In order to investigate the vortex lattice melting transition in detail Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ δ Scanning Hall probe microscopy (SHPM), a novel scanned probe magnetic imaging method, has been developed for single crystals. Using an integrated scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) or atomic force microscope (AFM) tip, the topography of a material can be recorded in real-time, enabling correlation with magnetic images later on. The numerous advantages of SHPM over other methods include its almost complete non-invasiveness and its suitability across a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields. (0.3-300 Kelvin(K) and 0-7 Tesla (T), respectively), and its capacity to offer magnetic induction's z-component in quantitative maps. Photographing vortices at low temperatures in type II superconductors is made possible by the method's strong signal-to-noise ratio and reasonably good spatial resolution (>100 nm). Making use of models that GaAs/AlGaAs diameters between “0.4 µm - 0.8 µm high-resolution scanning Semiconductor 2DEG Hall probe microscopy (SHPM) Two orthogonal forms of flux structure, named Josephson vortices and pancake vortices, respectively, are generated in the crossing lattices domain of these highly anisotropic superconductors under tilted magnetic fields, according to research using Hall probe devices. (JVs and PVs)”. We see clear evidence for the formation about vortex lattice structures from H=+2.5 Oersted (Oe) gradually disappear.
In order to investigate the vortex lattice melting transition in detail Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ δ Scanning Hall probe microscopy (SHPM), a novel scanned probe magnetic imaging method, has been developed for single crystals. Using an integrated scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) or atomic force microscope (AFM) tip, the topography of a material can be recorded in real-time, enabling correlation with magnetic images later on. The numerous advantages of SHPM over other methods include its almost complete non-invasiveness and its suitability across a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields. (0.3-300 Kelvin(K) and 0-7 Tesla (T), respectively), and its capacity to offer magnetic induction's z-component in quantitative maps. Photographing vortices at low temperatures in type II superconductors is made possible by the method's strong signal-to-noise ratio and reasonably good spatial resolution (>100 nm). Making use of models that GaAs/AlGaAs diameters between “0.4 µm - 0.8 µm high-resolution scanning Semiconductor 2DEG Hall probe microscopy (SHPM) Two orthogonal forms of flux structure, named Josephson vortices and pancake vortices, respectively, are generated in the crossing lattices domain of these highly anisotropic superconductors under tilted magnetic fields, according to research using Hall probe devices. (JVs and PVs)”. We see clear evidence for the formation about vortex lattice structures from H=+2.5 Oersted (Oe) gradually disappear.
Scanning Hall probe microscopy has been used to demonstrate the manipulation of pancake vortices by rotating the Josephson vortex lattice in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta single crystals in the interacting crossing lattices regime. Creation of one-dimensional pancake vortex chains trapped on Josephson vortices, and the subsequent rotation of the chains were realized by independently controlling magnetic fields in three orthogonal directions. The anisotropy parameter determined from the in-plane distances between vortex chains in various in-plane fields is consistent with commonly accepted values.
Understanding vortex matter in type-II superconductors is central to controlling dissipation and flux pinning in superconducting materials and devices. Here, we use cryogenic scanning nitrogen vacancy magnetometry (NVM) to image Abrikosov vortices in the cuprate superconductors BSCCO-2212 and YBCO under controlled field-cooled conditions. Measurements, which are performed using continuous-wave optically detected magnetic resonance (cw-ODMR) in a closed-cycle cryostat, yield quantitative magnetic-field maps with nanoscale spatial resolution. In BSCCO-2212 at 71 K, we resolve a well-ordered triangular vortex lattice, whose symmetry and spacing are confirmed through 2D Fourier analysis and are consistent with flux quantization. YBCO thin films imaged at 3 K exhibit a more disordered vortex arrangement reflecting stronger pinning, while maintaining quantitative agreement between measured vortex density and the applied magnetic field. These results render our cryogenic scanning NVM a reliable quantitative tool for real-space studies of vortices in high-Tc superconductors, in particular since such a remarkable magnetic resolution has been achieved within relatively short acquisition times of 2 to 4 h.
