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At least 1,027 records · Page 57
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Broadband sample holder for microwave spectroscopy of superconducting qubits

We present a practical design and implementation of a broadband sample holder suitable for microwave experiments with superconducting integrated circuits at millikelvin temperatures. Proposed design can be easily integrated in standard dilution cryostats, has flat pass band response in a frequency range from 0 to 32 GHz, allowing the RF testing of the samples with substrate size up to 4 × 4 mm{sup 2}. The parasitic higher modes interference in the holder structure is analyzed and prevented via design considerations. The developed setup can be used for characterization of superconducting parametric amplifiers, bolometers, and qubits. We tested the designed sample holder by characterizing of a superconducting flux qubit at 20 mK temperature.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nonlinear terahertz superconducting plasmonics

Nonlinear terahertz (THz) transmission through subwavelength hole array in superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) film is experimentally investigated using intense THz pulses. The good agreement between the measurement and numerical simulations indicates that the field strength dependent transmission mainly arises from the nonlinear properties of the superconducting film. Under weak THz pulses, the transmission peak can be tuned over a frequency range of 145 GHz which is attributed to the high kinetic inductance of 50 nm-thick NbN film. Utilizing the THz pump-THz probe spectroscopy, we study the dynamic process of transmission spectra and demonstrate that the transition time of such superconducting plasmonic device is within 5 ps.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Superconductivity and metallic behavior in Pb{sub x}C{sub y}O{sub δ} structures prepared by focused electron beam induced deposition

Focused electron beam induced deposition as a direct-write approach possesses great potential to meet the demands for superconducting nanostructure fabrication especially regarding its 3D patterning capabilities combined with the high resolution in the nanometer regime. So far, however, it was not possible to fabricate superconducting structures with this technique. In this work, we present a lead-based superconductor prepared by focused electron beam induced deposition by dissociation of the precursor tetraethyllead. The as-grown structures exhibit metallic behavior and a minimum resistivity in the normal state of ρ = 16 μΩcm at T = 9 K followed by a superconducting transition at T{sub c} = 7.2 K.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Strong increase in superconducting T{sub c} for Nb{sub 2}InC under compressive strain

Using first-principles, we investigate strain effects on the phonon spectrum, heat capacity C{sub V}, Debye temperature θ{sub D}, and electron-phonon coupling of Nb{sub 2}InC. It finds that its heat capacity increases and Debye temperature decreases as strain increases. Analysis of the phonon spectrum and Eliashberg spectral function shows that the superconductivity of Nb{sub 2}InC mainly originates from C vibrations parallel to and Nb vibrations perpendicular to the Nb{sub 2}InC layers. A significant enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature T{sub c} up to 25.98 K is observed at η = −10% due to an increase of In atomic vibrations under strain. These results provide a means of tuning the superconducting properties of Nb{sub 2}InC.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Prediction of superconductivity in Li-intercalated bilayer phosphorene

It is shown that bilayer phosphorene can be transformed from a direct-gap semiconductor to a BCS superconductor by intercalating Li atoms. For the Li-intercalated bilayer phosphorene, we find that the electron occupation of Li-derived band is small and superconductivity is intrinsic. With increasing the intercalation of Li atoms, both increased metallicity and strong electron-phonon coupling are favorable for the enhancement of superconductivity. The obtained electron-phonon coupling λ can be larger than 1 and the superconducting temperature T{sub c} can be increased up to 16.5 K, suggesting that phosphorene may be a good candidate for a nanoscale superconductor.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Tuning the charge density wave and superconductivity in 6R-TaS{sub 2−x}Se{sub x}

