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Ordering and manipulation of the magnetic moments in large-scale superconducting π-loop arrays

Nature volume 422, pages 50–53 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The phase of the macroscopic electron-pair wavefunction in a superconductor can vary only by multiples of 2π when going around a closed contour. This results in quantization of magnetic flux, one of the most striking demonstrations of quantum phase coherence in superconductors1,2,3. By using superconductors with unconventional pairing symmetry4,5,6,7, or by incorporating π-Josephson junctions8, a phase shift of π can be introduced in such loops7,9,10. Under appropriate conditions, this phase shift results in doubly degenerate time-reversed ground states, which are characterized by the spontaneous generation of half quanta of magnetic flux, with magnitude 1/2 Φ0(Φ0 = h/2e = 2.07 × 10-15 Wb) (ref. 7). Until now, it has only been possible to generate individual half flux quanta. Here we report the realization of large-scale coupled π-loop arrays based on YBa2Cu3O7-Au-Nb Josephson contacts11,12. Scanning SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) microscopy has been used to study the ordering of half flux quanta in these structures. The possibility of manipulating the polarities of individual half flux quanta is also demonstrated. These π-loop arrays are of interest as model systems for studying magnetic phenomena—including frustration effects—in Ising antiferromagnets13,14,15,16,17,18. Furthermore, studies of coupled π-loops can be useful for designing quantum computers based on flux-qubits19,20,21,22,23 with viable quantum error correction capabilities24,25.

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Figure 1: Generation of half flux quanta in connected and unconnected YBa2Cu3O7-Au-Nb zigzag structures.
Figure 2: Scanning SQUID micrograph of the flux state in a section of a triangular lattice (T = 4.2 K).
Figure 3: Scanning SQUID micrograph of a two-dimensional triangular array of π-loops (10-µm-wide facets, 25-µm spacing) in an 80 µm × 80 µm area.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. H. Koch, J. Mannhart, D. M. Newns and D. J. Scalapino for discussions. This work was supported by the Dutch Foundation for Research on Matter (FOM), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the European Science Foundation (ESF) PiShift programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Technology and MESA+ Research Institute, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Hans Hilgenkamp,  Ariando, Henk-Jan H. Smilde, Dave H. A. Blank, Guus Rijnders & Horst Rogalla

  2. IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, 10598, USA

    John R. Kirtley & Chang C. Tsuei

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  1. Hans Hilgenkamp
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Correspondence to Hans Hilgenkamp.

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Hilgenkamp, H., Ariando, Smilde, HJ. et al. Ordering and manipulation of the magnetic moments in large-scale superconducting π-loop arrays. Nature 422, 50–53 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01442

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