Vortices and vortex lattices play a major role in determining the transport properties of type-II superconductors[1–3], and enable a platform to investigate exotic superconducting physics[4,5]. The study of vortex matter has generally focused on novel states in 2D films and structures, and has recently moved to investigating systems with constrained dimensions and smaller vortex numbers[6–11]. Vortices are responsible, for example, for some electrical transport regimes in superconducting films, as well as the Berezinkskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition in superconducting films[12]. Unconventional forms of superconductivity, such as the spin triplet pairing predicted in Sr2RuO4, or in topological insulators paired to s-wave superconductors, contain two condensates that may support two vortex lattices, and may display Majorana modes, signatures of which may have been seen in other superconducting systems[13–17]. The vortex-vortex interactions, or inter and intra-condensate couplings in multicondensate systems, are important parameters that characterize the behavior of the systems that display such phenomena[18–20]. In investigating these parameters, a technique that can both probe the energies in a system, as well as manipulate the vortices therein, has long been desired. In this work, we report on progress in determining the energy scales of vortex systems, as well as limited control over the vortex motion. Using a technique based on magnetic force microscopy, we can directly measure the resonant motion of vortices present in a superconducting lattice. We use a scanning magnetic tip to trap a small number of vortices in a superconducting Josephson junction array near the tip. By observing the resonant motion of the configuration of vortices, a map of the location of energy degeneracies between different stable configurations is generated. From this data, we use a simulation to extract the relative strengths of the characteristic energy scales for the system, including the vortex-magnetic field interaction, the vortex-vortex interaction strength, and the chemical potential for the vortices. The simulations for small numbers of vortices fits the data well for multiple field profiles and lattice spacings. The ability to tune the vortex number and configurations by changing the magnetic field profile from the tip, as well as the lattice parameters of the superconducting surface, are key portions of this technique. We demonstrate that the relative strengths of the chemical potential and vortex-vortex interactions can be tuned relative to the vortex-magnetic field energy by changing the lattice spacing of the array. We also show that by moving the tip farther from or closer to the surface, which changes the potential well from the tip, that the configurations of vortices can be modified. From the experiments, we show that this technique can be used to both extract the strengths of the relative energy scales in this system and other superconducting systems, as well as for manipulating the vortex configurations for quantum computation applications.
In pursuit of the elusive mechanism of high- T C superconductors (HTSC), spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy (SI-STM) is an indispensable tool for surveying local properties of HTSC. Since a conventional STM utilizes metal tips, which allow the examination of only quasiparticles and not superconducting (SC) pairs, Josephson tunneling using STM has been demonstrated by many authors in the past. An atomically resolved scanning Josephson tunneling microscopy (SJTM), however, was realized only recently on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x (Bi-2212) below 50 mK and on the Pb(110) surface at 20 mK. Here we report the atomically resolved SJTM on Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x at 4.2 K using Bi-2212 tips created in situ . The I - V characteristics show clear zero bias conductance peaks following Ambegaokar-Baratoff (AB) theory. A gap map was produced for the first time using an atomically resolved Josephson critical current map I C ( r ) and AB theory. Surprisingly, we found that this new gap map is anticorrelated to the gap map produced by a conventional method relying on the coherence peaks. Quasiparticle resonance due to a single isolated zinc atom impurity was also observed by SJTM, indicating that atomically resolved SJTM was achieved at 4.2 K. Our result provides a starting point for realizing SJTM at even higher temperatures, rendering possible investigation of the existence of SC pairs in HTSC above the T C .
We have designed and characterized a micro-SQUID with dispersive readout for use in low temperature scanning probe microscopy systems. The design features a capacitively shunted RF SQUID with a tunable resonance frequency from 5 to 12 GHz, micrometer spatial resolution, and integrated superconducting coils for local application of magnetic fields. The SQUID is operated as a nonlinear oscillator with a flux- and power-dependent resonance frequency. Measurements for device characterization and noise benchmarking were carried out at 4 K. The measured flux noise above 10 kHz at 4 K is 80 nΦ0 Hz−1∕2 at a bandwidth of 200 MHz. Estimations suggest that one can benefit from parametric gain based on inherent nonlinearity of the Josephson junction and reduce the flux noise to 30 nΦ0Hz–1∕2 at 100 mK, which corresponds to 10.6 μBHz–1∕2 for a magnetic moment located at the center of the pickup loop.Measuring the magnetic response of mesoscopic samples or mapping it vs. position for extended systems is effective methods for revealing the fundamental quantum properties of condensed matter systems. Over the past few decades, many advanced magnetic imaging schemes have been developed, including magnetic force microscopy,1 scanning Hall probe microscopy,2 superconducting interference devices (SQUIDs),3,4 and NV center based magnetometry.5 The high sensitivity, low back action, and low power dissipation of SQUIDs make them attractive for many types of low temperature experiments. One classic example is the central role of scanning SQUID microscopy in tests of pairing symmetry of high-Tc cuprate superconductors.6 Other prominent applications are the thermodynamic characteristics of persistent currents in normal metal rings7 and proof of edge states in topological insulators in the quantum spin Hall regime.8A key