Superconductivity in 1D Zigzag Nanowires
We investigate the effects of the geometrical shapes of the 1D nanowires created at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 in order to study the origin of superconductivity of SrTiO3, which has puzzled researchers for more than 50 years. It was recently suggested that electron pairing in SrTiO3 may be related to ferroelastic domain walls. By using conductive-AFM lithography to create 1D superconducting nanowires at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, we can investigate the influence of nanowire shape, and in particular the effect of sharp turns in the nanowire, on superconducting behavior in the nanowires. We find a significant stabilization of the superconducting state in “zigzag” wires compared with straight control wires, both created at the same time and located only a few micrometers apart. We discuss possible origins for this behavior within the context of ferroelastic domain structure that surrounds the nanowires.
Yun-Yi Pai, Megan Briggeman, Hyungwoo Lee, Jung-Woo Lee, Mengchen Huang, Jianan Li, Chang-Beom Eom, Patrick Irvin, Jeremy Levy, Bulletin of the American Physical Society APS 2019 P09.00014.