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Event Detail Information

Event Detail Information

Condensed Matter Seminar: It's just a phase: Josephson interferometry of exotic superconductors

Speaker

Prof. Dale J. Van Harlingen -
Dept. of Physics (Head) - Illinois

Date Sep 7, 2012
Time 1:00 pm  
Location

190 Engineering Sciences Bldg - corner Goodwin & Springfield

 

Sponsor Physics
Contact Peggy Pennell
Phone 217/244-7636
Event type CM Seminar
Views 4707
Originating Calendar Physics - Condensed Matter Seminar
The directionality and phase-dependence of the Josephson supercurrent provides a powerful probe of the phase anisotropy of unconventional superconductors and the nature of coherent states in hybrid devices incorporating superconductors and correlated materials. In this talk, I will review the technique of Josephson interferometry and describe how this approach has enabled us to determine the order parameter symmetry of unconventional superconductors. I will focus on two materials: the layered ruthenate superconductor Sr2RuO4, which is believed to have a complex px+ipy order parameter and exhibit chiral domains, and the heavy fermion superconductor UPt3, one of only a few superconductors known to exhibit two distinct superconducting phases. I will then describe ongoing Josephson interferometry experiments designed to nucleate and detect Majorana fermion states in topological insulators in proximity with superconductors.