Coupling different superconducting states at oxide interfaces
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Materials Science & Metallurgy
Abstract
The vast majority of known superconductors are spin singlet meaning the Cooper pairs of electrons have antiparallel spins. There are only a few known compounds which show intrinsic (p-wave) triplet superconductivity (most notably Sr2RuO4 (SRO) which is key to this PhD research). The triplet pairing in SRO is even frequency and is conceptually different to the odd-frequency triplet pairing induced in ferromagnets via proximity effect to conventional (s-wave) superconductors. However, there are theoretical predictions that alternative pairing states can be induced at surfaces which raise the prospect of coupling between different superconducting orders via engineered proximity effects. The aim of this PhD is to investigate this coupling and apply it to create thin films and device structures of SRO which have not previously been feasible.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Jason Robinson (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Carla Palomares Garcia (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2022 | |||
| 1799492 | Studentship | EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/05/2020 | Carla Palomares Garcia |
| Description | -Successful growth of superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films by pulsed laser technique (PLD). -From the systematic study of electrical, magnetic and structural properties, the key crystallographic defect responsible of the suppression of superconductivity have been identified. -These results provide a better understanding on the growth of thin films of the unconventional superconductor Sr2RuO4 using PLD, which until now remained unknown. -The positive outcomes are thank to the collaboration with parties involved it the EPSRC-OSS International Network (mainly Kyoto University and Seoul National University). -To study the structural properties of the thin films, it was required the acquisition of a deep understanding of X-Ray diffraction technique. |
| Exploitation Route | -Due to its unconventional superconductivity, many research groups have unsuccessfully attempted to grow superconducting thin films of Sr2RuO4 using PLD. -This thesis provides a reliable growth protocol of superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films as well a the procedure to identify the critical defect that is responsible for the suppression of superconductivity. - Making available superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films, opens the possibility to study different coupling effects with ferromagnets or conventional superconductors that arise at the interphase. Based on that, thin films make also possible the fabrication of devices able to carry information directly in the spins without the need to engineer it, as it occurs with conventional superconductors. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy |
| Description | Making possible the fabrication of superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films, opens the possibility to study different coupling effects with ferromagnets or conventional superconductors that arise at the interphase. Based on that, thin films make also possible the fabrication of devices able to carry information directly in the spins without the need to engineer it, as it occurs with conventional superconductors. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy |
| Description | Travel award |
| Amount | £677 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Department | Wolfson College |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2017 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | Invited lecture - Oxide Superspin - OSS Kick off meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Kick off meeting of the Oxide SuperSpin program. Carried out an oral presentation of my PhD research to our international collaborators from Seoul National University, Kyoto University and the University of Salerno among others. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.oxidesuperspin.org/oss/events |
| Description | Organizing committee - Poster display - Oxide SuperSpin International School 2018 (OSS18) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Organizing committee of the Oxide SuperSpin International School 2018 (OSS18), held at Hokkaido University (Japan) in August 2018. The workshop is organized by the JSPS-EPSRC Core to Core Programme, an international network that aims to explore unconventional superconductivity at oxide-superconductor interfaces with spin-polarized materials. My tasks involved organizing the scientific program. As well I participated in the workshop with a poster displaying the most recent results from my PhD research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.oxidesuperspin.jp/oss-is-2018/ |
| Description | Poster display - IUMRS-ICAM2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | International conference on advance materials. Attendance to research talks given by experts in the field. Poster display with the most recent outcomes of my research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.iumrs-icam2017.org/index.html |
| Description | Poster display - Oxide SuperSpin workshop 2017 (OSS17) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster display at the Oxide SuperSpin workshop organized at Kyoto University. Update our collaborators about the progress on my Phd research and discuss future steps. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.oxidesuperspin.jp/oss2017/program.html |
| Description | Poster display - Oxide SuperSpin workshop 2018 (OSS18) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The workshop is organized by the JSPS-EPSRC Core to Core Programme, an international network that aims to explore unconventional superconductivity at oxide-superconductor interfaces with spin-polarized materials. I participated with a poster displaying the most recent results of my PhD research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://oss2018.physics.unisa.it/ |
| Description | Poster display - Research Review for Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | REF involves a substantial report on the Department's research activities, policies and strategy, and a two-day visit by the international review team in May. Posters displaying the fields of research of the different groups of of the Department where reviewed by an external team of scientists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/mat-eyes-pdfs/Material_Eyes_Issue32_Spring2018... |
| Description | Poster display - SPICE - Exotic New States in Superconducting Devices |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Participation in the workshop with a poster presentation of my research outcomes. Attendance to the research talks provided by experts in the field. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.spice.uni-mainz.de/ens-workshop-2017-home/ |
| Description | Poster display - Vice chancellor visited to the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge visited the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy. Posters representing different fields of research where displayed during his visit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/mat-eyes-pdfs/material-eyes-issue33-winter1819... |
| Description | Science society talk at Wolfson College |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 1 hour talk to describe the field of superconductivity, its current applications and my research project to a group not expert in the field. People got to know the basics of superconductivity, its applications from a macro-scale to nano-scale, how to fabricate and characterize superconducting materials and as an example the challenges on the fabrication of an unconventional superconductor (my PhD research topic). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/about/events/science-society-lecture-power-superconductivity |