Thursday, February 16, 2012

1202.3146 (X. Cai et al.)

Quantum oscillations in nanofabricated rings of spin-triplet
superconductor Sr2RuO4
   [PDF]

X. Cai, Y. A. Ying, N. E. Staley, Y. Xin, D. Fobes, T. Liu, Z. Q. Mao, Y. Liu
Recent advances in the study of topological quantum states of matter have
provided a big boost for the pursuit of fault-tolerant topological quantum
computing based on non-Abelian Majorana fermions. It was predicted that a
half-flux-quantum vortex carrying a total flux of {\Phi}0/2 ({\Phi}0 = h/2e,
where h is the Planck constant and e the elemental charge), which is expected
in a spin-triplet, chiral p-wave superconductor, hosts a non-Abelian Majorana
mode. Recent cantilever magnetometry measurements on Sr2RuO4, likely a chiral
p-wave superconductor, revealed features suggesting a {\Phi}0/2 flux state. To
provide an independent confirmation of the existence of the {\Phi}0/2 state, we
pursued electrical transport measurements of quantum oscillations in small
Sr2RuO4 loops. Here we report the successful nanofabrication of Sr2RuO4 rings
required for such measurements and the observation of a {\Phi}0 quantum
oscillation with unexpected large amplitude. However, different from the
previous work, clear evidence for a {\Phi}0/2 state was not found.
View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.3146

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