The transition-metal dichalcogenides provided a good platform for the investigation of superconductivity and charge-density-wave (CDW) order. A series of high quality 6R-TaS{sub 2−x}Se{sub x} (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.6) single crystals were fabricated by the chemical-vapor-transport method and systematically investigated. The CDW becomes more stable with more S being replaced by Se, which causes expansion of the lattice, and produces a negative chemical pressure in the system. The x dependence of the onset of superconductivity (T{sub c}{sup onset}) shows a dome-like shape with a maximum of T{sub c}{sup onset }= 2.7 K at x = 0.8. The magnetic susceptibility (4πχ) of x = 0.8 under the hydrostatic pressure P = 1.0 GPa was also measured, which showed a small increase of T{sub c} and superconducting volume fraction. A pronounced peak effect was observed in the isothermal hysteresis with magnetic field (H) parallel to c-axis, which may arise from the quenching inhomogeneity and/or the stacking disorder. Finally, the evolution of the electronic states tuned by Se-doping was summarized in the phase diagram.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Critical magnetic fields of superconducting aluminum-substituted Ba{sub 8}Si{sub 42}Al{sub 4} clathrate

In recent years, efforts have been made to explore the superconductivity of clathrates containing crystalline frameworks of group-IV elements. The superconducting silicon clathrate is unusual in that the structure is dominated by strong sp{sup 3} covalent bonds between silicon atoms, rather than the metallic bonding that is more typical of traditional superconductors. This paper reports on critical magnetic fields of superconducting Al-substituted silicon clathrates, which were investigated by transport, ac susceptibility, and dc magnetization measurements in magnetic fields up to 90 kOe. For the sample Ba{sub 8}Si{sub 42}Al{sub 4}, the critical magnetic fields were measured to be H{sub C1} = 40.2 Oe and H{sub C2} = 66.4 kOe. The London penetration depth of 4360 Å and the coherence length 70 Å were obtained, whereas the estimated Ginzburg–Landau parameter of κ = 62 revealed that Ba{sub 8}Si{sub 42}Al{sub 4} is a strong type-II superconductor.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Theoretical investigation of superconductivity in MgB{sub 2-x}C{sub x} alloys

In this paper we investigated the superconducting properties of MgB{sub 2-x}C{sub x} alloys where x is the concentration (0.0, 0.03, 0.11 and 0.20). The superconducting state parameters, namely, the electron-phonon coupling strength (λ), Coulomb pseudopotential (μ*), transition temperature (T{sub c}), isotope effect exponent (α) and interaction strength (N{sub o}V) of MgB{sub 2-x}C{sub x} alloys have been investigated in the BCS-Eliashberg-McMillan framework, as modified for MgB{sub 2-x}C{sub x} alloys. Pseudo ions with average properties have been considered to replace different types of ions in the system. It is observed that all the superconducting parameters go on decreasing as the concentration of C is increased. The magnitudes of λ and T{sub c} indicate that MgB{sub 2-x}C{sub x} is strong-to-intermediate coupling superconductor. It is also observed that T{sub c} is composition dependent. Present computations yield almost linear variation of T{sub c} with concentration x of C in the MgB{sub 2-x}C{sub x} system, which is in agreement with the experimental data. A linear T{sub c} equation is proposed by fitting the present results.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Microwave dynamics of high aspect ratio superconducting nanowires studied using self-resonance

We study the microwave impedance of extremely high aspect ratio (length/width ≈ 5000) superconducting niobium nitride nanowires. The nanowires are fabricated in a compact meander geometry that is in series with the center conductor of a 50 Ω coplanar waveguide transmission line. The transmission coefficient of the sample is measured up to 20 GHz. At high frequency, a peak in the transmission coefficient is seen. Numerical simulations show that this is a half-wave resonance along the length of the nanowire, where the nanowire acts as a high impedance, slow wave transmission line. This resonance sets the upper frequency limit for these nanowires as inductive elements. Fitting simulations to the measured resonance enables a precise determination of the nanowire's complex sheet impedance at the resonance frequency. The real part is a measure of dissipation, while the imaginary part is dominated by kinetic inductance. We characterize the dependence of the sheet resistance and sheet inductance on both temperature and current and compare the results to recent theoretical predictions for disordered superconductors. These results can aid in the understanding of high frequency devices based on superconducting nanowires. They may also lead to the development of novel superconducting devices such as ultra-compact resonators and slow-wave structures.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Nematic superconductivity in a one-dimensional system of massless fermions

