418415 and RGPIN-04178, Ontario Early Researcher Award (ERA), the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, Chinese Academy of Science Pioneer Hundred Talents Program, and the Union funding of National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory of China. The infrastructure would not be possible without the significant contributions of the Quantum Valley Investments, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Ministry of Research & Innovation, and Industry Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale (HFNL), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Hui Zhang, Xiaodong Ma & Chang Gan Zeng

  2. Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Hui Zhang, Xiaodong Ma, Lin Li, Deler Langenberg & Guo Xing Miao

  3. Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Hui Zhang, Xiaodong Ma, Lin Li & Guo Xing Miao

  4. National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Hui Zhang

Authors
  1. Hui Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaodong Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lin Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Deler Langenberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chang Gan Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Guo Xing Miao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guo Xing Miao.

Supplementary Material

43578_2018_33162423_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Supplementary Material: Title: Two-Step Growth of High Quality Nb/(Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3/Nb Heterostructures for Topological Josephson Junctions (approximately 145 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, H., Ma, X., Li, L. et al. Two-step growth of high-quality Nb/(Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3/Nb heterostructures for topological Josephson junctions. Journal of Materials Research 33, 2423–2433 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.195

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.195

Search

Navigation