performance for a SQUID is its flux sensitivity. Parametric amplification has been harnessed in nano-SQUIDs based on aluminum junctions9,10 in order to reduce the flux noise down to 30 nΦ0Hz–1∕2 with a bandwidth exceeding 60 MHz.10 Recent studies on parametric amplifiers and dispersive readout of superconducting qubits also harness the nonlinearity of the Josephson junction to boost sensitivity.11–13In scanning SQUID microscopy, signal sources often behave dipole-like, such as superconducting vortices in mesoscopic dots or currents in mesoscopic rings. Smaller SQUIDs provide better coupling to smaller samples which leads to higher spin sensitivity3,14 as the magnetic field of a dipole decreases with 1/r3. Various approaches have been pursued to reduce the size. The smallest nano-SQUID to date has been fabricated by evaporating Nb or Pb15 onto the apex of a sharp quartz tip reaching a loop diameter of below nm and a spin sensitivity of 0.38 μBHz−1/2 at tens of kHz bandwidth. Compared to such size-optimized devices, micro-SQUIDs fabricated using a standard Nb technique have the advantage of on-chip field coils and modulation coils,14 and can be operated at 4 K allowing for a wide range of applications. However, these come at the cost of larger pick-up loops of a few microns and a resulting poorer spin sensitivity of 200 μBHz−1/2 for a magnetic moment located at the center of the pickup loop.The limitation of large pickup loops was previously only overcome by devices with pickup loops defined by the focused-ion-beam,16 but has recently also been achieved by improvements in lithography and shown to offer better spatial resolution as well.17 Here, we present a scanning micro-SQUID which is based on the same fabrication technology incorporating another major advancement. Our design exploits the parametric amplification based on nonlinearities of the SQUID to boost sensitivity. The combination of a smaller pickup loop and parametric amplification of the signal leads to better spin sensitivity (10.6 μBHz−1/2) and higher bandwidth (200 MHz) compared to traditional DC micro-SQUIDs in which the flux sensitivity is mainly limited by internal dissipation.Our devices were fabricated at Hypres Inc. using planarized Nb/AlOx/Nb trilayer Josephson junction technology, including two planarized Nb layers with approximately 0.8 μm minimum feature size. The SQUID consists of a superconducting ring shunted by one Josephson junction with a designed critical current of 20 μA [Fig. 1(a)]. With this geometry, the SQUID is gradiometric, i.e., the effect of any homogeneous background magnetic field approximately cancels out. The smallest pickup loops implemented have an inner (outer) diameter of 1 μm (2 μm). The superconducting loop is shunted by an on-chip parallel-plate capacitor with amorphous silicon dioxide as dielectric which was designed to have a capacitance of 80 pF. The superconducting loop and the capacitor form a resonator with a flux dependent resonance frequency from 5 to 12 GHz. The pickup loops are placed on opposite corners of the parallel-plate capacitor at a distance of about 450 μm so that one loop can be located in close proximity to the sample while the other is kept far away from it. External fields can be applied to the sample by local single-turn field coils situated around each pickup loop. The field coils are fully integrated into the chip layout and can also be used to bias the SQUID at its most sensitive point. Compared to using additional modulation coils,14 this approach has the advantage of reducing the total device inductance, which leads to a higher sensitivity.18 In a scanning microscope, the field coil at the rear end (away from the sample) can be used to bias the SQUID or operate it in flux feedback such that resulting stray fields will not act on the sample, apart from a weak screening current through the pickup loop. The effective diameter of each coil is 7.5 μm, resulting in a mutual inductance of about 0.34 Φ0/mA (for the smallest pickup loop). The SQUID resonator is connected by an on-chip Z0 = 50 Ω coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line to the bonding pads. The two field coils are connected by two smaller CPWs to the bottom edge bonding pads [Fig. 1(c)], ending in two parallel-stripline waveguides running alongside the edges of the capacitor towards the respective field coils. Based on estimations, it should thus be possible to apply high frequency signals of at least several GHz to SQUID and sample.
In 1964 V. L. Ginzburg predicted that new superconducting phases could appear in ultrathin films deposited on insulating surfaces. In 2010 superconductivity below 2K was discovered in some crystalline atomic monolayers of Pb grown on atomically clean Si(111) [1,2]. In crystalline monolayers of Pb on Si(111) the superconducting condensate is an intrinsic Josephson network formed by superconducting terraces coupled by Josephson links at individual atomic steps [1]. The detailed atomic arrangement at each step decides the strength of the Josephson coupling. In a magnetic field, the superconducting vortex phase contains different kinds of vortices, ranging from Abrikosov to Josephson limits. Amorphous monolayers of Pb are non-superconducting correlated metals. Playing with geometry of in-situ grown samples enables realizing lateral SNS junctions, reveal and study Josephson proximity vortices inside their N-parts [2].When individual magnetic impurities are added, the Cooper pairs are diffused forming so-called Yu, Shiba and Rusinov (YSR) bound states. While in three-dimensional superconductors these states rapidly decay around impurities on atomic scale, superconductors with two-dimensional electronic structure such as Pb-monolayers on Si(111) or 2H-NbSe2 host YSR bound states with spatial extents orders of magnitude larger [3]. These long-range magnetic states could be used to produce new topological phases in hybrid systems such as arrays or clusters of magnetic atoms and molecules coupled through the 2D-superconducting medium.In this talk we describe a series of recent experiments which mapped superconductivity, vortices and YSR states in Pb/Si(111) and 2H-NbSe2 by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy at ultralow temperatures.[1] Ch. Brun, et al. Nature Phys. 10, 444 (2014)[2] D. Roditchev, et al. Nature Phys. 11, 332 (2015)[3] G. Ménard, et al. Nature Phys. 11, 1013 (2015)