Phys.org October 23, 2024
Topological superconductors hosting Majorana zero modes are of great interest for both fundamental physics and potential quantum computing applications. Researchers in the Netherlands investigated the transport properties of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 (MBT). They found that the presence of chiral edge channels, though with deviations from perfect quantization due to factors such as non-uniform thickness, domain structures, and the presence of quasi-helical edge states. The fabricated superconducting junctions using niobium led on MBT exfoliated flakes, which showed an onset of supercurrent with clear Josephson coupling. The interference patterns in the superconducting junctions revealed interesting asymmetries, suggesting changes in the magnetic ordering of the MBT flakes under small applied magnetic fields. The modulation of the critical current by magnetic field reveals a SQUID-like pattern, suggested the presence of supercurrent through the quasi-helical edge states… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Overview of normal transport in MBT flakes of thicknesses… depicted with red and blue lines respectively.
Credit: Communications Materials volume 5, Article number: 214, 8 October 2024