The superconducting properties of the one-dimensional model of “relativistic” fermions with attraction generated by antiferromagnetic (Heisenberg) pair superexchange spin interaction are studied. Namely, we demonstrate that such a pairing in this system takes place in the nematic channel, with extended s-wave symmetry, where the attraction between fermions mostly takes place when the fermions occupy the nearest sites. It is demonstrated, that the zero-temperature properties of such a system are rather different from the “standard” case of superconductivity with local attraction. For instance, the order parameter has an unusual helical momentum dependence, ∼e −ika ⁠, where a is the lattice parameter and the dependence of the gap on doping has a bell shape, qualitatively similar to cuprate high-T c superconductors. Finally, the smooth transition from the overlapping pair to the local pair regime (or BCS–BEC crossover) in the nematic phase takes place at much lower values of doping as compared to the local pairing case, i.e., the “relativistic 1D” nematic superconductor is much less “friendly” to the local pairs. In conclusion, we also discuss the possible relation of the properties of this model to the superconducting properties of twisted graphene.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Similarity in the critical thicknesses for superconductivity and ferroelectricity in strained SrTiO 3 films

The possible connection between superconductivity and polar order in SrTiO 3 has been discussed extensively in the recent literature. Here, the thickness dependence of the superconducting and ferroelectric transitions in strained, epitaxial films of SrTiO 3 films is studied. Both superconductivity and ferroelectricity are absent in thinner films (25 nm and below). Here, we discuss the possible origins of the thickness dependence of both phenomena.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

A superconducting nanowire binary shift register

We present a design for a superconducting nanowire binary shift register, which stores digital states in the form of circulating supercurrents in high-kinetic-inductance loops. Adjacent superconducting loops are connected with nanocryotrons, three-terminal electrothermal switches, and fed with an alternating two-phase clock to synchronously transfer the digital state between the loops. A two-loop serial-input shift register was fabricated with thin-film NbN and a bit error rate of less than 10 –4 was achieved, when operated at a maximum clock frequency of 83 MHz and in an out-of-plane magnetic field of up to 6 mT. A shift register based on this technology offers an integrated solution for low-power readout of superconducting nanowire single photon detector arrays and is capable of interfacing directly with room-temperature electronics and operating unshielded in high magnetic field environments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Superconducting qubits in Russia

Results of the two-year research in the framework of the first Russian project for superconducting qubits, supported by the Foundation for Advanced Research, Federal Agency on Atomic Energy, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, are presented. The main result is the demonstration of single-qubit quantum gate operations using several types of superconducting qubits with a coherence time of more than 1 μs. The project develops this breakthrough scientific and technical line of research in Russia, in fact, from scratch. The fabrication technology of submicron-scale superconducting tunnel junctions and various coherent quantum structures (qubits) based on them has been worked out; preparation and control of quantum states for such qubits, quantum tomography of prepared states, and realisation and precision control of single-qubit quantum gate operations are demonstrated. (paper)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Superconductivity in undoped BaFe 2 As 2 by tetrahedral geometry design

Fe-based superconductors exhibit a diverse interplay between charge, orbital, and magnetic ordering. Variations in atomic geometry affect electron hopping between Fe atoms and the Fermi surface topology, influencing magnetic frustration and the pairing strength through changes of orbital overlap and occupancies. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a systematic approach to realize superconductivity without chemical doping in BaFe 2 As 2 , employing geometric design within an epitaxial heterostructure. We control both tetragonality and orthorhombicity in BaFe 2 As 2 through superlattice engineering, which we experimentally find to induce superconductivity when the As−Fe−As bond angle approaches that in a regular tetrahedron. This approach to superlattice design could lead to insights into low-dimensional superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Stress-induced high- T c <?em> superconductivity in solid molecular hydrogen

Solid molecular hydrogen has been predicted to be metallic and high-temperature superconducting at ultrahigh hydrostatic pressures that push current experimental limits. Meanwhile, little is known about the influence of nonhydrostatic conditions on its electronic properties at extreme pressures where anisotropic stresses are inevitably present and may also be intentionally introduced. In this report we show by first-principles calculations that solid molecular hydrogen compressed to multimegabar pressures can sustain large anisotropic compressive or shear stresses that, in turn, cause major crystal symmetry reduction and charge redistribution that accelerate bandgap closure and promote superconductivity relative to pure hydrostatic compression. Our findings highlight a hitherto largely unexplored mechanism for creating superconducting dense hydrogen, with implications for exploring similar phenomena in hydrogen-rich compounds and other molecular crystals.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Understanding the superconductivity and charge density wave interaction through quasi-static lattice fluctuations

