Gating of Au-$Bi_2Se_3$-NbN ramp-type junctions with superconducting NbN gate-electrode and $SrTiO_3$ film as the gate-insulator

TL;DR

This study investigates gating effects on Au-Bi2Se3-NbN ramp-type junctions with SrTiO3 insulators, revealing how gate voltage influences conductance spectra, heating effects, and Fermi energy shifts, with implications for superconducting device control.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates the impact of gate-insulator thickness and applied voltage on the electrical behavior and conductance spectra of topological insulator-superconductor junctions.

Findings

Higher gate-insulator thickness reduces heating effects.

Gate voltage induces measurable conductance shifts and Fermi energy changes.

Asymmetric conductance behavior linked to heating and gate leakage effects.

Abstract

Ramp-type junctions of $\rm Au-Bi_2Se_3-NbN$ were prepared on top of a bottom gate comprised of a $\rm SrTiO_3$ gate-insulator film on $\rm NbN$ gate-electrode layer on (100) $\rm SrTiO_3$ wafer. Two wafers with gate-insulator thickness of 120 and 240 nm were studied, with the former showing higher gate leakage currents Ig at high gate voltages Vg, leading to heating effects and shifting of the junctions conductance spectra versus the voltage bias. At Vg=0 V, the conductance spectra of the low resistance junctions showed zero bias conductance peaks inside a tunneling gap with typical conductance drops when the critical current Ic was reached, while the high resistance ones exhibited tunneling conductance only. For Vg$>$-0.2 V ($\rm E\simeq$ -2 MV/cm) of the wafer with 120 nm thick gate-insulator linear Ig vs Vg was found, while for Vg$<$-0.2 V, Ig saturation was observed, leading to quadratic and linear heating effects at positive and negative high Vg values, respectively. This led to asymmetric conductance spectra shifts versus Vg which followed almost exactly the Ig vs Vg behavior. In the wafer with twice the gate-insulator thickness (240 nm), heating effects were strongly suppressed, and symmetric small peak shifts appeared only under the highest Vg values of Vg=$\pm$2 V ($\rm E\simeq \pm$ 10 MV/cm). Under Vg=2 V, a 5\% lower conductance was observed as compared to Vg=-2 V, indicating a small Fermi energy shift in our junctions under $\pm$10 MV/cm fields.