Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films

Machiel Geert Flokstra; Rhea Stewart; Chi Ming Yim; Christopher  Trainer; Peter  Wahl; David N. Miller; Nathan Satchell; Gavin Burnell; Hubertus Luetkens; Thomas Prokscha; Andreas Suter; Elvezio Morenzoni; Irina V. Bobkova; Alexander M. Bobkov; Steve Lee

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-40757-1

Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films

Machiel Geert Flokstra, Rhea Stewart, Chi Ming Yim, Christopher Trainer, Peter Wahl, David N. Miller, Nathan Satchell, Gavin Burnell, Hubertus Luetkens, Thomas Prokscha, Andreas Suter, Elvezio Morenzoni, Irina V. Bobkova, Alexander M. Bobkov, Steve Lee^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Manipulating the spin state of thin layers of superconducting material is a promising route to generate dissipationless spin currents in spintronic devices. Approaches typically focus on using thin ferromagnetic elements to perturb the spin state of the superconducting condensate to create spin-triplet correlations. We have investigated simple structures that generate spin-triplet correlations without using ferromagnetic elements. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy and muon-spin rotation are used to probe the local electronic and magnetic properties of our hybrid structures, demonstrating a paramagnetic contribution to the magnetization that partially cancels the Meissner screening. This spin-orbit generated magnetization is shown to derive from the spin of the equal-spin pairs rather than from their orbital motion and is an important development in the field of superconducting spintronics.

Original language	English
Article number	5081
Number of pages	5
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40757-1
Publication status	Published - 21 Aug 2023

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Final published version, 1.08 MBLicence: CC BY

Critical Mass: Emergent Nanomaterials (Critical Mass Proposal)
Lee, S. (PI)
1/06/18 → 31/05/22
Project: Standard
Designer Oxides - Equipment: Designer Oxides: Reactive-Oxiode Molecular Beam Epitaxy System
Wahl, P. (PI)
EPSRC
1/09/15 → 31/08/17
Project: Standard
CM DTC 2014 - 2022: EPSRC centre for doctoral training in condensed matter physics: Renewal of the CM-DTC
King, P. (PI)
EPSRC
1/08/14 → 31/01/24
Project: Standard

Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films (dataset)
Flokstra, M. G. (Creator), Stewart, R. (Creator), Yim, C. M. (Creator), Trainer, C. (Creator), Wahl, P. (Creator), Miller, D. N. (Creator), Satchell, N. (Creator), Burnell, G. (Creator), Luetkens, H. (Creator), Prokscha, T. (Creator), Suter, A. (Creator), Morenzoni, E. (Creator), Bobkova, I. (Creator), Bobkov, A. (Creator) & Lee, S. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 30 Aug 2023
DOI: 10.17630/fa092d91-864d-4ae0-911e-7b630e6f0fe8
Dataset

File

Cite this

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title = "Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films",

abstract = "Manipulating the spin state of thin layers of superconducting material is a promising route to generate dissipationless spin currents in spintronic devices. Approaches typically focus on using thin ferromagnetic elements to perturb the spin state of the superconducting condensate to create spin-triplet correlations. We have investigated simple structures that generate spin-triplet correlations without using ferromagnetic elements. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy and muon-spin rotation are used to probe the local electronic and magnetic properties of our hybrid structures, demonstrating a paramagnetic contribution to the magnetization that partially cancels the Meissner screening. This spin-orbit generated magnetization is shown to derive from the spin of the equal-spin pairs rather than from their orbital motion and is an important development in the field of superconducting spintronics.",

author = "Flokstra, {Machiel Geert} and Rhea Stewart and Yim, {Chi Ming} and Christopher Trainer and Peter Wahl and Miller, {David N.} and Nathan Satchell and Gavin Burnell and Hubertus Luetkens and Thomas Prokscha and Andreas Suter and Elvezio Morenzoni and Bobkova, {Irina V.} and Bobkov, {Alexander M.} and Steve Lee",

note = "Authors acknowledge the support of the EPSRC through Grants No. EP/I031014/1, No. EP/J01060X, No. EP/J010634/1, No. EP/L015110/1, No.EP/R031924/1, No. EP/R023522/1 and No.EP/L017008/1. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 743791 (SUPERSPIN). All muon experiments were undertaken courtesy of the Paul Scherrer Institut.",

year = "2023",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-023-40757-1",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Nature Communications",

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T1 - Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films

AU - Flokstra, Machiel Geert

AU - Stewart, Rhea

AU - Yim, Chi Ming

AU - Trainer, Christopher

AU - Wahl, Peter

AU - Miller, David N.

AU - Satchell, Nathan

AU - Burnell, Gavin

AU - Luetkens, Hubertus

AU - Prokscha, Thomas

AU - Suter, Andreas

AU - Morenzoni, Elvezio

AU - Bobkova, Irina V.

AU - Bobkov, Alexander M.

AU - Lee, Steve

N1 - Authors acknowledge the support of the EPSRC through Grants No. EP/I031014/1, No. EP/J01060X, No. EP/J010634/1, No. EP/L015110/1, No.EP/R031924/1, No. EP/R023522/1 and No.EP/L017008/1. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 743791 (SUPERSPIN). All muon experiments were undertaken courtesy of the Paul Scherrer Institut.

PY - 2023/8/21

Y1 - 2023/8/21

N2 - Manipulating the spin state of thin layers of superconducting material is a promising route to generate dissipationless spin currents in spintronic devices. Approaches typically focus on using thin ferromagnetic elements to perturb the spin state of the superconducting condensate to create spin-triplet correlations. We have investigated simple structures that generate spin-triplet correlations without using ferromagnetic elements. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy and muon-spin rotation are used to probe the local electronic and magnetic properties of our hybrid structures, demonstrating a paramagnetic contribution to the magnetization that partially cancels the Meissner screening. This spin-orbit generated magnetization is shown to derive from the spin of the equal-spin pairs rather than from their orbital motion and is an important development in the field of superconducting spintronics.

AB - Manipulating the spin state of thin layers of superconducting material is a promising route to generate dissipationless spin currents in spintronic devices. Approaches typically focus on using thin ferromagnetic elements to perturb the spin state of the superconducting condensate to create spin-triplet correlations. We have investigated simple structures that generate spin-triplet correlations without using ferromagnetic elements. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy and muon-spin rotation are used to probe the local electronic and magnetic properties of our hybrid structures, demonstrating a paramagnetic contribution to the magnetization that partially cancels the Meissner screening. This spin-orbit generated magnetization is shown to derive from the spin of the equal-spin pairs rather than from their orbital motion and is an important development in the field of superconducting spintronics.

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-023-40757-1

DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-40757-1

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 14

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 5081

ER -

Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films

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Projects

Critical Mass: Emergent Nanomaterials (Critical Mass Proposal)

Designer Oxides - Equipment: Designer Oxides: Reactive-Oxiode Molecular Beam Epitaxy System

CM DTC 2014 - 2022: EPSRC centre for doctoral training in condensed matter physics: Renewal of the CM-DTC

Datasets

Spin-orbit driven superconducting proximity effects in Pt/Nb thin films (dataset)

Cite this