Joseph Lambert

Momentum-dependent multiple gaps in magnesium diboride probed by electron tunnelling spectroscopy

The energy gap is the most fundamental property of a superconductor. MgB(2), a superconductor discovered in 2001, exhibits two different superconducting gaps caused by the different electron-phonon interactions in two weakly interacting bands. Theoretical calculations predict that the gap values should also vary across the Fermi surface sheets of MgB(2). However, until now, no such variation has been observed. It has been suggested that two gap values were sufficient to describe real MgB(2) samples. Here we present an electron tunnelling spectroscopy study on MgB(2)/native oxide/Pb tunnel junctions that clearly shows a distribution of gap values, confirming the importance of the anisotropic electron-phonon interaction. The gap values, and their spreads found from the tunnel junction measurements, provide valuable experimental tests for various theoretical approaches to the multi-band superconductivity in MgB(2).

Energy gap substructures in conductance measurements of MgB2-based Josephson junctions: beyond the two-gap model

Several theoretical analyses of the two superconducting energy gaps of magnesium diboride, and , predict substructures within each energy gap, rather than two pure numbers. Recent experiments have revealed similar structures. We report tunneling conductance data providing additional experimental evidence for these features. The absence of these features in c-axis tunneling, and a sharp peak in the subgap (associated with the counterelectrode material), support the conclusion that these features are intrinsic to MgB2. By demonstrating the inadequacy of a simple two-gap model in tting the data, we illustrate that some distinctions between theoretical models of energy gap substructures are experimentally accessible.

Subwavenumber charge-coupled device spectrometer calibration using molecular iodine laser-induced fluorescence

Spectrometers configured with charge-coupled devices (CCD) or other array-based detectors require calibration to convert from the pixel coordinate to a spectral coordinate. A CCD calibration method well suited for Raman spectroscopy has been developed based on the 514.5 nm Ar(+) laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectrum of room-temperature molecular iodine vapor. Over 360 primary and secondary I(2) LIF calibration lines spanning 510-645 nm were identified as calibrant peaks using an instrumental resolution of 1 cm(-1). Two instrument calibration functions were evaluated with these peaks: a second-order polynomial and a function derived from simple optomechanical considerations. The latter function provided better fitting characteristics. Calibration using I(2) LIF was tested with measurements of both laser light scattering and Raman spectra. The I(2) LIF reference spectra and the signal spectra were recorded simultaneously, with no cross talk, by separating the two signals spatially along the vertical axis of the CCD imager. In this way, every CCD image could be independently calibrated. An accuracy and a precision of +/-0.05 cm(-1) were achieved with this calibration technique.

Analysis of Possible Quantum Metastable States in Ballistic Graphene-Based Josephson Junctions

Graphene is a relatively new material (2004) made of atomic layers of carbon arranged in a honeycomb lattice. Josephson junction devices are made from graphene by depositing two parallel superconducting leads on a graphene flake. These devices have hysteretic current-voltage characteristics with a supercurrent branch and Shapiro steps appear when irradiated with microwaves. These properties motivate us to investigate the presence of quantum metastable states similar to those found in conventional current-biased Josephson junctions. We present work investigating the nature of these metastable states for ballistic graphene Josephson junctions. We model the effective Washboard potential for these devices and estimate parameters, such as energy level spacing and critical currents, to deduce the design needed to observe metastable states. We propose devices consisting of a parallel on-chip capacitor and suspended graphene. The capacitor is needed to lower the energy level spacing down to the experimentally accessible range of 1-20 GHz. The suspended graphene helps reduce the noise that may otherwise come from two-level states in the insulating oxide layer. Moreover, back-gate voltage control of its critical current introduces another knob for quantum control. We will also report on current experimental progress in the area of fabrication of this proposed device.

Microwave resonant activation in hybrid single-gap/two-gap Josephson tunnel junctions

Microwave resonant activation is a powerful, straightforward technique to study classical and quantum systems, experimentally realized in Josephson junction devices cooled to very low temperatures. These devices typically consist of two single-gap superconductors separated by a weak link. We report the results of the first resonant activation experiments on hybrid thin film Josephson junctions consisting of a multi-gap superconductor (MgB2) and a single-gap superconductor (Pb or Sn). We can interpret the plasma frequency in terms of theories both for conventional and hybrid junctions. Using these models, we determine the junction parameters including critical current, resistance, and capacitance and find moderately high quality factors of Q0∼ 100 for these junctions.

Differential Conductance Measurements of

Magnesium diboride has many intriguing characteristics, including its relatively high critical temperature and two-band nature. Most prior studies of MgB2 thin film Josephson junctions have been conducted above 2 Kelvin. We report results of sub-1 Kelvin experiments of MgB2/insulator/Pb junctions whose a-b plane is exposed for electron tunneling. By measuring differential conductance at low temperature, new details in the structure of the sigma- and pi-band gaps are observed in this data, consistent with theoretical predictions.