Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: The length scale over which supercurrent from conventional BCS, $s$-wave superconductors ($S$) can penetrate an adjacent ferromagnetic ($F$) layer depends on the ability to convert singlet Cooper pairs into triplet Cooper pairs. Spin-aligned triplet Cooper pairs are not dephased by the ferromagnetic exchange interaction and can thus penetrate an $F$ layer over much longer distances than singlet Cooper pairs. These triplet Cooper pairs carry a dissipationless spin current and are the fundamental building block for the fledgling field of superspintronics. Singlet-triplet conversion by inhomogeneous magnetism is well established. Here, we describe an attempt to use spin-orbit coupling as an alternative mechanism to mediate singlet-triplet conversion in S-F-S Josephson junctions. We report that the addition of thin Pt spin-orbit-coupling layers in our Josephson junctions significantly increases supercurrent transmission, however the decay length of the supercurrent is not found to increase. We attribute the increased supercurrent transmission to Pt acting as a buffer layer to improve the growth of the Co $F$ layer.
Authors: Nathan Satchell, Norman O. Birge
Institutions: University of Leeds, Michigan State University
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G2395809578
OpenAlex ID: W2790228495