Fabrizio Nichele

Proximitized Ge quantum wells have emerged as a platform for studying Andreev bound states (ABSs) due to their expected strong spin-orbit interaction and high mobility. Here, we used microwave spectroscopy techniques to investigate ABSs in Josephson junctions (JJs) realized in proximitized Ge quantum wells. Spectroscopic signatures observed in a 350-nm junction indicated the presence of multiple ABSs and were reproduced with a model including finite-length effects. The ABS spectra measured for a 1.2 - μ m junction were explained by a model including three ABSs in two conduction channels and finite Coulomb interaction. Our work highlights the importance of interactions in JJs and serves as a basis for understanding and manipulating ABSs in Ge -based hybrid devices.

Pb_1-xSn_xTe is a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) hosting topological surface and hinge states protected by crystal mirror symmetries. The bulk carrier density can be reduced by tuning the Sn ratio x. Here, we perform low-temperature magnetotransport measurements on Pb_1-xSn_xTe nanowires with varying x values grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We observe signatures of Aharonov-Bohm (AB)-type oscillations for 0.32 ≤ x ≤ 0.51, which coexist with aperiodic universal conductance fluctuations (UCFs) and are consistent with phase-coherent transport on the nanowire surface. We separately analyze the temperature dependence of the AB-type oscillations and UCFs. The oscillations give a phase coherence length of l_ϕ = 1.4 ± 0.2 μm at 80 mK, consistent with the ballistic transport regime. The UCF provides a significantly smaller l_ϕ, consistent with a diffusive bulk transport channel, parallel to the ballistic surface. Our results indicate the presence of phase-coherent surface states on Pb_1-xSn_xTe nanowires with 0.32 ≤ x ≤ 0.51.

Hybrid multiterminal Josephson junctions (JJs) are expected to harbor a novel class of Andreev bound states (ABSs), including topologically nontrivial states in four-terminal devices. In these systems, topological phases emerge when ABSs depend on at least three superconducting phase differences, resulting in a three-dimensional (3D) energy spectrum characterized by Weyl nodes at zero energy. Here, we realize a four-terminal JJ in a hybrid Al / InAs heterostructure, where ABSs form a synthetic 3D band structure. We probe the energy spectrum using tunneling spectroscopy and identify spectral features associated with the formation of a tri-Andreev molecule, a bound state whose energy depends on three superconducting phases and, therefore, is able to host topological ABSs. The experimental observations are well described by a numerical model. The calculations predict the appearance of four Weyl nodes at zero energy within a gap smaller than the experimental resolution. These topological states are theoretically predicted to remain stable within an extended region of the parameter space, well accessible by our device. These findings establish an experimental foundation to study high-dimensional synthetic band structures in multiterminal JJs and to realize topological Andreev bands.

Proximitized Ge quantum wells have emerged as a novel platform for studying Andreev bound states (ABSs), due to their expected strong spin-orbit interaction and high mobility. Here, we used microwave spectroscopy techniques to investigate ABSs in Josephson junctions (JJs) realized in proximitized Ge quantum wells. Spectroscopic signatures observed in a 350 nm junction indicated the presence of multiple ABSs, and were reproduced with a model including finite-length effects. The ABS spectra measured for a $1.2~μ$m junction were explained by a model including three ABSs in two conduction channels and finite Coulomb interaction. Our work highlights the importance of interactions in JJs and serves as a basis for understanding and manipulating ABSs in Ge-based hybrid devices.

Hybrid multiterminal Josephson junctions (JJs) are expected to harbor a novel class of Andreev bound states (ABSs), including topologically nontrivial states in four-terminal devices. In these systems, topological phases emerge when ABSs depend on at least three superconducting phase differences, resulting in a three-dimensional (3D) energy spectrum characterized by Weyl nodes at zero energy. Here, we realize a four-terminal JJ in a hybrid Al/InAs heterostructure, where ABSs form a synthetic 3D band structure. We probe the energy spectrum using tunneling spectroscopy and identify spectral features associated with the formation of a tri-Andreev molecule, a bound state whose energy depends on three superconducting phases and, therefore, is able to host topological ABSs. The experimental observations are well described by a numerical model. The calculations predict the appearance of four Weyl nodes at zero energy within a gap smaller than the experimental resolution. These topological states are theoretically predicted to remain stable within an extended region of the parameter space, well accessible by our device. These findings establish an experimental foundation to study high-dimensional synthetic band structures in multiterminal JJs, and to realize topological Andreev bands.

We investigate the direction-dependent switching current in a flux-tunable four-terminal Josephson junction defined in an InAs/Al two-dimensional heterostructure. The device exhibits the Josephson diode effect with switching currents that depend on the sign of the bias current. The superconducting diode efficiency, reaching a maximum of |η| ≈ 34%, is widely tunable─both in amplitude and sign─as a function of magnetic fluxes and gate voltages. Our observations are supported by a circuit model of three parallel Josephson junctions with nonsinusoidal current-phase relation. With respect to conventional Josephson interferometers, phase-tunable multiterminal Josephson junctions enable large diode efficiencies in structurally symmetric devices, where local magnetic fluxes generated on the chip break both time-reversal and spatial symmetries. Our work presents an approach for developing Josephson diodes with wide-range tunability that do not rely on exotic materials.