Speaker: Javad Shabani , City College, City University of New York
Abstract: Progress in the emergent field of topological superconductivity relies on synthesis of new material combining superconductivity, low density, and spin-orbit coupling. For example, theory indicates that the interface between a one-dimensional semiconductor with strong spin orbit coupling and a superconductor hosts Majorana modes with nontrivial topological properties. Recently, epitaxial growth of Al on InAs nanowires was shown to yield a high quality superconductor-semiconductor (S-Sm) system with uniformly transparent interfaces and a hard induced gap, indicted by strongly suppressed subgap tunneling conductance. Here we report the realization of a two-dimensional (2D) InAs/InGaAs heterostructure with epitaxial Al, yielding a planar S-Sm system with structural and transport characteristics as good as the epitaxial wires. The realization of 2D epitaxial S-Sm systems represent a significant advance over wires, allowing extended networks via top-down processing. Among numerous potential applications, this new material system can serve as a platform for complex networks of topological superconductors with gate-controlled Majorana zero modes. We demonstrate gateable Josephson junctions and a highly transparent 2D S-Sm interface based on the product of excess current and normal state resistance.