Berlin 2024 – scientific programme

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PLV: Plenarvorträge

PLV II

PLV II: Plenary Talk

Monday, March 18, 2024, 14:00–14:45, H 0105

How to Rectify Supercurrents Using Electron Spin? — •Christoph Strunk — Uni Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

The recent discovery of intrinsic supercurrent diode effect, and its prompt observation in a rich variety of systems, has shown that nonreciprocal supercurrents naturally emerge when both space- and time-inversion symmetries are broken. After an overview over different microscopic mechanisms behind the effect, I will report on the Josephson diode effect in planar Josephson junctions with strong spin-orbit interaction. The devices are based on ballistic Al/InAs-heterostructures that are exposed to an in-plane magnetic field B_ip. At low B_ip a non-reciprocal term is found in the Josephson inductance that is linear in B_ip. At higher B_ip a sign reversal of the non-reciprocal term is observed that can be traced back to a 0−π-like transition in the current-phase relation. Different avenues for a theoretical interpretation are discussed. As pronounced gate tunability of both the ϕ₀ shift and the diode efficiency in an asymmetric SQUID device demonstrates that Rashba spin-orbit interaction provides a substantial contribution to the Josephson diode effect.

Keywords: superconductivity; Josephson effect; spin-orbit interaction; non-reciprocal transport; supercurrent diode