In unconventional superconductors, coupled charge and lattice degrees of freedom can manifest in ordered phases of matter that are intertwined. In the cuprate family, fluctuating short-range charge correlations can coalesce into a longer-range charge density wave (CDW) order which is thought to intertwine with superconductivity, yet the nature of the interaction is still poorly understood. Here, by measuring subtle lattice fluctuations in underdoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+y on quasi-static timescales (thousands of seconds) through X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, we report sensitivity to both superconductivity and CDW. The atomic lattice shows remarkably faster relaxational dynamics upon approaching the superconducting transition at T c ≈ 65 K. By tracking the momentum dependence, we show that the intermediate scattering function almost monotonically scales with the relaxation distance of atoms away from their average positions above T c and in the presence of the CDW state, while this peculiar trend is reversed for other temperatures. These observations are consistent with an incipient CDW stabilized by local strain. This work provides insights into the crucial role of relaxational atomic fluctuations for understanding the electronic physics cuprates, which are inherently disordered due to carrier doping.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Designing multicomponent hydrides with potential high T c superconductivity

While hydrogen-rich materials have been demonstrated to exhibit high T c superconductivity at high pressures, there is an ongoing search for ternary, quaternary, and more chemically complex hydrides that achieve such high critical temperatures at much lower pressures. First-principles searches are impeded by the computational complexity of solving the Eliashberg equations for large, complex crystal structures. Here, we adopt a simplified approach using electronic indicators previously established to be correlated with superconductivity in hydrides. This is used to study complex hydride structures, which are predicted to exhibit promisingly high critical temperatures for superconductivity. In particular, we propose three classes of hydrides inspired by the Fm$\overline{3}$ m RH 3 structures that exhibit strong hydrogen network connectivity, as defined through the electron localization function. The first class [RH 11 X 3 Y] is based on a Pm$\overline{3}$m structure showing moderately high T c , where the T c estimate from electronic properties is compared with direct Eliashberg calculations and found to be surprisingly accurate. The second class of structures [(RH 11 ) 2 X 6 YZ] improves on this with promisingly high density of states with dominant hydrogen character at the Fermi energy, typically enhancing T c . The third class [(R 1 H 11 )(R 2 H 11 )X 6 YZ] improves the strong hydrogen network connectivity by introducing anisotropy in the hydrogen network through a specific doping pattern. These design principles and associated model structures provide flexibility to optimize both T c and the structural stability of complex hydrides.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Thermoeconomic cost optimization of superconducting magnets for proton therapy gantries

A compact gantry delivering 70-220 MeV protons with fixed field in the superconducting magnets could reduce the cost and improve the adoption of proton therapy. While a number of magnet and cryogenics designs have been proposed, the combined capital and operating costs of state-of-the-art superconducting materials have not been analyzed. In response, we develop a thermoeconomic model of a multi-stage, conduction cooled gantry lattice and analyze the cryocooler operating cost, cryocooler capital cost and conductor capital cost for Nb-Ti, Nb 3 Sn, REBCO and Bi-2223 over a continuous range of magnet temperatures, and a differential evolution algorithm is used to identify the optimal combination of thermal intercept temperatures. Although Nb3Sn yields the lowest Net Present Value (NPV) of $111.7k at a magnet temperature of 9.4 K, the optimized Bi-2223 design at 12.8 K approaches the realm of commercial feasibility by offering improved thermal stability and forgoing the need for costly conductor heat treatment and magnet quench training. Furthermore, it was found that Nb3Sn was more cost effective than Nb-Ti and that REBCO was not economically viable for the parameters of this investigation. Overall, the thermoeconomic model developed herein can optimize conductor choices, magnet temperatures and thermal staging which has value for any conduction-cooled superconducting magnet.

BSCCO↗